ANOKAI’S POV
“If you’re trying to kill me,” I said, my breath coming in short gasps as we climbed yet another steep incline, “you should just tell me now. At least give me the dignity of knowing.”
My legs burned, my lungs ached, and sweat dampened my back despite the cooling afternoon air. We’d been walking—no, climbing for what felt like an eternity, following a narrow path that wound up and up through increasingly dense trees.
“We’re close,” Rowan said without looking back, his pace never slowing.
“You said that ten minutes ago,” I muttered.
“And we’re closer now than we were then,” Emiriel added from behind me, amusement threading through his voice.
I wanted to snap at him, but I needed all my breath just to keep moving.
The path was getting steeper, the rocks under my feet loos
