Chapter Twenty-SixBradan felt himself falling from the bridge, with Melcorka clinging to the rope-work far above. He clutched at the air as if he could swim through nothingness, and saw the sea rushing towards him, breaking on ragged rocks between the stack and the harsh cliffs of the shore. Despite his fear, he had the presence of mind to turn his body and dive for the least disturbed area of sea, yet the shock of striking the water drove the breath from him, and he surged deeper than he intended.
As darkness closed around him, Bradan took an instinctive breath, choking as salt water rushed into his lungs, burning, squeezing, pressing his chest, while the water roared and bubbled in his ears. He kicked, felt the surface of the sea-bed beneath, powered upwards and surfaced with a gasp. He
