XANDER'S POV
“Noooo!” I heard Dalia scream in horror as I teetered on the edge; my feet slipped on the loose gravel, and I felt the ground give way beneath him. My heart pounded on my chest, and time slowed as I fell. My stomach lurched into my throat. My life flashed before my eyes, and I flailed wildly, but my fingers closed on nothing but air.
It all happened in a split second. I never knew that was how fast a person could die. In my moment of terror, I heard Sly’s voice: “Open your eyes and hold onto something!” His voice awoke something in me. I immediately opened my eyes and managed to snag a gnarled root protruding from the cliff face, my fingers closing around it like a vice. The rough bark dug into my palm, and my arm trembled with the effort of holding on. The wind whipped my h
