Leah
I stared at the black pool beneath Diamond Fall. The water looked like liquid obsidian—deep, cold, and utterly lightless. The roar of the waterfall pounded against my skull, drowning out every rational thought. I hated water. Always had. The way it closed over your head, stole your breath, turned the world into muffled darkness. Even now, standing at the edge, my chest felt tight with old, childish panic.
Kaelen treaded water below me, dark hair plastered to his forehead, droplets sliding down the sharp lines of his throat. He looked up with that infuriating half-smile.
“Trust me,” he said over the roar. “There’s a tunnel. Narrow, but clear. It leads straight to the top.”
I swallowed. My wolf paced inside me—restless, eager, unafraid. She wanted to follow him anywhere. Into fire.
