Free Wilde's Meadow (Darkness Falls #3) by Krystal Wade

Mirain’s saddle horn tightly between my hands. We’re not even in the caves, and I’m thinking about all the horrors our people may face.
    Remember what you love, Kate . Think of Arland. Think of being strong .
    Passing through the entry, I suck in a sharp breath, but an overwhelming burden presses on my chest and expels the air.
    “Katrionaaaa.”
    The hissing voice is not real.
    “Katrionaaa. You will soon die. Dughbal will kill you.”
    Ignoring the threats, I stare at Mirain’s white mane, focusing on what is real. What’s in front of me. What I feel.
    Her hoof crunches a pebble, and I glance down. She walks on a three-foot wide path surrounded by blackness. Closing my eyes, I swallow hard.
    I hate heights. What was I thinking coming in here? Can this stone even hold all our weight? What if the horses are too heavy … ?
    “Arland will die.”
    Black fog swirls around me, chilling my skin.
    “Your sister will die.”
    This isn’t real.
    A loud, piercing scream breaks through my concentration. I look back, but everyone is gone, so I look forward.
    Perth is gone, too.
    My heart hammers against my chest. Stay calm. Breathe. They didn’t all jump … .
    “You killed these people, Katrionaaaa. And now you will die, too.” The fog covers my skin, fills the air of each breath I take, fills me.
    What if everyone really did jump? How will I live with myself?
    No. This isn’t real. I would have seen Perth go over the edge. I would have heard more screams as people fell.
    “Yesss. You feel it in your blood, Katrionaaa. Darkness controls you. The gods use you. Turn back. You have failed. Save what is left of your young existence.”
    My body feels weightless. I reach for the saddle horn again but tumble forward—
    Mirain is gone—no, Mirain is below me. I’m floating, suspended by sprites covered in black flames. My skin is on fire, bubbling and turning pink everywhere the beings touch. Tears well in my eyes. I want to scream, want to cry, want to turn around. This isn’t safe. There has to be a better way, another way at least. I don’t want to be burned. Not again. The shifter did enough to me.
    “You burn daemonsss. Why should you not burn, as wellll? You will die if you go any further. Your blood already drainss from you. The others are gone. Turn back.”
    A long, open wound stretches from my armpit to my wrist, spilling blood below me. I glance at my left arm; the same style cut covers it too.
    “Help me, Kate.”
    Arland ? I spin in the air, skin shouting at me to find water, to soothe the burning ache. But no one is here. I’m all alone.
    Bleeding.
    Burning.
    Floating to my death.
    Water . Maybe that’s what lies at the bottom of the ravine. Maybe the liquid will refresh me, bring my skin relief. It can’t be that far down.
    Tears streak my cheeks, evaporating before they reach my chin. I’m so hot, so tired. My eyelids sag.
    “Yesss. Water is what you seek. You are thirsty. Your skin is on fire. Turning back is not an option. Moving forward is impossssible. Jump. The fall will be short but worth it.”
    Rain pours from the sky but doesn’t touch me. How delightful it would feel on my skin. Silky, calming water … .
    One tiny drop smacks my forehead, fresh and intoxicating.
    My mouth is parched.
    It can’t be that far down.
    “The fall will be painlessss.”
    The sprites release me, and I slam onto Mirain’s back. She whinnies and rears, throwing me to the narrow path below her feet. Rocks stick to my swollen burns. I clench my fists. My skin stings. I cannot stand it. I need water. I walk to the ledge, my fear of heights sending shooting sensations throughout my chest and legs, warning me to step back, but I peer over the edge.
    I see the river. It’s about twenty feet below me. If I turn around, I can climb down to it.
    “Jump, Katrionaaa. You will be safe. The magic will assissst you.”
    White capped rapids rush over the rocks, the sound deafening. How could I not hear this before? The