Page 20 of Forsaken Secrets

He crossed his arms and stared at me, straight-faced, that damn rope still hanging from his hand. "Your name?"

Fine. I sighed and dropped into an awkward curtsy. "Kaiya Maderoth, at your service."

His eyes widened. "I see."

Well, what did that mean?

"And you?" I pushed. If he knew mine, the least he could do is tell me his.

Lightning arced overhead. Gods. We needed to go faster.

"Lynk."

That name …

The conversation I'd heard at the Fort earlier filtered through my mind and I stared at him, mouth agape. "You're the monster hunter!" He was attractive, to be sure, but not enough to lose your mind like the ladies of the Ridge. "Are you hunting on our land?"

He cocked a single dark brow. "There are missing people and a contract, so I'm here."

I hadn't heard about missing people, but at least he wasn't hunting the vrytra.

"Well then, Lynk … may I rescue the injured man now?" I reached for the coil of rope he held hostage. "Or do you need to know my waist size, as well?"

He tossed the coarse rope to me, and I looped it around the single remaining tree.

Gods, Aunt Grace would kill me if she knew what I was doing.

Lynk still stood there, arms crossed, and I grimaced. So much for helpful men! I'd heard all those stories of chivalrous men stepping in to save the day, but it appeared I was the chivalrous one today.

I shook my head, then dropped to my knees and crawled to the edge. The man below seemed to be stirring, but his outcropping was visibly smaller than it had been a moment ago, and those waves beneath looked even more threatening …

Dirt crumbled beneath my fingers, and my heart lurched.

This was a stupid plan. A royally stupid plan. What was I thinking?

"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't even know that man." Lynk's voice came from behind me.

Of course I didn't. But did that really matter? "It's this, or he dies," I said. "I don't know about you, but I don't want that on my korra."

Lynk just grunted. "Well then. Yell when you're ready to come up."

I nodded, then wrapped the rope around my back and through my legs, gathering the dual tail in my left hand and double checking the positioning. Satisfied, I dropped to my stomach and scooted my body until my legs were over the edge and my feet touched the vertical cliff face.

Swallowing my nerves, I gripped the rope and leaned back into it, testing my weight. It was as solid as it would ever be.

I looked up at Lynk once more. There was a crease between his brows that smoothed the second he saw me looking. He nodded once.

It was now or never.

Lynk held the rope steady. I met his silver eyes and nodded.

He cocked a brow, then let the rope go.

And I was flying …

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