Page 53 of Ransomed to the World
It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the desire to fade and the wish to die to return.
Logan knelt down next to her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He scanned her face, then gave her a goofy smile. “Hangover.”
He clucked in commiseration, then stood, offering her his hand. “It should go away in an hour or two.”
She couldn’t hold back a groan and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet. Funny thing about pain…who knew physical pain was so different from being sick?
Logan twirled a knife in his hand, then raised a brow at her. “Drop something?”
“Hey, where’d you get that?” When she reached for it, he pulled back.
“You dropped it.” He scowled, tumbling the blade across his knuckles almost casually. “You need more practice.”
Duly chastised, Annora ducked her head, hating that she failed them. “Sorry. Throwing a blade is not the same as fighting with one.”
Logan grunted, then presented her blade with a flourish. “We’ll add that to your training.”
Annora groaned at the idea of facing off against him with a blade, then winced when the sound made her head throb, but she gladly accepted the knife. If that’s what it took to keep them safe, she’d do it. She tucked it into the back of her pants, glad to have it returned, feeling less vulnerable at the comforting weight against her spine.
Xander nudged Logan aside, snatched up her hand and tugged her to his chest. He cuddled her close, speaking softly. “You’ve never been sick before, have you?”
She shook her head, feeling miserable and pathetic, then stopped and nearly whimpered. “No.”
She knew she sounded pathetic, but she couldn’t help it.
Xander glanced up, speaking over her head. “Can you do anything?”
“The sensations should pass anywhere from a few minutes to an hour,” Edgar murmured. His hand landed on the back of her neck. A chill danced across her skin, ice skating up her spine and dulling the pain. “Passing through the afterworld pulled the remaining toxins out of her body, but the rapid detox must have hit her all at once.”
Annora gradually became aware of her surroundings. She cautiously peered over Xander’s shoulder, and gasped. Forgetting her headache, she pushed up on her toes to get a better look. “Where are we?”
Instead of the sun breaking over the mountainside, it was now setting over the ocean. They stood on a cliff, miles of sheer rock stretching out below them in every direction, small trees and shrubs clinging to the cliffside by determination alone. Wind buffeted them, luring her toward the edge, the scent of the sea swirling around them. Waves crashed violently until she’d swear she could feel the spray on her face, even this high up.
“We’re in Spain.” Edgar came to a stop next to them.
Annora’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “How?”
“Portal.” He lifted his face up to the sky and closed his eyes, ignoring the wind tugging at his clothes.
That’s when she noticed how haggard he looked, his pale features almost gray. She pulled away from the shelter of Xander’s arms and walked to him, drawn by his stillness.
He was so alone.
Isolated.
It practically radiated from him, and she hated it. “You jumped too far, took too many people.”
“Why not jump directly to the city?” Mason stood at the edge of their group. He reached for her and tugged her away from the edge.
“Afraid of heights?” She went with him willingly.
He shook his head, his smile more of a grimace. “Heights are fine. Can’t swim.”
Her eyebrows lifted at the bland reply, and she glanced at his size. She opened her mouth to offer to teach him, but he slipped a finger under her chin and shut it. “Trolls sink like a stone. Our bone mass is just too heavy. Our bodies aren’t built for it. We can go really short distances, but anything more than a minute or two in the water, and we sink.”
Annora rested her forehead against his chest, rubbing her temples, hoping to ease the ache, and recalled his earlier question. “Whydidn’twe just go to the phantom realm?”
“The city is an island, only accessible by ship. Supplies are sent over once a week. The ship should be here tomorrow morning.” Edgar sighed, turning away from the sea. “There is a magical ward protecting the island from attacks. Only the council members and a few of the elite have the code to access the city by…other means.”
