Warrior (Princesses of Myth #2)

I paused a few steps from the edge, lowered myself to the ground and crawled toward it. Such a steep drop, of two-hundred feet to the base. Jeez, I never got this close, not when my fascination was well sated from further away.

“If there’s any danger, I’ll ’port and catch you. Other than that, you can do as you wish,” Donaldo called out.

“Great. Thanks for that!” I yelled back.

Oh boy, this was crazy.

There was a fortress behind me, yet I sat on the edge of a cliff.

Come on. You can do this. You’re a Wincrest.

Focus.

With my heart racing, I curled my hands around the ragged granite that would spell my doom if I toppled over it. Whoa. My vision swam and I dragged in a deep gulp of air. This was a whole lot scary. Silas would certainly freak if he saw me right now. Luckily though, he didn’t know what I was about to do, and it was just as well I hadn’t had enough time to contemplate it either.

“Hope.”

Uh-oh, stupid heart alignment. “I’m fine.”

“It doesn’t feel it. Where are you? I’ll come.” His tone was urgent, but then again so was the pounding of my heart.

“I’m in Dralion. You can’t.”

“What the hell are you doing there? My heart’s about to jackknife out of my chest.”

I held tighter to the granite. The waves far below slapped hard and sprayed high in an impressive display of nature versus life. I loved the water, but not like this.

Once I’d scampered away from the edge on my bottom, my heartbeat slowed a fraction. “Is that better?”

His voice was a deep growl, which rumbled around in my head. “Not nearly enough.”

Right. Not for me either.

“Silas, you’re not helping me focus. I’ll get back to you. Real soon.” I closed our link and blocked any reconnection.

Returning my attention to the waves meant I returned to the ledge. Make this fast. I raised my hand and swept it in a wide arc, drawing as much of the swelling seawater from below as I could. It roared and churned, fighting capture, but I rolled it and created a funnel then lifted it with all my mental might.

A geyser jetted, spraying a fountain of sea spray over us.

Ah, not quite what I had been after.

I tried again, this time maintaining more control over the funnel and capping it as the water levitated free of the sea.

Lifting it high was a magical moment. I grinned as the swirling waters, a quantity that could fill a large pool, rose over our heads.

I scurried to my feet and rejoined Donaldo and Goldie. Above, the pool of water floated.

“I’m never going to tire of seeing you do this,” Goldie whispered. “It has to be thirty feet in height and half as wide.”

Shucking off my boots, I eyed my grandfather. “I’ve set my hands into the water before and teleported with it. I don’t see why I can’t fully hop inside and swim. It should hold me, provided I keep kicking.”

Donaldo gripped my shoulder. “You want to go for a swim? In that?”

“Elizara Sol has this skill. She can breathe underwater for several minutes and she told me how to do it. I want to try. It’s just a pool of water.”

“A floating one.” He stared at it.

“Did you hear about Elizara?”

“Yes, Alexo kept me updated once he caught sight of you in the Sol compound.”

I glanced at the palace, to the slender towers, which rose to double the height of the gray-black stone walls near Dad’s wing. “Is he–”

A brisk wind swirled and Dad wavered into view. He drew me into a hug and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “I saw you from the window. I hope you realize this display of yours out here is rather obvious. At the moment, I have Jilly keeping your mother busy and far away from this side of the palace. You need to make this quick.”

“Will do.” I gave him a wobbly smile.

“If you’re going for a swim, get to it.”

“You haven’t had forewarning, right? I’m not about to drown?”

“No unexpected activation of forewarning. You’re safe to go.”

Donaldo cleared his throat. “I look forward to seeing what you can do.”

I approached the water. My nervousness hadn’t left and now it banged away with even more force.

No hesitation. A Wincrest didn’t falter.

I stopped in front and pressed one fist into the water. It suctioned around my arm, all tingly and cold. While pushing another fist in, the same strange sensation swept over me. Come on. Get in. I jumped and was swallowed by the chilly seawater.

Yee-ha. Holding my breath, I kicked swiftly to the center.

Wow. Such freedom in my movement. This was no different than being in a pool, only it was ocean water with seaweed and flotsam floating around. Oh, funny, and a jellyfish.