coincidence. The detour would have cost them at least a day, and the timetable her father had outlined pressed on her mind. They could not afford such a delay—especially since it seemed more and more likely that they would not learn the secret of slave magic from Lance.
Though only a touch of redness remained on his knuckles, Lance had reverted to his former brusqueness. He’d blocked every attempt she’d made to bring the conversation around to temples, priests or magic.
The blank look on his face now irritated her.
“Surely, you’ve heard of Vaga Falls? They are said to be the most beautiful waterfall in the world, as tall as twenty-five men standing on one another’s shoulders. People from all over the Republic travel many miles to see them.”
Lance shook his head, but he kept his eyes open and leaned forward so that his knee almost touched hers. Strange to be so aware of something that hadn’t happened.
The growing noise made Felicia cringe—she’d almost drowned as a child—but Sara found it exciting. As they came closer and closer the roar of the falls seemed to thrum in her veins. The wildness called to her.
Finally, the carriages stopped. Captain Marcus poked his head in. “There’s a small shrine at the top of the falls,” he said in neutral tones. “Would you and the ambassador care to visit it or shall we continue on? There’s a good view of the falls at the bottom.”
Sara sprang up from her seat. “I would love to visit it. No, Felicia, you stay here,” she said when her maid reluctantly started to stand, looking very green.
Sara looked expectantly at Lance. His eyebrows rose in acceptance of her challenge, and he followed her out into the flashing sunshine.
Captain Marcus said something she didn’t catch and pointed. She followed the direction of his finger and spotted the temple. It stood—her lips parted in awe—out on a great slab of gray rock two-thirds of the way across the top of the falls. Torrents of water rushed over the drop on either side of the temple. A narrow footbridge connected the temple to her side of the cataract. The east side was connected only by two lines of rope, one to hold to and one to walk on.
Marcus and the other outriders looked at her, clearly expecting her to change her mind about visiting the temple.
Sara stared at the footbridge longingly. A chiseled stone beside it proclaimed: “Only two people may walk in safety”, but it looked well-anchored, the boards solid and new. The filmy dress she’d worn for Lance’s benefit might get wet, but she didn’t think she’d be in any real danger.
Aunt Evina would never set foot on it, and neither would any other noblewoman. Sara knew what she should do, but the wildness she was supposed to have outgrown urged otherwise. She hesitated.
She would probably never have this chance again.
Before anyone could stop her, Sara ran lightly out onto the bridge. Out over the rushing, foaming water.
It was like standing on top of the world. Halfway across she stopped and looked down. The falls dropped away practically at her feet.
The sheer volume of water flowing by awed her. Her heart beat faster, watching its hungry power. Impossible that anything could fight against that terrible current. Grab you down, pull you under , its subterranean roar seemed to say.
Her vision blurred from trying to watch the water. She looked up and caught her breath. She still couldn’t see much of the falls themselves—the view would be better from the bottom—but she could see the green valley spread out below, the river a sparkling thread winding through olive groves. The wind pressed her gown against her. This must be what it felt like to be a bird soaring through the sky… Sara felt a sudden urge to jump off and see if she could fly.
The impulse frightened her—she held tight to the guide rail to ground herself—but not enough to make her look away from the view even for a second.
The bridge swayed underfoot as Lance
Though only a touch of redness remained on his knuckles, Lance had reverted to his former brusqueness. He’d blocked every attempt she’d made to bring the conversation around to temples, priests or magic.
The blank look on his face now irritated her.
“Surely, you’ve heard of Vaga Falls? They are said to be the most beautiful waterfall in the world, as tall as twenty-five men standing on one another’s shoulders. People from all over the Republic travel many miles to see them.”
Lance shook his head, but he kept his eyes open and leaned forward so that his knee almost touched hers. Strange to be so aware of something that hadn’t happened.
The growing noise made Felicia cringe—she’d almost drowned as a child—but Sara found it exciting. As they came closer and closer the roar of the falls seemed to thrum in her veins. The wildness called to her.
Finally, the carriages stopped. Captain Marcus poked his head in. “There’s a small shrine at the top of the falls,” he said in neutral tones. “Would you and the ambassador care to visit it or shall we continue on? There’s a good view of the falls at the bottom.”
Sara sprang up from her seat. “I would love to visit it. No, Felicia, you stay here,” she said when her maid reluctantly started to stand, looking very green.
Sara looked expectantly at Lance. His eyebrows rose in acceptance of her challenge, and he followed her out into the flashing sunshine.
Captain Marcus said something she didn’t catch and pointed. She followed the direction of his finger and spotted the temple. It stood—her lips parted in awe—out on a great slab of gray rock two-thirds of the way across the top of the falls. Torrents of water rushed over the drop on either side of the temple. A narrow footbridge connected the temple to her side of the cataract. The east side was connected only by two lines of rope, one to hold to and one to walk on.
Marcus and the other outriders looked at her, clearly expecting her to change her mind about visiting the temple.
Sara stared at the footbridge longingly. A chiseled stone beside it proclaimed: “Only two people may walk in safety”, but it looked well-anchored, the boards solid and new. The filmy dress she’d worn for Lance’s benefit might get wet, but she didn’t think she’d be in any real danger.
Aunt Evina would never set foot on it, and neither would any other noblewoman. Sara knew what she should do, but the wildness she was supposed to have outgrown urged otherwise. She hesitated.
She would probably never have this chance again.
Before anyone could stop her, Sara ran lightly out onto the bridge. Out over the rushing, foaming water.
It was like standing on top of the world. Halfway across she stopped and looked down. The falls dropped away practically at her feet.
The sheer volume of water flowing by awed her. Her heart beat faster, watching its hungry power. Impossible that anything could fight against that terrible current. Grab you down, pull you under , its subterranean roar seemed to say.
Her vision blurred from trying to watch the water. She looked up and caught her breath. She still couldn’t see much of the falls themselves—the view would be better from the bottom—but she could see the green valley spread out below, the river a sparkling thread winding through olive groves. The wind pressed her gown against her. This must be what it felt like to be a bird soaring through the sky… Sara felt a sudden urge to jump off and see if she could fly.
The impulse frightened her—she held tight to the guide rail to ground herself—but not enough to make her look away from the view even for a second.
The bridge swayed underfoot as Lance
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