Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

here.”
    “Come to me. You’ll be safe.”
    He shook his head. “I have to stay here. But not you. Go away.”
    Erin stepped closer. “Why?”
    “Don’t you see it? There’s a crack right there.” He pointed to the edge of the bridge.
    “Then come off.”
    He shook his head. “I can’t.”
    “Why not?
    “I have to do this,” he whispered.
    “What did you say?” Erin asked.
    He looked at the ground. “It’s what I have to do.”
    Erin gazed at him. He was young, early twenties, with brown hair and eyes, but terror twisted his handsome face. His eyes darted around the ground, and he groaned.
    “What’s your name?” Erin called.
    He looked at her as if he didn’t understand her question before answering. “Paul.”
    “Paul, there’s no need to do this. Come with me.”
    A roar like thunder broke from the bridge, and Paul dropped to his knees. Dust rose from the center of the bridge, and a crack grew at its edge. Erin dashed toward him and pulled him up by his arm, but the ground shifted under her feet, and she fell, landing face down in the dust.
    Paul screamed and Erin grabbed hold of his shirt. The bridge was crumbling underneath them. She tried to crawl away, but he was too heavy for her to drag. The outer edge of the bridge was gone, and dust rose up, blocking her vision, but she could hear the rumbling as, piece by piece, the rest of the bridge collapsed. She thrust one arm around Paul’s chest and tried to haul him back. The last of the bridge gave way, and her feet dropped out from under her. They both screamed, and she reached out wildly with her free hand and seized the edge of the shattered road. She found herself dangling in the air, still holding tight to Paul.
    He clung to her. She yelled, “Hold on. We can make it.”
    She couldn’t see through all the dust. Paul had wrapped his arms around her waist. She coughed. “Are you all right? I need to let go of you and use both hands.”
    He tightened his hold, and she slowly loosened her grip on him. She reached up with her other hand and got a firm grasp on the pavement. A sharp stone cut her palm as she tried to pull herself up, and her arms ached. Paul groaned.
    “We’ve got to pull ourselves up to the road,” she said.
    “I can’t let go of you.”
    “I’m right here. I’ll hold you again—see the ledge?”
    He moaned just as the ledge under Erin’s hands gave way and crumbled. She fell backwards and reached out blindly as they plunged into the gully. Erin wrapped both arms around him, and he clung to her waist. The fall took her breath away, and she looked down. Trees raced up to meet them.
    She closed her eyes and said, “Paul, we’ll float—in this dream we can float.”
    “What?”
    “Think. We’re like feathers, floating. We’re flying.”
    The ground below was closing fast when Erin felt the change. The wind slowed. They were no longer plummeting to the earth. Like feathers, they floated lazily toward the earth and the creek below.
    Paul still held onto her, and his eyes were squeezed shut. They slowed even more, and Erin whispered, “Look.”
    He opened his eyes and gasped. Their feet touched the ground on a grassy knoll beside the stream. Their knees gave way, and they both collapsed onto the grass. Paul rolled onto his back and lay there staring upwards, breathing hard. Erin sat up.
    “You’re all right.” She sat still for a few minutes and her heart began to calm down. She laughed.
    Paul stared at her and began to laugh, too. A few tears streamed from his eyes.
    Erin touched his arm. “How many times have you fallen from that bridge?”
    He frowned. “Maybe five.”
    “Why? Why do you keep doing that?”
    He sat up. “How did you do that?”
    “Make us float? You did it. This is your dream. And since it’s your dream, you can change it. I just made a suggestion. And you did a very good job of making it happen.” She patted his arm, then stood up and brushed herself off.
    Paul stared at her for a