Blood gushed from Mr. Howard''s nose and eyes. The man didn''t stop until he was sure his target was incapacitated.


    Soren stared at the man''s face, a flicker of recognition in his mind. A momentter, it hit him—it was the bodyguard who had been protecting Evangeline. "Finn? What are you doing here?" Just then, a sound came from over the edge of the cliff. Soren froze, peering down into the abyss. He leaned out as far as he dared and, to his astonishment, saw a sturdy-looking tree branch jutting out from the rock face not too far below.


    Finn was clinging to it with one hand, his body dangling in the air, while his other hand held tightly to the rope tied around Evangeline.


    She was alive!


    The realization sent a wave of overwhelming relief through Soren.


    By now, Mr. Howard was barely conscious, and his men were locked in a chaotic brawl with another unidentified group. Gregory and the sniper, realizing something had gone wrong, were rushing toward them.


    "Get over here and help! Bring a rope!" Soren roared as he scrambled to his feet.


    A length of the rope that had held Evangeline was still tied to the tree. His fingers trembled as he worked on the knot, but he quickly saw it wasn''t long enough.


    "Get Poppy down! Give me the rope from her!" he yelled. The branch Finn was holding could snap at any moment, and he had no idea how long Finn''s strength wouldst. They had to be fast.


    Gregory and the others finally understood and scrambled to untie Poppy. Dangling in the air, Poppy watched Soren''s desperate rescue effort, a bitter sting of disappointment and loss washing over her. He hadn''t thought to save her first-he was only doing it now to get her rope. Her gaze fell to the two figures clinging to life below, and a fresh wave of jealousy and hatred surged within her. Why wasn''t Evangeline dead? She was supposed to die!


    Evangeline, having narrowly escaped death, was as shocked as she was terrified by Finn''s sudden appearance.


    She had been certain her life was over, yet somehow Finn had been there to save her.


    inn looked down at her, a faint smile on his lips. "Evangeline, I told you. No matter how high you stand, I''ll always be there to catch you."


    His voice was light, but she couldn''t miss the cold sweat beading on his forehead.


    A drop of liquid hit her shoulder.


    She nced down, assuming it was sweat, but saw a ssh of red.


    Looking up, she saw that his palm


    was gushing blood, staining a section of the thick rope crimson.


    The force of her fall had shredded


    his hand on the coars


    fibers. Yet


    Finn seemed obvious to the pain, his grip unwavering.


    He evenboriously wrapped the rope around his hand again to secure it.


    The sight made Evangeline''s own hands ache in sympathy.


    "You''ll destroy your hand," she said, her voice filled with rm.


    Finn knew she was right. He had climbed over from another part of the cliff without


    any safety gear, relying solely on his grip on rocks and roots.


    The agony from the fresh wound was intense, and he could feel his hand slowly going numb. The blood was making the rope slippery one slip, and he would lose his grip.


    elvin


    He could feel his strength fading, but seeing the worry on Evangeline''s face, he forced a rxed tone. "Don''t worry it wont be for long v and his men are under control We''ll be rescued soon." Despite his calm demeanor, the bulging veins on his forehead and neck betrayed his immense strain.