Cole evades Carnag

Twisting, Carnag faced Cole. As the ground heaved up around him, Cole thrust his sword skyward and shouted, “Away!” He soared upward, soil brushing against his legs, but not quick enough to entrap him.

Cole was still rocketing up when he realized his mistake. In his haste to avoid getting swallowed by the ground, he had aimed for the random sky and jumped with everything he had. There was nowhere to land. He had just killed himself.

Near the apex of his flight, Cole looked down from a dizzying height almost level with Carnag’s neck. As he started losing altitude, a huge hand appeared beneath him. Landing on Carnag’s palm, Cole jabbed his sword toward Carnag’s shoulder, yelled out the command word, and jumped before he had settled.

Carnag’s fingers closed too slowly, and Cole rushed toward the earthen shoulder. Upon contact, Cole pointed the sword at the nearest tree and kicked off, yelling the command again.

Speeding through the air, Cole watched for where he would land and prepared for his next jump. He’d never really tried stringing jumps together like this so rapidly. It took some of the jolt away from the landings. Or maybe that was the adrenalin.

Just before he landed, Carnag’s giant hand closed around him, snagging him in midflight and holding him tightly. Cole squirmed, but there was no give.

Chapter 32