Darkness consumed me, thick and oppressive. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face. I couldn't even tell if I was still flying or falling. All I knew was the heart-stopping terror of feeling Damian's cold fingers clutch at my ankle just as I'd squeezed through the closing gap.
"Give me the Heart!" his voice echoed behind me, bodiless in the void.
I kicked desperately, my wings fluttering uselessly in the constricted space. The tablet and the Heart were clutched against my chest, slippery with sweat and blood. I couldn't lose them—not after everything.
My free foot connected with something solid. A howl of rage told me I'd struck Damian's face. His grip loosened just enough for me to wrench free, tumbling forward into the inky blackness.
I fell. Hard and fast, with no sense of up or down.