Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Jackson"s heart pounded like a drummer's hands against a drum as he reached Thorne's side. The smith had shared a desperate plan, and now it was up to them to distract the giant. He knew he was no match for the behemoth, but he couldn"t stand by and watch Barrett get hurt again. And if they didn"t take the giant down before the others got to safety, that"s exactly what would happen.

He"ll wait for me.

It was a foolish thought, but one Jackson couldn"t shake. Barrett wouldn"t let them take down the beanstalk unless Jackson was down. Which is why Thorne and I have to end this up here.

The choice might destroy him, but Jackson would choose to protect Barrett again and again. He"d assumed for some time, but it wasn"t until they kissed in front of the beanstalk that he was certain.

Jackson loved Barrett.

And that meant doing anything and everything to save him.

Again.

"Hey, ugly!" Jackson bellowed, his voice barely loud enough to be heard by the giant even with him shouting. Jackson moved, dashing forward even further, nodding at Thorne as he rushed between the giant"s feet. "You think you"re so tough, picking on a little guy like him? Well, I"ve got something for ya!"

The giant turned, its soulless eyes narrowing at Jackson. It laughed, a booming sound that shook the very foundations of the cloud floor.

"You think you can challenge me, puny insect? You thought you could trick me, and now you stay for me to squash you?" The giant"s mouth twisted into a horrific grin showing off gnarled and twisted yellow teeth.

"I may be small, but I"ve got more guts than you"ll ever know!" Jackson shot back, backing away, trying to lure the giant away from the castle. He wasn"t certain if the magic barrier would stop Thorne's explosives from working, but he didn't want to take that chance. "Why don"t you leave the real men alone and pick on someone your own size!"

Thorne was hidden somewhere inside the castle, readying the explosives he"d chosen to attach to his body. As soon as Jackson had heard the insane plane, he"d had to stay behind. He wouldn"t let the smith die alone. Not when he did so to save them all. Unfortunately, if he didn't get to the castle to breathe, the giant was going to squash him.

Moving toward the castle, Jackson rushed inside. He needed to keep the giant"s focus on the castle for as long as possible. As soon as the enemy king saw the beanstalk, the others were gone.

And if Jackson and Thorne failed, then the others needed more time to get off the stalk and cut the damn thing down.

"Come on then!" Jackson hollered as he rushed inside the main hall, tumbling as the giant struck the magical barricade.

He quickly climbed to his feet and stumbled back, avoiding another strike from the giant"s massive hand.

Thorne"s muffled voice called out for him from somewhere in the castle. Jackson knew he wouldn"t be able to hold off this giant for much longer. He needed to find a way to take it down or at least distract it long enough for Thorne to set off the explosives.

Thinking quickly, Jackson reached for a nearby sword that had been left behind by one of Barrett"s knights. It was heavier than what he was used to, but he knew how to use it well enough from playing around as a kid.

With a battle cry, Jackson charged toward the giant and slashed at its knee with all his might. To his surprise, he managed to make a deep cut in its skin.

"I"m ready!" Thorne cried from somewhere within the castle.

"Not yet!" Jackson screamed, trying to be louder than the giant"s incomprehensible roars. "They haven"t had enough time."

"Then it"s time to play tag. Do they have that where you"re from?" Thorne appeared beside him, the burly man offering a sad smile.

Jackson had no idea how much time the others needed. Up took forever, but down seemed much faster. The first out had to have at least a thirty-minute start. They needed to keep this beast busy for at least an hour.

That way, if they failed, maybe the stalk would be cut down.

Or maybe we"ll just limit how many others die in the crossfire.

"The hell we do," Jackson clasped Thorne"s hand. "It"s time to play with a giant."

The giant reeled back, his gaze turning from confusion to rage as it saw the blood dripping from the gash on his leg. It roared again, casting about for the tiny intruder that had wounded it. Its boots thundered across the cobblestone streets as it stomped towards Jackson and Thorne.

The thick dust cloud began to form behind them, obscuring their vision but not the giant"s predatory determination. Each step shook the buildings as if they were made of paper dollhouses.

"Come on!" Thorne shouted over the noise. "We need to move!"

Smoke swirled around them like ghosts as they ran past abandoned houses and crumbled walls until they reached a small clearing where a hole had been blown into the hillside. They hesitated only briefly before leaping inside; darkness swallowed them whole.

The entrance closed behind them with an ominous sigh, muffling some of the sounds outside but not their pursuer"s heavy footfalls or furious bellows which rattled boulders above their heads. They raced through tunnels cut by magic into solid rock until they reached a hidden chamber filled with torches providing just enough light to see by—barely. Panting heavily from exertion and fear, Jackson turned to check on Thorne"s progress when something warm splashed against his neck, it was blood from above where pieces of debris had rained down from their escape route.

Gritting his teeth against panic, he ignored it and continued onward until they reached a second chamber containing rows upon rows of candles lit by an eerie blue glow emanating from crystals embedded in walls beneath glowing runes etched deep within black marble slabs. Here, they found another exit leading deeper into the earth"s crust beneath an overturned cart near a well-hidden passageway outlined in soft white sunlight.

"I don"t know how much longer I can do this?" Thorne gasped. "I can take him down, but you need to let me do it. I need your permission we both fucking know you would have married the prince and ruled over me one day."

Jackson didn"t have time to process anything. He nodded, trying to see past the tears blurring his vision. "You"re a godsend."

"No, I"m a man with nothing left to lose." Thorne pushed away and started back outside. "Get to the beanstalk. Go."

As Thorne disappeared back outside, Jackson was left alone in the candle-lit chamber with a sense of dread creeping over him. He knew what Thorne was planning and if he sat around to cry now, he would waste Thorne"s heroism.

With a determination fueled by fear and love, Jackson followed Thorne out of the underground tunnels and back onto the streets. The giant was still hot on their heels, now closer than ever.

He ran toward the beanstalk, forcing himself to keep his gaze forward because if he turned to watch Thorne, he would never let the man go through with it.

The beanstalk somehow grew closer despite the way his lungs and muscles burned. He could not imagine how he was going to climb down, but he had no choice.

The ground shook, and he launched, slamming into the ground so hard his chin felt as if it split and the world spun around him.

He was too close to give up, but the ringing in his ears made it impossible to stand.

The giant turned around slowly, its massive form casting a shadow over Jackson even from where it stood. It snarled and reached for him, its fingers stretching like trees towards him as if it were playing a game of tag. But Jackson knew better. This wasn"t just some game —it was a fight for survival.

The giant took the bait and lumbered after Jackson, its massive strides shaking the ground and making it harder for Jackson to move. Glancing over his shoulder, Jackson made sure the giant followed him.

"I"m sorry, Barrett," he whispered, a tear escaping his eye. "I did my best."

Jackson gritted his teeth, preparing for impact. He"d buy them the time they needed, even if it cost him his life. He raised his fists, and as the giant towered above him, he muttered, "This is for my farm, and for him."

The giant"s massive fist swung down, aiming to obliterate Jackson.

It never saw Thorne emerge from behind and follow it, the target.

The world seemed to slow down for Jackson, the air thick with anticipation. Time itself held its breath as the Thorne rushed to grab the giant"s fucking foot.

Acting on instinct, Jackson dove toward the beanstalk, hoping it would catch his fall.

He closed his eyes and braced for impact, tears threatening to escape, but he gritted his teeth together, holding them back. The wind rushed past him as he leaped towards the beanstalk, feeling it shiver beneath his feet as if alive. His hands splayed out wide, grasping at it with every ounce of strength left in him. He cried out as it bent beneath him but held fast. He felt himself rising upwards at blinding speeds that made his stomach twist.

Only, the giant jumped on as well—which meant Thorne and the explosive would have to be on it, too.

It was too late, the explosion came, shattering through the beanstalk and defeaning Jackson.

The beanstalk shuddered and groaned, the explosion rocking the very foundations of the earth the stalk grew from. The giants" castle, the source of so much destruction and heartache, crumbled into a million glowing embers, which drifted gently down, like the first snowfall of a new beginning.

The sky above filled with dust and debris, casting a haze over everything below. The air was crisp yet cold, and it tickled at their skin as they ascended higher and higher away from the dying earth below.

His eyes watered as the cool cloud air rushed past him, mixing with the salty tears streaming down his sweaty cheeks. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum, echoing in his ears alongside the roar of the wind that threatened to deafen him. He gritted his teeth against the force of gravity pulling him downwards and hoped against hope that Barrett had managed to make it to safety. . . but then, there was no more time to think.

The giant"s massive hand wrapped around Jackson"s waist and lifted him off the ground, its fingers digging into his skin like bark-covered roots.

The wind howled past them both as they fell, faster than any bird could fly or any man could run, towards the unforgiving earth below. No! This couldn"t be how it ended. Not now, not when he had finally found someone who understood him and made him feel alive again.

He had to live for Barrett.

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through every muscle and bone in his body, Jackson summoned all his strength to twist out of the giant"s grasp before it was too late. He tumbled through the air like a feather caught in a tornado, spinning and spiraling downwards until he lost track of which way was up or down.

Jackson"s heart pounded in his chest, and his lungs screamed for air. His eyes widened as he really knew exactly which way was down.

He felt like he was falling forever, but then something grabbed onto his foot and his arm, anchoring him down just enough to prevent any further descent into oblivion.

The ground rushed toward him slower and the sound of wings filled his ears. Birds.

Lark.

And then everything went white.