Chapter 13
Zara
I knew from the moment I woke on the seventh day of not being able to communicate mentally with Shazeera that something potentially devastating was about to happen.
No psychic skills necessary.
Almost an entire week had gone by. With each passing day, I sank deeper into a pit of despair in my mind, terrified I would never escape.
What if it never gets better? What if we can never talk to each other again?
I shoved such thoughts away—I refused to think like that.
Ama had sent Dani in to heal me after the meeting, and though she had taken much of the fatigue away almost instantly, I struggled with my breathing for days.
That was to be expected, considering she didn’t have the healing capabilities of a royal.
Ama would have been able to heal me completely, but she still struggled to heal herself.
Ama had gotten a little stronger each day, looking less pale and more like herself.
But she still couldn’t raise the wards. Even if she did have the energy to raise the wards again, the Zephyrians had proven they had found a way through them.
Because of this, we had to remain in the caverns.
With a desperate fervor, she worked with me to find the earth magic she was convinced was locked within.
“The more you focus on a lesser-known magic like the wind,” she said, “the deeper inside you the earth magic will sink, until it will be nearly impossible to access.”
Despite the enormous power I had released, I hated not being able to communicate with Shazeera, so I did everything Ama asked until we were both exhausted. And still the healing and defensive abilities stayed out of reach.
I tried again to ask Ama about my sire, as it became clearer by the day that my wind power suppressed the Sorayan line’s earth magic—despite what Ama said about it being the stronger power.
“What magic did my sire have?” I asked her after a particularly grueling session.
“I don’t know,” Ama said.
“How could you not know?” I demanded, my tone sharp with frustration.
“I never worried about such things, since I’ve always known our earth magic is stronger,” she said flippantly.
“Then let’s find him and ask him.”
“That’s not possible,” Ama said with a shake of her head that had me gritting my teeth.
“Why not?” I asked.
But she had refused to answer no matter how many times I asked. Eventually I groaned and left in an exasperated huff.
I waited to hear from Queen Samira, hoping that perhaps she had come across such a power in one of the ancient lines. Maybe then I would have answers.
Today, though, when I went looking for Ama, I couldn’t find her inside the pavilion.
The wind tore through the rooms, threatening to uproot the stakes that held it in the ground.
It made a terrible howling sound like a wolf through the cavernous space.
I got dressed quickly as it tugged and pulled at my clothing and hair.
Expecting a gale storm outside, I stood momentarily dumbstruck at the fact that only my pavilion was affected.
We were still evacuated to the canyon cave system, but the pavilions had been erected where we could still see the sky.
It hung low above me now, steel gray and ominous, but only a light wind whispered through the camp.
Cold fingers raced down my spine. What was the wind trying to tell me then?
Some…is…the wind whispered, though I caught only snatches of the words.
Something…
Something is coming.
The hair on the back of my neck rose as I glanced around warily. Everything seemed as it should. People and horses were carrying on with their daily business without distress. Hoofbeats echoing on rock made me turn around, but it was Shazeera who approached, ears pricked forward.
“Has it been long enough for the bond to recover?” I asked her. “Can we communicate again?”
Her gaze was intent on mine, but after a moment, she shook her head. A flicker of dread stirred in my belly.
“I heard whispers on the wind just now,” I said, feeling a bit odd saying it out loud. Usually I just showed her mind-to-mind what I’d seen.
Shazeera lifted her head higher, nostrils flared as though scenting the wind. She shook her head again, which I supposed meant she didn’t sense anything.
Her attention shifted to the top of the canyon, where guards faced toward the east. With a snort, she started toward the path that led up, and I knew her well enough to follow. Together, we made our way up the pathway to the top of the canyon and back onto flat ground.
As soon as we made it past the line of guards, I was surprised to see General Isa, Ama, and Queen Jazela all mounted and waiting.
They were pointed toward the east like the guards.
When I followed their line of sight, I saw they were watching a retinue of riders coming toward us.
In the very center of the long line of riders was Queen Samira, riding her stallion.
They were both fully outfitted in our people’s most regal dress with the queen wearing her headpiece of horsehair accented with golden tassels.
Her bodice was studded with rubies to match her split crimson skirt, where beneath she wore black leather leggings and nothing on her feet but a golden ankle bracelet.
Her stallion had a red embroidered halter with golden bangles on his forehead and red-and-gold tassels that hung down both cheeks.
Mariyah came from behind the line of guards, mounted on Citrine. “What is Queen Samira doing here?” I asked her when she was close enough to hear me. I knew Ama had written to her, but I’d assumed she’d respond with a letter.
Mariyah watched the queen’s approach. “Ama said they weren’t expecting her. She never leaves her wheat fields, so this is strange.”
The wind blew in my ears and snatched at my clothing. Since everyone else was mounted, I quickly pulled myself onto Shazeera’s back.
Queen Samira and her retinue were close enough now to see the determined look on her face. Again, I was struck by how formally she was dressed—why was she outfitted as though she was about to participate in a royal ceremony?—but then even above the gusts of wind, I heard it.
The thump, thump, thump of powerful wings.
The urge to run gripped me powerfully, but Shazeera and I stood rooted in place as we glanced skyward.
There were five Eagle Riders. And they were landing.