Chapter 26
Zara
The next morning, Raven still hadn’t returned. I watched the other handmaiden with a lump in my throat. I knew she had been sacrificed to that creature—maybe even in my place. The thought made my eyes burn as a heavy weight settled on my shoulders, pulling me down. I prayed I was wrong.
After the horrible things I had seen and overheard last night, I was desperate to talk to Shazeera.
I refused breakfast and dressed quickly.
When I opened the door, I found my night guard had been replaced by Talon.
I nearly groaned with relief. Surely after everything he had told me about his concerns about the Devourer, he would be sympathetic when I told him what I overheard.
“First Daughter,” he said with a bow. And then he must have gotten a good look at my face, because he took a step toward me protectively. “Is something wrong?”
I nearly broke down then. Nearly pulled him into my room and unburdened myself of all the terrible things I had witnessed last night.
But I stopped myself. Instead, I glanced down the hallway, toward Altair’s rooms. “I need to see Shazeera,” I said, trying but failing to keep the desperation out of my voice.
His dark eyebrows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything. He stayed by my side as we walked, close enough that I could feel the warmth from his body. Still, I cast nervous glances toward the shadowy places in the hallway. We wouldn’t be safe to speak until we were in the fresh air of the pasture.
After a tense walk through the palace, we finally emerged into bright sunshine and clear blue skies. Shazeera galloped over to me immediately.
I could feel how upset you were once you got close enough—even behind the stone walls, she thought to me with a snort. I had just asked Kestrel to send word to check on you.
Her words distracted me for a moment. What do you mean you asked Kestrel?
My guards have come up with a simple communication system—things like pawing the ground or nodding—to convey my needs.
That’s genius, I said, surprised and touched that they cared enough about Shazeera to let her communicate what she needed.
Yes, but never mind that, Shazeera said. What happened to you?
I wrapped my arms around her neck and just rested my forehead on her mane, the stress of the past few days hitting me hard.
Shazeera dipped her head, hugging me back as the wind blew gently around us.
Kestrel guarded her today, and he came and joined Talon.
They stood quietly near us, not interrupting our reunion.
After a few moments, I took a shuddering breath and filled her in on the horror show that was my night.
She whinnied in distress when I came to the part about Altair barely resisting Lord Heron wanting to sacrifice me to Ozul.
You cannot possibly marry the emperor now, she said. We must escape. There has to be some way off this mountain. She looked at Talon. Surely he will help us. If anything, he wouldn’t want that creature feeding on your power.
I’m not so sure we should immediately try and leave, I thought, and then I showed her how I was able to connect with Mistral, the spirit of the wind.
Tempest? Shazeera repeated, her tone confused. What does that mean?
I don’t know. I could barely maintain the connection with Mistral—it was taking everything out of me, so I couldn’t push for an explanation. But I thought maybe it means I’ll have to face down a storm—learn to tame the wind?
She shook her head. Ama may know more, and maybe she’ll finally tell you the truth about your sire. You are in real danger here—this proves it. The treaty will be useless anyway if you’re killed.
We both looked over at Talon, and a rush of emotion hit me as we caught each other’s eye.
Ever since the day he brought the treaty, Talon had treated me with kindness and respect.
When I told him about the war crimes against my people and our horses, he hadn’t ignored me—he had physically gone and investigated it.
I only wish I had known at the time that I was meting out justice to those who had committed such atrocities against my people.
It would have made the victory so much sweeter.
He moved closer to me, and the now-familiar scent of fresh mountain air and leather enveloped me.
When I met his searching gaze, heat crept up my neck.
Every time he came near me, my body had a physical reaction to him—from the very first time we flew together.
I tried to ignore those feelings at first; I didn’t want to be attracted to my enemy.
But after getting to know him, I couldn’t deny that he was a man of honor and integrity, even though he fought for the other side.
This man had been there for me after I had been attacked and seemed to understand how dangerous the sorcerer was, but I still had to ask myself if he was just doing his job.
I was afraid to trust him completely, but the prospect of having no one here to trust was so much worse.
Before I could say anything, a sound came over the quiet valley, and Shazeera’s ears flicked back and forth nervously.
The steady thump of wings.
I knew I was in the mountains, with eagles everywhere, but it was still hard to ignore the cold douse of fear that flooded my senses at that sound. We had been conditioned from a young age that the sound meant almost certain death.
“It’s Neo,” Talon said, his voice low and soothing, and my cheeks flushed that he had noticed I had reacted nervously.
Neo appeared over the mountain, wings spread wide to catch the current.
As he came closer, the wind created by his powerful wings buffeted us, stirring our hair, and making Shazeera’s mane and tail stream behind her.
She had moved closer to me; it was hard to erase all instinct of fight or flight the moment we heard an eagle approaching.
At last Neo landed beside us, tucking his wings close to his sides.
I was once again struck by the sheer size of him; he was three times as tall as Shazeera, and I expected a shot of fear to take over as I looked up at him, but mostly I was filled with a sense of awe. Suddenly his golden eye was on me.
“Neo hopes he didn’t frighten you,” Commander Talon said. “He wants you both to know that he already ate a full meal and isn’t the least bit hungry.”
I glanced back at the eagle as my lips twitched in surprise. “I take it he has a sense of humor.”
“He thinks he’s hilarious, yes,” Commander Talon said, and the feathers on Neo’s neck ruffled until they were all sticking up straight.
A murder machine with a sense of humor, Shazeera said loftily, how quaint.
I snorted a laugh, and when Neo and Talon both looked at me questioningly, I gestured toward Shazeera. “She said she was glad to hear Neo isn’t hungry.”
If you’re not even going to translate me correctly, then I’m just going to go back to grazing, she said, turning her back on me with a swish of her tail.
Neo made a sound, and I looked up to find him watching me. Talon said, “Neo wants to take you on another flight—where we can’t be overheard.”
I glanced at Shazeera. What do you think?
I think you’d love to go, and there’s no one here to judge you. More importantly, he’s right about the inability to eavesdrop while you’re in the air.
Neo must have anticipated my response, because he spread his wings and lowered his body so that he was no longer vertical. I grabbed hold of Neo’s saddle leathers and pulled myself up. It was a long way to his back, but at least I did it with a minimal amount of flailing this time.
“Does Shazeera want to go?” Talon asked.
Goddess, no, Shazeera said with a distressed whinny.
“I think that’s a no,” I told him.
“I didn’t want her to feel left out if I didn’t offer,” he said with a smile playing on his lips.
I knelt and then sat back on my heels the way Talon showed me the first time.
The second I was settled, Talon vaulted up behind me.
His muscular thighs were on either side of mine, and as his arm slid around my middle, a low fire burned inside me.
I glanced back at him, and his eyes held mine.
Our faces were separated by mere inches, and only one small movement from either of us would close the distance.
Butterflies erupted inside my abdomen as I imagined what it would be like to press my lips to his.
“You can hold on to the pommel there,” Talon said, his voice a little gruff as he pointed to a rolled piece of leather that provided a handhold when in flight. “Ready?”
I did as he asked and then nodded. In the next instant, Neo gave a few pumps of his powerful wings and launched himself into the air. I had a death grip on the pommel, but then I found it wasn’t necessary. Talon held me close to his chest, where I could feel his taut muscles flex.
Neo caught an air current that carried us high above almost instantly, and with his wings spread wide, we glided above the pasture. In no time at all, Shazeera looked like she was the size of a sheep from our lofty height.
But it wasn’t the earth I was looking at; it was the sky, the blue above and around us seeming to stretch on forever.
The wind didn’t tear at my eyes and hair this time.
With nowhere pressing to be, Neo rode the currents, making small adjustments with the feathers of his wings, but rarely having to flap them.
We were gliding through the air, between craggy mountains, and as I looked down at the world below, it made me lightheaded.
I knew I should be afraid to be so high up, but all I felt was this immense sense of freedom.
Which was ridiculous considering whom I was flying with.
This man was once my worst enemy, but now, somehow, he had become a confidant, and ally, and hopefully, a coconspirator.
“Are you all right?” Talon asked, leaning forward so I could hear him. The air around us was frigid, but he radiated warmth.