Chapter 31
Zara
Shazeera, as it turned out, had been desperate to see me since last night. She had sensed the attack through our bond and was terrified for me. But anytime she asked Zamir to seek me out through the communication system her guards had created for her, Zamir wouldn’t leave her post.
The moment I stepped out of the palace and into the pasture, she galloped toward me, blowing hard, her sides lathered with sweat.
Zamir immediately went over to Talon and saluted him, and then they began to talk in hushed tones.
Talon was no doubt briefing her on everything that had happened and what was still to come, but I could only focus on Shazeera.
Thank the Earth Mother, Shazeera said, closing her eyes and lowering her head over my shoulder in a hug. I could feel that you were in terrible danger and being hurt, but I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even talk to you!
The guilt that crashed down over me was like being crushed under an avalanche. I’m so sorry, I told her, hugging her around the neck tightly. I didn’t realize you would be able to sense the attack at such a distance. I would have come here immediately afterward to tell you I was okay if I’d known.
Yes, you should have, Shazeera said, bumping me angrily with her nose. When I feared you were unconscious and bleeding on the floor. What happened?
I told her about Raven’s attack in the night and how she was no longer the girl I knew, but a walking corpse. Shazeera’s eyes rolled in terror, revealing the whites around the normally dark brown irises.
Earth Mother, save us, Shazeera said, her entire body quivering with her instincts telling her to run.
I told her of the Mistral king’s letter and finding the spy, and then I took a deep breath and launched into our plan to destroy the Devourer while it was still weak.
And when were you going to tell me this plan? she demanded, eyes flashing and ears pinned back as she stomped her hoof.
I’m telling you now, I said sheepishly and then winced when she let out an angry squeal of rage.
So I’m just supposed to wait here, safe in the pasture, while you take on this threat without me? Wondering if you made it out alive?
A sudden lump in my throat made it hard to swallow. It would be too dangerous for you to be there—you saw in my memories what Raven was like when she was transformed. The west wing is now full of at least thirty of these walking corpses.
She tossed her head and looked over to where Talon stood with Zamir. He will take you far from here if you ask him to. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.
I couldn’t deny the way that it made my stomach flutter to think he might care for me enough to defy the emperor and help us escape, but even if he was willing, I couldn’t do it.
Even if we run now, the Devourer will continue to grow in strength until it’s unstoppable—that’s what the Mistral king said, as well as his spy.
It will consume the souls of everyone here, and then it will come for the rest of us.
Then let this Mistral king deal with it if he knows so much about it, Shazeera said angrily. Why must it always be you who makes the sacrifice?
I’m not willing to take the risk that Mistral will be able to stop it, I said firmly.
Ozul has made it clear that it will stop at nothing to devour my soul.
I could argue that it already attacked me through Lady Corvina and Lady Starling, so I’m merely going on the defensive.
The Mistral spy also told us the souls of magic users give it even more power, so it will certainly go on to threaten our people.
How can I risk the lives of so many others when I might have a chance at helping destroy the Devourer?
I don’t want you to risk yourself for a chance. The wind spirit told you before that there was a way to harness the wind, so I think you should do everything possible to be prepared to fight that demon.
Ride the tempest, tame the storm? I repeated Mistral’s words.
I had been so set on facing the Devourer, ready to throw myself into battle at the nearest opportunity.
But Shazeera’s words pulled me up short, like sliding to a halt mid-gallop.
I dragged in a breath, the rush of urgency that had been pumping through my veins now suddenly at war with the nagging feeling I was missing something.
But I still don’t understand exactly what was meant by that, I told Shazeera.
A tempest is a windstorm, so perhaps taming a storm, learning to control it? she ventured. Talon and his eagle spend all their time navigating the wind—I’m sure they can help you prepare.
I gave her a searching look. Are you just trying to delay my facing the Devourer?
She snorted. Of course. But you also know I’m right. If there’s a way to strengthen your wind power, you must do it.
I heaved a sigh and nodded. Shazeera’s instincts were always right, and I trusted her advice. If she said I must seek out a way to gain more control over my power, then I would do it—even if it meant delaying an attack on the Devourer.
Talon wasn’t far from us, and it was easy to catch his eye. He came to my side immediately, making my pulse quicken.
“Talon,” I said, “may I ask for a favor?”
“Of course,” he said. “Anything.”
“When I spoke to the wind spirit, he told me that to be able to ‘tame the wind,’ I would have to ‘ride the tempest.’ Shazeera and I believe it has something to do with facing a storm—like a windstorm—and learning to control it.” He listened carefully without comment, and I drew a deep breath before asking, “I don’t know how to find a storm, either, but I remember you telling me about turbulent wind when I flew with you for the first time.
Do you think Neo would know where to find something like that? ”
He flashed a grin at me. “Actually, if you’re looking for windstorms, you’ve come to the right place. The wind above the mountains is extremely turbulent.”
“Is it dangerous, though—for Neo?”
He shrugged. “Flying through mountain waves—wind that rolls down the mountains—can be dangerous, sure, but Neo has flown here all his life. There’s no better flier. And dangerous for us or not—I would never let you go alone.”
I threw my arms around him, even though it made the wounds burn. He returned the embrace, his strong hands pressing me closer to him. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course,” he said and slowly pulled away to look at me again. “When do you want to go?”
I glanced at Shazeera, who bobbed her head meaningfully.
“Now would be good.”
“I’ll summon Neo.”
Not long after, we heard the steady beating of wings, and Neo came into view. He soared gracefully over to us and landed about fifty feet away. With one last caress on Shazeera’s soft neck, I followed Talon to Neo’s side.
“Thank you for agreeing to this, Neo,” I told the eagle, and he fixed one enormous eye on me.
“He said it’s an honor,” Talon said, “and it is. We want to do everything we can to help you—you’ve agreed to fight a great evil that my cousin unleashed upon us.”
My cheeks warmed at their sincere words. “I pray I don’t let you down.”
“You could never let me down,” he said close to my ear as he held his hands out to give me a leg up onto Neo’s back.
As soon as I got into a kneeling position, Talon followed. Now that we had kissed so intimately, the feel of his strong thighs straddling my body made heat flood my cheeks instantly. His biceps flexed as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest.
With a few powerful pumps of his wings, Neo lifted off easily, gaining altitude fast.
“The windstorms are the worst at the top of the mountains, so we’ll have to fly high,” Talon said, leaning forward so I could hear him.
We climbed higher and higher until the palace and the city of Naharu were beneath us. The Angora Mountains spread before us, with peaks still higher than we currently flew.
Talon’s voice was in my ear. “Are you all right? Not lightheaded?”
“I’m fine.” I did feel a little dizzy, but I didn’t want to hold Neo back.
The wind streamed over us like a river, rippling Neo’s feathers and tugging at my hair. At times, it was so strong it felt like it would rip me from his back. But Talon kept me safe, warmth pouring into me from everywhere his body touched mine.
We flew until the palace was a distant speck behind us.
In the sky, with Talon and Neo, I felt free for the first time in a long time.
Amongst the clouds, there was no fear of undead creatures coming out of the shadows, or assassins sent by palace nobles.
On the back of an eagle I once feared, I felt my chest lighten.
I hadn’t realized how much I was living under the weight of oppressive fear until it was temporarily lifted—even though I knew it would come back the second I touched the ground.
My worries hovered at the back of my mind, waiting for the opportunity to come to the forefront again, but flying amongst the clouds kept them at bay.
After another twenty minutes of flying, Talon told me, “Neo says we’re approaching a windstorm on the northern peak. Ordinarily we’d fly higher to avoid it, but today we’ll fly straight into it—if that’s what you want us to do.”
I turned and met his gaze. I was about to tell him not to risk Neo and himself by flying directly into the storm, but then I stopped myself. The wind spirit had said to ride the tempest, not look down on it from a place of safety. “Yes, if it won’t put Neo in too much danger.”
Neo let out a warble beneath me, and Talon grinned. “He says he’ll pretend you didn’t just insult him right now.”
I shot Talon a sheepish look and touched Neo’s feathers. “Forgive me, Neo! I know you’re an amazing flier. Yes, let’s do it.”
He pumped his wings hard, flying straight toward a snowcapped mountain peak. Below us were other mountains, studded with trees and shrouded by wispy clouds.