Chapter 20
Ever
“WE NEED TO GO,” GABLE barks impatiently. “If his guards show up, we’re fucked. You do understand that, right?”
I ignore Gable’s complaints and anxiously search the sky as we idle around a bend half a mile from the ravine we just escaped from.
Apparently done waiting around, Gable shifts his weight forward and reaches for the throttle.
The engine revs, and I slam myself against his back in alarm, grabbing the asshole’s arm and squeezing it hard in warning.
“If you take off after I told you to wait, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you regret it,” I growl, meaning every word.
Gable tenses against me, and then he blows out a frustrated breath and sags in his seat, cowed for now.
“Our window is closing, Scioness,” he urges, and I swear he’s one more no-shit statement away from getting a fist to the kidney.
“I just need to make sure Tove is coming,” I grit out again, knowing he doesn’t give a single fuck, but usually he’s not one to disobey a direct order either.
The engine of the flier gives an unexpected whine, and a concerning rattling soon follows. It’s been doing that more and more while we sit here, and hope that the damage isn’t serious begins to fizzle out like a match in a rainstorm.
“Shit,” Gable utters, and he leans forward to assess the front of the flier, like he’s going to see something different from the last two times he’s done exactly this. With an annoyed huff, he warily scans the skies and then opens his com.
“Anyone near Greedy Gulch?” he asks. “My cycle is bleeding out, and I don’t think she’s going to make it. I’ve got the scioness with me, and we’re going to need two lifts.”
“The queen and I are almost to the exit point,” Mayur answers quickly. “Vero? Amadi?” Mayur hails, and the com fills with quiet static.
“Why is Ever with you? What did she do to her cycle?” Enslee cuts in, and I scoff at the insinuation in her tech-crackled tone.
Gable snorts. “She pissed off a dragon and needed rescuing,” he answers arrogantly. “I’m waxing my suit of armor into a gleaming shine as we speak.”
My answering huff is indignant.
“I can’t get to the gulch, but if you head west, I can meet you at the midpoint to the crystal caves,” Amadi finally answers.
“Vero?” Gable queries again, knowing we need two fliers to take the both of us.
“I’ve got a dragon up my ass. Let me shake the bastard, and I’ll head your way,” Vero calls back, his words buzzing and brittle as they exit the speakers in my helmet. There’s no missing the strain in his tone.
“Need an assist, Vero?” Amadi asks.
“Nah, I’ll shake this fucker in the water. I’m pretty sure he’s just messing with me. Proceed to the rendezvous point. I’ll check back when I’m free.”
The com once again goes silent, Vero’s words ringing in my mind. This might be the perfect time to execute my plan.
“Amadi, we’ll see you at the midpoint in?.?.?.” Gable looks back at me expectantly.
I scour the sky one more time and almost shout in relief when I finally spot a speck of green in the distance.
“Five,” I rush. “We’ll be at the midpoint in five.”
Needing no other encouragement, Gable leans forward again to reach for the sandcycle’s controls, and we take off. I don’t miss the finally he mutters under his breath, and I can’t tell if that’s intentional or just a slip—not that I honestly care at this point.
Gable keeps us close to the rock wall where we blend best with the terrain, and we exit the gauntlet without further incident.
I look back at the path we’ve run endless drills through.
It feels strange that this will be the last time any of us fly this route.
There’s a keen sense of pride in that, but there’s also an unexpected feeling of loss.
This part of my life is officially over, and while that’s good and necessary, I struggle to picture what’s in store for me beyond this.
The flier starts to choke and shiver any time Gable demands more speed, and he ultimately has no choice but to back off and accept the snail’s pace the flier has to offer. I keep my attention pointed up and my head on a swivel as we make our way toward the caves in search of Amadi.
“Approaching midpoint,” Gable declares after what feels like forever.
He drops into the clearing, and the sandcycle recovers some of its pep, like it knows its work here is done. We aim for Amadi, pulling up next to where she’s standing on the ground with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as though we’re late for something innocuous like dinner or guard duty.
Gable sets the jittering flier down, and Amadi rounds on us just as soon as he kills the engine.
“What the fuck, Gable? I’ve been standing here waiting for almost ten minutes,” she snaps, and I busy myself with counting pebbles as Gable hops off the flier and strides over to the prickly female.
“I’m sorry,” he assures her, and my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline at his gentle, reassuring tone. If there was any doubt that these two were fucking before, it just flew right out the window.
“I expect that kind of shit from her, but not you,” Amadi pouts, and I blow out an exasperated sigh.
How the fuck is this my fault?
“Right,” I mutter. “Because I have so much control over how fast a damaged cycle will fly.”
“No, but we all know it wouldn’t have been damaged if he didn’t need to save your ass,” Amadi snaps, and Gable rests his hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.
The com crackles to life, and we all go still.
“Headed to the caves now. I finally lost the tan bastard. Be there in ten,” Vero declares, and resolve settles my thoughts.
Yep, this is exactly what I need to get going on my plan B. I unclip Gable’s bag from the damaged flier and toss it to him. He catches it with a resounding oomph that satisfies my annoyance slightly because I put a little extra muscle behind the throw to begin with.
“Get going,” I tell the pair. “If Ens and Mayur are at the exit point, you’ll need to hurry to catch up.” I look at Gable. “Like you said, our window is closing.”
A flicker of contrition enters his hazel eyes, but it’s gone in a blink. “That’s not protocol,” Gable starts to argue. Amadi conveniently says nothing.
“If it makes you feel better, I can order you to leave,” I counter.
Gable looks stricken for all of a few seconds, and then Amadi leans toward him and says something. I don’t catch what it is, because right then, a light brown dragon crests the peak of the yardang behind us, and our time just officially ran out.
“Go!” I shout at the two Syphons as I explode into action.
They scramble to mount their sandcycle, and Amadi seems to struggle to get it back in the air. Finally, they even out and start to climb, but it only seems to draw Jori’s attention, and with enviable grace, he pivots and flies right for them.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” I declare, my pulse loud in my ears and my limbs oddly fluttery, thanks to my most recent shot of alarm.
I round the damaged flier and hurriedly study the crushed panel. I kick at what I’m pretty sure is a choked valve for the fuel intake. It breaks off easily, and I cross my fingers that the sandcycle doesn’t explode when I jump into the seat and demand that it gives me everything it’s got.
I hold my breath and start the flier. It doesn’t go boom just yet, but it rears up like some bucking bronco in one of those ancient vids Iker loves to watch.
Somehow, I keep my seat and wrestle the flier into submission before I zip back into the sky.
It’s flying much faster now, but there’s still a whine from the engine that I know is going to turn on me at some point.
Ignoring it, because that’s how I like to deal with all of my problems, I speedily track Jori through the sky as he homes in on Gable and Amadi.
I aim my flier right for him, not bothering to try to find a blind spot. I want him to see me, need it, even, but the Healer is oblivious.
“What are you doing, Ever?” Enslee demands, and her unexpected yell almost startles me out of my seat. My sister’s voice fills my helmet loud and clear, like not even the crappy com system is willing to earn her ire right now.
“Well, if you must know, I’m trying to start a game of chicken with a dragon, but he’s playing hard to get,” I answer evenly.
I urge the broken flier to give me more, and it thankfully complies.
I dart under Jori’s wing and make a beeline for his head.
The teak-colored dragon still hasn’t noticed that he has company, and I make a note to discuss this with Ogdan the next chance I get.
I know the thrill of the hunt can be distracting, but Jori should know better.
“Are you out of your mind?” Enslee demands. “Stop doing whatever it is you’re doing, right now, and fly to the exit point,” Enslee orders.
“No can do, Your Grace, not unless you want The Horde to get ahold of Amadi and Gable.” The com goes silent, and a sad smile slips across my face. “Vero just shook off this same dragon. He knows our tricks, but I can help them get away. It’s fine.”
“Ever,” Enslee growls, and there’s an unmistakable ache in it. “You don’t always have to sacrifice yourself.”
“Don’t I?” I counter with a sad laugh.
The static that fills the space between me and my sister somehow tells me more than anything she could actually say to me right now. I shake my head and fill my lungs with a fortifying breath.
“I’ll lose them in the caves, but just in case I don’t?.?.?. find my Flight, Ens. That’s all I need. Just find them. I’ll see you soon.”
With that, I loosen the chinstrap on my helmet and pull it off, not giving my sister a chance to say anything else, before I drive my sandcycle right for Jori’s giant dragon face.
“Hey, fucker!” I scream at the Healer, but he’s so focused on hunting Amadi and Gable, he still doesn’t notice me.
I zip forward when he banks right to follow Amadi’s evasive circuit, and with all my might, I chuck my helmet at the dragon’s snout.