Page 64 of To Tame An Angel

“No, he won’t.”

The voice came from the stairs and both mother and I startled, turning to the intruder. There, midway down the stairs, stood Zaya. My oldest sister was dressed in her impeccable armor, a pure soldier just like mother. Her face was set, her lips thinned, nothing about her was out of place. Except her eyes. Her eyes were on mother and they were clouded with hate and resentment.

“Zaya –” Mother gasped and stepped away, a desperate sound coming from her mouth.

“I have lived my entire life believing he hated me,” Zaya’s words were razor sharp, thin and hissing. “Believing that his love for me wasn’t enough for him to stay. Making myself wonder if the memories I had of him singing me to sleep were conjectures. Imaginings of a desperate child. Shadows of wings on the walls, of feeling his downy feathers and making him laugh.”

She stepped down, her eyes remained on mother.

“It happened, didn’t it? All of it. He would sing me to sleep. He would let me play with his wings. Didn’t he?” Her last words came as a shout.

Mother was quiet, her mouth coiled, and her fists tightened. When she didn’t answer Zaya scoffed and shook her head. My sister looked at me and breathed deeply then cast a glance at Tannor as she stepped to the bottom of the stairs.

Slowly, she focused on me. “Take your angel. Get out of here. I can buy you a few minutes but only a few,” Zaya said with short, determined words.

“She’ll not,” Mother snarled. “They will kill her and us with her!”

“We tried to stop her,” Zaya’s tone was frighteningly cold and detached. Her eyes fixed back on mother. “Didn’t we?”

Then, with the precision of one trained for years and with a swing of her muscled arm, Zaya sliced her sword into mother’s stomach.

“No!” I screamed, stumbling forward as mother slowly looked down at the blade protruding from her body.

Zaya yanked back at the blade as mother fell to her knees, a moan at her throat. Her hand pressed against the wound and blood gushed between her pale fingers. Mother stared up at Zaya’s unmoving glare. Not a flinch came from my sister.

Instead, Zaya looked at me with a snarl. “I said take your angel.”

There was a split second of hesitation before I dove for the keys looped in mother’s waist, they were now covered in blood. Mother met my eyes for a moment and in that moment, I swore I felt her urging me to hurry. I had no words and perhaps I’d regret not saying one final thing, but I felt the minutes looming against us, dooming us if I took too long.

I dashed to Tannor and slipped the key into the chains and unlocked him, making him collapse over me. Zaya was there, her hands moved quickly as she uncorked a vial from her satchel. She lifted Tannor’s chin and forced down a tonic into him.

“It’ll give him strength, won’t last long, but it’ll offer you a chance,” she stuffed her damming evidence into her pocket. She moved around Tannor, unlatching the bind on his wings with a flick of magic from her hands. “I’ll distract mother’s guards at the top of the stairs. Fly east, don’t stop. I cannot protect you once you leave this room, if you make it, you make it. If you don’t… then don’t say I never did anything for you.”

I met her eyes. “Zaya, come with me!”

She shook her head and gave me a rare smile; one I’d seen such selective times from her that I scarcely recognized it. “I like my life, little sister. But I’ll not sit around and witness you be miserable in yours.”

Tannor straightened and looked at me, despite his battered body he seemed like he suddenly carried the strength of ten men. He grasped my waist and nodded. Our hands clasped and we dashed after Zaya.

Before we left, I couldn't resist stealing one last glance at my mother, whose shallow breaths betrayed her.

“Four days to the east, then towards the white mountain, there’s a large lake. Tell him…” But mother’s words were lost in a gasp as she grimaced and clutched her stomach. Then she opened up her bloody palm and focused on me and Tannor.

I thought she would curse us, throw me down with her powerful magic. Instead she let out a long moan and a flash of green erupted from her hand. She aimed it at Tannor and me. I placed myself before Tannor, seeking to stop whatever curse she threw our way when a warmth enveloped me. Like a thick winter shawl and I looked down to see our bodies were slightly translucent. Ghostly and pallid.

She’d cloaked us.

“You don’t have long,” were mother’s final words before she collapsed on the stone with a wheeze.

“Let’s go!” Zaya said and pushed her bloody sword at me. “Don’t use your magic until you absolutely need to. At the top of the stairs, stab me. Try to stick to non-vital places.”

I shook my head. “I can’t –”

“You can and you will, you’re a daughter of a fucking general and if you want your happiness you’ll do it.” Zaya was impressive in this moment. Stronger than all of us combined, unrepentant and daring. “Don’t make our sacrifice folly.”

Clutching the enormous gratitude within, I nodded. Loving my sister more than I could properly communicate. Zaya didn’t hesitate, she dashed forward, Tannor and I behind her. She took the steps two at a time, another one of her blades already in her hand. The moment Zaya pushed opened the door I came up behind her and raised the bloody sword, slicing neatly into the back of her shoulder.

Zaya stumbled forward with an exaggerated scream and took down with her the guards posted, creating mayhem.

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