Page 108 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

He turned to the queen, who watched him nervously, crushing the precious fabric of her robe in her hands.

“I want you to promise me that Sparrow will not be harmed,” he said. “She deserves a fair investigation and trial.”

The queen jerked her head, her high turban swaying.

“You’re not in the position to demand promises from me, High General. Find me that girl!” she yelled. “That’s an order. The crown you swore to protect and whose orders you promised to obey is now mine. Do as I say, or you’ll end up on a spike as a promise breaker.”

He gritted his teeth, waiting for the rage from her words to subside. Thank gods he’d had a lot of practice controlling his emotions in general, including rage.

“I’ll go alone. Call off the search in Elaros City.”

“Alone?” She huffed. “It’ll take you an eternity. You can’t even fly!”

“Neither can Sparrow.”

The queen’s mention of his main shortcoming felt like a slap on the face, but he didn’t flinch. He’d lived a lifetime without wings. He’d heard every possible insult already. He’d certainly learned how to hide the hurt well.

“Your Majesty knows the lack of wings has never held me back from succeeding where I wished to succeed.” He marched to the door. “I’ll find Sparrow. Dead or alive.”Alive, he wished desperately.Please, gods, let her be alive. “And I’ll bring her back for your merciful judgment.”

ChapterTwenty-Seven

SPARROW

Adrenaline kept me going. I had to get as far from the palace as possible. Yet every time I looked behind me, the glow of Elaros loomed against the cloudy sky, larger than ever.

On the other hand, the crystal light made the navigation easier. Both the moon and the stars were hidden behind thick clouds. All I had to do was to keep the multi-colored shimmer of the Sky Palace behind me to stay on course.

I was too scared to stop for a rest and walked through the night, listening to every noise. But as the sun rose behind the clouds, coloring the black skies gray, exhaustion weighed me down, making me stumble and trip.

The pampered life in Elaros hadn’t prepared me for strenuous physical exercise. My walks in the gardens couldn’t compare to the long hike through the woods. I needed to rest.

I’d been scared to sleep at night. But during the day, the forest didn’t look as intimidating. Besides, the royal guards would probably be searching for me right now. It would be better to hide for a while.

By mid-morning, I stumbled onto a tiny clearing in the woods, with a tall tree in the middle. The tree’s wide canopy sprawled over most of the clearing, shielding it from anyone who might be flying over it. The ground under the tree was covered in dark moss-like plants that climbed halfway up the trunk. Slightly taller than moss, the plants looked just as soft, with tiny black flowers at the end of each curved stem. It seemed like a good enough place for me to get some rest.

I spread the king’s cloak over the flowers, then took out the food I’d stolen from the tray in the king’s bedroom. Sugary macarons and crème-filled wafers weren’t the most nutritious options, but they were all I could get my hands on before my escape. At least the sugar would give me some energy to keep going.

There was no water around, but I’d drunk plenty from a creek a while back. I ate a little, leaving some for later, then brushed the crumbs off my hands and licked the crème from my fingers.

Despite my utter exhaustion, I sensed that sleep would be hard to come. The thoughts about King Tiane didn’t leave me. The fear and repulsion he’d caused in me were still there. But there was also a genuine sadness and regret.

I’d never planned to kill anyone. And despite everything the king had done to me, I wished he was alive. I hoped never to see him again, but I didn’t want him dead.

The sound of a twig snapping sent me to my feet in panic. I whipped around, my heart pounding in my throat.

Voron!

Really?

He stood at the edge of the clearing, holding the broken twig in his hands.

With a smug smirk, he tossed the twig aside. He’d clearly demonstrated how easily he’d managed to sneak up on me. To add insult to injury, he led a horse by the reins. Magnus was sitting on the saddle horn, cleaning his feathers. I hadn’t heard any of them approach, not until Voron deliberately snapped that twig to get my attention.

Unbelievable. The man was truly omnipresent—inescapable.

“How in the world did you find me?” I couldn’t have hidden my shock even if I tried.

Leaning with his shoulder against the nearest tree trunk, he crossed his arms over his chest.

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