Page 38 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

A glance behind me confirms that I’ve been stranded on the top of one of the tall towers I spotted on my way into Flighthaven. The much too narrow ledge, combined with a surge of wind, has me yelping and dropping to my butt. I’m so stressed, I don’t realize I’m not alone up here until an annoyed whicker startles me.

Oh, shit.

I freeze. If I don’t look, maybe I can pretend I’m alone. A second snort dispels that idea. With my heart thrashing against my ribs, I ever so slowly crane my head to the right. Leesa’s massive alicorn stands a few paces away, head lowered and sharp horn pointed at my face. His hooves barely fit on the narrow ledge.

I gawk, outrage momentarily breaking through my fear. “You have got to be shitting me. It’s like someone thought, hmm, what could make this experience worse? Oh, I know. Let’s add an alicorn!”

As if taking exception to my comment, the beast flares his nostrils and shakes his head.

With a muffled whimper, I scrabble backwards. Logically, I know my fear is ridiculous. It’s not as if an alicorn ever attacked me. One just dropped me mid-flight. No big deal.

Okay, so maybe it is a big deal. Especially since my father died. In a weird way, it tracks that my brain is wired to equate alicorns with danger. Still, I need to get over it. Preferably now. Wetting myself because a hairy, horned beast is sharing my current perch won’t make my situation any more pleasant.

I lick my dry lips. “Sorry. It’s not you, it’s me. Zephyr. That’s your name, right?”

Not sure if I’m expecting a reply, but the alicorn snorts. I’ll take that as a yes.

Suddenly, my kidnapper’s comment makes sense. Come morning, if I’m safely tucked in my bed and Zephyr’s in his stall, then all is well, and I’m not scared to fly. But if I’m still stuck up here, it means I’m too chickenshit to climb onto Zephyr’s back and ride him to the ground. Though, fear aside, I’m not sure how anyone expects me to mount the animal in such a cramped space.

I peer over the edge again and peek at the structure below me. Just like I thought, the tower is built from stones, most of which are about the length of my forearm.

“Guess what, assholes? You forgot an option.” One that gets me out of this predicament without flying or dying. Hopefully.

Is it a smart option? No. But it’s the only viable choice. I need to stay for Leesa’s sake, and if the entire campus learns of my fear of flying, I’m sure to be booted out of Flighthaven to join ground soldier training at Forthaven…or get assigned to an even shittier post. For that same reason, I can’t scream for help. And since the chance of me vaulting onto Mr. Pointy here and cruising down to the dorms is zero, that leaves me with exactly one course of action.

Climbing.

I inhale deeply, working to gather my courage. Heights are never my favorite, but remove the alicorn from the picture, and I can manage without the debilitating fear. I succeeded in climbing up to my bedchamber window at home without maiming or killing myself. In breeches, though. Not a dress. This nightgown won’t do me any favors.

Grabbing the hem, I tie it in a loose knot above my knees. I shoo Zephyr with my hands. When that doesn’t work, I bark a string of commands at the alicorn. After multiple failed attempts, he finally flaps his wings when I hiss, “stable,” but only after shooting me what I swear is an exasperated glare. Once he takes off, I crawl to the edge, flip onto my stomach, and lower my feet over the side. My toes scrape across rough stone until they dip into the space between one stone and the next. I guess I’m doing this.

With my nerves as taut as a bowstring, I ease myself a little farther down the wall. The toe grips between stones are better than I expected. Still, one false move will end with me splatting on the earth below.

I climb, slow and steady, having no trouble finding good hand and toe grips.

About a quarter of the way down, the first sprinkles hit. I pause, sucking down air like I can’t get enough. My teeth chatter.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic.”

What now? Climb back up to the top? Or stay the course and hope the rain stops before the stone gets too slick?

The worst thing I can do is nothing. Faced with two terrible options, I stick with the original plan to continue the downward climb. Only faster.

The sprinkles shift to light rain. The wind picks up, tousling my hair. With every move, my toes slip on the water-slicked rock before finding purchase. And I’m not even halfway down yet.

The odds of surviving become grimmer by the second.

Another gust of wind rustles my hair and gown, carrying a faint hint of animal fur, leather, and spice. My head spins, in what must be the world’s worst timing for a dizzy spell. A flapping noise breaks my misery.

“What in the three hells do you think you’re doing?”

I yelp, and my hand slips on the slick surface. Panic shrieks through my limbs as I scrabble to latch on. Once I’ve regained my grip, I pant until the sharpest edge of terror abates.

I don’t need to look to know who I’ll find hovering nearby. Instructor Thorne. Of course. Out of all the possible rescuers, why did it have to be him? “Don’t sneak up on me like that! Are you trying to kill me?”

Several beats pass. “It doesn’t look like you need my assistance in that department. We’re directly below you now. Let go, and I’ll grab you and fly you down.”

Despite my precarious situation, a storm brews behind my ribs. He sounds put out, the big jerk. Like this is all just a giant inconvenience for him.

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