Page 8 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

The second word that comes to mind? Forbidding. Jagged, bleached cliffs curve to create the western boundary, stretching upward like giant teeth chomping on the dark gray clouds. To the east, dense forest gobbles the open space, and ancient trees lurk like silent sentries.

With a jerky motion, the carriage comes to an abrupt halt by an enormous iron gate. A tall man in a sharp navy uniform standing guard approaches the driver. “Name, please.”

From up top, Belton answers. “Lady Lark Axton.”

The guard shoots a glance at me through the window and nods. “Stop here and unload all belongings inside the gate.”

Belton hops down from the driver’s seat and goes to collect my bag. Otis exits the carriage and extends his hand to me. My clammy palm slips in his as I climb out and follow Belton. Salty air, carried from the ocean waves that crash against the far side of the cliffs, tease my nose. Belton hauls my satchel past the iron gate and sets it on the ground.

My new reality starts to sink in. “Uh, guess this is it. Have a safe trip home.”

Belton murmurs “good luck” and heads back to the carriage.

Otis lingers and wraps a calloused hand around my shoulder. “This must all seem intimidating now, but you’ve got this.”

I scoff. “Do I?”

His kind eyes reprimand me. “Just remember…your body may fight you sometimes, but you’re strong where it counts. Here, and here.” First, he knocks his knuckles on his skull, then over his heart. “You’re the finest lady I’ve ever had the privilege of working for, and you’re a fighter. You can do this.”

Emotion wells in my throat. “Thank you.” I sniffle, waving a hand in front of my eyes to fend off tears. “You’re not so bad for a guard either.”

With a quick shoulder squeeze and one last smile, he leaves me. I watch as he climbs up top to join Belton and the driver flicks his reins. When the bays lurch forward, I entertain a wild impulse to leap inside the carriage and hide until we arrive back to the safety of home. Then I remember my purpose—Leesa—and the desire fizzles.

I let Otis’s faith bolster me. I can do this.

With a loud clang, the iron gate shuts. Shaking off the ominous thought that I’ve just traded my figurative cage for a literal one, I turn to face my temporary residence.

Nerves flutter beneath my skin like butterfly wings.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I force myself to picture Leesa among the crowd, talking and laughing with friends as she heads to her next class. She’s always been a people person, and based on the tone of her letters, my sister thrived here. I open my eyes. Although my lips tilt up, the nagging fear I’ve had since I learned of Leesa’s disappearance quickly chases the smile away. During these last two days, the same questions have played over and over in my mind.

What in the hells happened to my sister?

Where is she? Did she run away? If so, why? Or did someone kidnap her?

What if she’s…dead?

I give myself a mental shake. If anyone can survive whatever it is that’s happened, it’s my clever, resourceful sister. She’s alive. She has to be. I refuse to believe anything else.

Leesa once told me that an ancient castle stood on the grounds long ago, and that some of the ruins went into Flighthaven’s construction. I can believe it. Many of the buildings feature intricate carvings in stone weathered enough to have existed in the time of the gods.

I’m so far out of my depth, I might as well be at the bottom of the Darkmoor Sea. The campus is a far cry from Castle Axton, and I’m not sure where to begin my search. As I tip my head back to check out a tower offering a panoramic view of the grounds, my toe snags the hem of my long silky gown and I stumble, flinging my arms out for balance.

This cursed dress.

I knew I should have braved Mother’s horror and worn the breeches.

A long wooden structure stands to the right of the massive stone building. Topped by a slanted roof embedded with iron, it resembles the horse stable at our castle, albeit ten times the length. I suspect the place houses animals other than horses.

An icy knot forms in my throat.

Past the stable, an immense stone building sprawls out in the middle of a dirt clearing and rises higher than my family’s castle.

Low rumbling comes from that direction, similar to the sound of a thunderstorm still a village away. The ground trembles beneath my feet. Despite the distance, the vibration rattles my stomach.

Dragons.

My attention flits from that to the streaks of black and brown overhead. A group of four alicorns soars on the wind, carrying riders on their backs and flapping their massive wings.

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