Page 5 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

She whimpers and wraps her arms around her waist. “I don’t know. I don’t know how this could happen.”

I pace in front of the settee. “And why summon me? I swear I tested negative on that last round of examinations, and I only pretended to swallow the eyril.”

Since most Aclarians aren’t freaks like me, the king’s examiners dole out a dose of eyril before testing. Otherwise, the citizens wouldn’t be able to access their magic.

I spit my dose out when no one was looking. Just in time too. The flavor made my entire body revolt the moment it hit my tongue.

Mother’s lower lip trembles. “The king’s testers are trained to be sensitive to even the slightest hint of magic. He must have noticed a spark of fire, even if you didn’t.” She rocks on the cushion, a faraway glint in her eyes.

None of this makes sense. How can Flighthaven just misplace a fledgling? Mysister. The letter gives no indication of when Leesa went missing—zero details regarding the circumstances of her disappearance, period—and offers no prevailing theories as to what happened. If they’re summoning me, have they already given up the search? That’s unacceptable.

Mother snaps out of the strange spell holding her captive. “Well, they can’t have you. There’s a chance they don’t know…a good chance…”

“A chance they don’t know what?”

She blinks. “What? Oh! Uh…I meant, know about your fire magic.” She lunges to her feet. “I’m going to write to the king at once, explaining our situation and begging for an exemption on the grounds that we already have one child missing in action. As long as Leesa is gone, you’re my sole heir. That alone should grant us leniency.”

“Yes! That’s a great…wait, no. You can’t do that.”

Mother’s mouth flops open, like she can’t believe my words. Neither can I, for that matter.

Once she recovers, she pats my shoulder. “Lark. Dear. Flighthaven is no place for you. Not with all your…frailties.”

I wince. She’s right. Flighthaven has a reputation as a rigorous training academy that challenges even the toughest nineteen- and twenty-year-olds. Stories about fledglings getting injured during classes are so prolific, they’ve even reached my ears. I hear whispers about student deaths too.

And it’s aflightacademy. Where, presumably, young adults like my sister learn how to fly and defend our kingdom. On the back of a dragon, for the best of the best. On an alicorn’s back otherwise.

My stomach twists into a thousand knots. Alicorns. Even the thought of those giant horse-like creatures, with their deadly horns poking out from between their eyes and those huge wings, roils my stomach.

“I know it’s not an ideal environment for me,”—understatement of the century—“but I have to go. If Leesa disappeared from Flighthaven, then I don’t care what that missive says. Someone must know something, and the only way I can find out is if I’m on the campus.”

Mother presses her fingers to her lips. “But you can’t stay there. It’s dangerous. For you and for the other students if your magic suppressant fails.”

Dangerous or not, I won’t let fear prevent me from doing everything in my power to find my sister. “Of all the places I could go, Flighthaven is probably the safest if I lose control. They literally teach people to use their magic. And I don’t have to stay forever. Give me a little time before you ask for the exemption.”

Mother must read my resolve. “How long? Two weeks?”

“Two week doesn’t sound long enough. Let’s shoot for four.” I can’t believe I’m actually requesting extra time. Leesa owes me big time after this. “If I don’t learn anything about where Leesa went in four weeks, I probably never will. I won’t change my mind, so don’t bother trying. I won’t abandon her like that.”

After searching my eyes, Mother agrees with a jerk of her head. “Okay. But you have to promise to be careful. And to take your magic suppressant every single day without fail. Remember what can happen if you don’t.”

Images of flames licking along the side of a wooden structure fill my head. Flinching, I shove the unwanted memory back into a dusty corner of my mind. Reliving the horror of that day isn’t necessary. I know what’s at stake. “Believe me, I do.”

Chapter Three

Two days later, I’m tucked within the soft cushions of my mother’s carriage, a team of two glossy bay horses drawing me closer to my doom with every tap of their hooves. After my mother spent most of her waking hours fretting and reminding me to take my daily dose of magic suppressant, I found myself almost eager to trade tearful goodbyes and embark on my journey.

Now that I’m alone, though, my anxieties flood through me like a swollen river. First and foremost, I worry about Leesa.

I bite my lip. She must be alive. I feel it in my bones. No matter what, I’ll find her and learn what took her away before the king excuses me from service.

The ruthless fist gripping my body relaxes, and I breathe easier.

Although I hate to admit it, leaving the castle is akin to removing an anvil from my throat.

The countryside—that I rarely had permission to see—is vaster than I imagined, the vegetation thick, fragrant, and unlike what grows around the castle.

The stretches of green plant life give way to barren sections where the vegetation thins and everything is dying. Shriveled, dead bushes. Rotting fruit. Naked trees. When we pass these areas, the air sneaking into the carriage carries a faint, unpleasant odor.

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