Page 146 of Flame and Sparrow

“More than this brief passing in the hallways, I mean.” He absently raked a hand through his hair. “We should sit and talk.”

I swallowed hard. “When you get back.”

He sighed, and then nodded. “Until then…please be safe. I’m sorry I have to go.”

Another tight squeeze of my heart made my words quieter. “I’ll be fine.”

I’m sorry I have to go. It felt like a dozen more apologies were wrapped up in this one, trying to find their way out along with it. But I wasn’t ready to hear any of them. They would only confuse and distract me from the things I needed to do, anyway.

I turned away from him first, and I didn’t look back as I continued down the hallway.

As soon as I was certain Dravyn was gone for the day, I got to work.

I packed a bag with the Star Goddess’s crown, various materials for collecting and recording whatever I might find in the tower, plenty of dried fruit strips, and a few provisions for myself. I slipped my sister’s necklace on, strapped Hydrus to my body, then crept out through the darker, lesser-used halls of the palace, avoiding the eyes of the servants as much as possible.

Rieta was the only one who I worried might be overly curious about what I was doing, and she was usually still asleep around this time; thankfully, I didn’t encounter her.

I stepped into the backyard and whistled. Zell galloped into sight a minute later, prancing up to me and immediately starting to nudge my hand.

I slipped him several treats before retrieving his riding gear and quickly outfitting him with it while he ate.

He cocked his head at me as I finished adjusting the last strap, intelligent eyes blinking, trying to understand why we were practicing our riding routine in the daytime.

I tried to stay calm, to give him confidence to feed from. “I need your help, Zell,” I told him, stroking the bridge of his nose as I spoke. “We have to get to Amalith. I only sort of remember the way, but I know you can help me find it.”

I braced myself for him to rebel, to show his teeth, but he stayed perfectly docile. If anything, he seemed eager to prove himself to me, even stepping so his saddle was better aligned with my body, making it easier to mount him.

I swung onto his back. I took the reins with steady hands, optimism surging through me as I realized that my plan, so far, was actually working. Zell picked up on my optimism, too, setting off into the hills with an easy stride that shifted quickly into a fiery, full-blown gallop.

Without Dravyn anchoring me, I truly felt like I was flying as we gained speed and our surroundings blurred. I came out of the saddle more than once as we leapt over obstacles in our path, and fear and exhilaration danced a dizzying waltz in my stomach.

The journey was longer than I remembered it being. After an hour or so I briefly panicked, thinking we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere…but then they finally came into view: The glittering spires of the Tower of Ascension.

My breaths turned shallow, my heartbeats panicky, as we galloped closer. The structure seemed to rise up impossibly quickly before us—a distant pinpoint on the horizon one moment, an overwhelming stack of shadows and shining edges looming directly over us in the next.

Zell sensed my increasing trepidation and reared to a stop, letting out an uncertain whinny.

“We’re okay,” I told him, smoothing a hand up and down his neck. “We can do this.” I was trying to comfort him as much as myself.

I’m not sure I fully convinced either of us, but he started to walk again with a slow, high-stepping gait, his dark eyes wide and searching, his large ears twitching.

I dismounted at the top of the hill overlooking what appeared to be the tower’s main face. I wasn’t sure how long I would be inside, and I could find no safe place to tie Zell, so I stripped the headgear from him and offered him several treats along with my thanks. I gave the bag containing the rest of his treats a pointed little shake—a bribe for him to stay close if he wanted more when I came back.

He stood perfectly still, head cocking in curiosity once more, but seemed to understand what I was asking of him.

Hydrus was glowing again, the strange, pulling energy taking hold of its blade and tilting it, pointing me toward the tower once more. I held my breath as I opened my bag and peered inside, checking on the Star Goddess’s crown.

It glowed as well.

Another thing had gone according to plan.

I allowed myself a quick sigh of relief before I closed my bag up and steeled myself to approach the tower.

Zell tried to follow me down the steep hill, but I shooed him back. He circled anxiously, stomping his hooves, sending up clouds of dust and little flickers of fire.

My heart clenched at the loyalty he seemed to have developed toward me, but I still ordered him away; hopefully his reluctance to let me go meant he would still be waiting when I re-emerged. How would I get back to the palace, otherwise?

I pushed aside my concerns aboutafterand focused on the trial directly in front of me.

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