Page 35 of A Deception of Courts

“Would you stop!” I hissed through gritted teeth.

“Robin, please let me watch when you tell them. I’d love to see their faces when you reveal what you gave us–”

The sky exploded with a thunderous crack. The force of the noise rocked the world. We were all awarded a moment of peace, trying to work out what had happened. But then the sound occurred again, this one far louder than the last. The boom burst within my ears, rocking my skull with the force. One moment I watched Seraphine’s smile grow, the next, my face was pressed against the damp floor of the ship’s deck with nothing but the crystal ringing filling my head.

I forced myself up, hands pressing against the slick wood, as more sprays of cold water rained upon me. Spread across the deck were bodies. Some were still, with wide eyes looking skyward. Others writhed across the ground, hands pressed to their ears or their mouths. It was strange to watch someone scream without a sound. I focused on a soldier closest to me. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear anything above the ringing in my skull.

In a stupor, I sat myself up. Lifting my hands to my ears, I felt warmth. When I pulled them back, the tips of my fingers were coated in blood. The ruby glistened like jewels against my ivory skin. Rivers of it raced down my hand, circling my wrist before dripping upon my wet trousers.

Suddenly, two firm hands gripped my shoulders. I was aware of the touch before my mind could provide me with the command to look up.

Duncan knelt before me. His pale lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear him. Not clearly, at least. I narrowed my gaze on his mouth and could hear a faint but muffled barrage of words. They seemed to be buried so deep beneath the incessant ringing that I could hardly focus enough to understand.

I almost laughed. The feeling was strange, but it seemed easier to give in to deliria and laugh at my confused state instead of allowing panic to overwhelm me.

Something beyond me, somewhere in the distance, caught Duncan’s attention. He looked up to the sky, falling back away from me. I watched as the horror crept across his expression, his mouth gaping open in a silent scream, his eyes unblinking.

It was his reaction that tore me from my feverish state.

I followed his line of sight and looked up. Far above us, a wave of obsidian cloud rumbled across the sky with momentum that shouldn’t have been possible. No storm moved so swiftly, devouring light as if it fed on it. Billowing and monstrous, the cloud passed overhead and moved toward Lockinge. It cast a shadow across the ground.

The ringing in my ears calmed. Another sound replaced it.

“What is…” I began, swallowing my words as the Nephilim joined the view with their wings outstretched, in contrast to the dark state of the sky. I blinked, capturing the image in my mind like a painting.

Rafaela took the lead of the flock, slicing in an arc toward our ship, which the rest of her kind followed. Even from a distance, I felt her stare upon the place I sat slouched. She held her golden hammer between two powerful hands, ready to use it.

“Robin, we need to get everyone off the deck,” Duncan said, although more a command. Panic edged beneath each word, still muffled but now clear enough to make sense. He knelt before me once again, his entire focus on me. His verdant eyes flickered between the dripping blood from my ear to my red-stained fingers on my lap.

“What happened?” I replied, breath caught in the back of my throat.

Duncan traced his hand across my face. His touch felt cold. I recognised a slight tremble in his fingers. “Nothing good if they are coming.”

I winced as Rafaela was suddenly in the air above us. She buffeted her wings, slowing her descent before her boots smashed onto the deck.

“Are you well, Robin Icethorn?” Rafaela strode forward, offering me a hand. I caught her eyes flickering toward the blood that dribbled out of my ears. Her attention lingered on it only for a moment, genuine concern etched across her face.

“Been better,” I replied, contemplating taking her hand or not. My decision was made for me when she retreated. “I get the impression you know what caused that.”

Rafaela nodded ever so slightly, biting down on her lower lip before responding. “I think it best you see to yourself and your people, and then we discuss matters in a place without an audience.”

“Can we wait for answers?” Duncan asked, annoyance rolling off him. “Seems something that dramatic needs an explanation immediately.”

I tried to catch my breath as it suddenly felt as though it had tried to escape from me. Panic clawed its way down my throat and made its presence known among my bones and blood.

“Something terrible has happened.” Rafaela said. “Nothing good will come of speaking about it and causing hysteria to spread among your people.”

“No shit,” Seraphine groaned. Until now, among the chaos, I had forgotten about her. She was hunched over at Rafaela’s side, shadowed by the proud wings. Red leaked from the corner of her mouth, only visible for a second before Seraphine cleared it with the back of her hand.

“Where is Althea Cedarfall?” Rafaela asked, ignoring Seraphine’s glower.

I pressed my fingers to my temple, trying to calm the thudding that had overcome me. “She… she was on another ship with Kayne–”

Rafaela was airborne before I could finish. Duncan raised an arm against the force of wind her wings conjured. I turned my face into his chest, pinching my eyes closed. One moment she was there, the next, her outline fading across the sea of Cedarfall ships in search of Althea.

Something about her sudden, desperate departure only fuelled my worry. I pushed myself from Duncan’s embrace and moved for the railing to follow Rafaela’s flight. “If something has happened to Althea…”

“She’ll be fine,” Seraphine replied out of the corner of her mouth. “It is best you show those watching that you are calm too. There is nothing more detrimental to leadership than allowing panic to seep beyond your own control. Deep breath, turn and face them, and show that everything is in order.”

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