Page 62 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

I make up my mind in a heartbeat, silently apologizing to Joel. I steer my Strix closer and slightly above the fighting birds, right next to Joel.

I look at him, let our eyes meet, and I see the moment realization hits him. He starts shaking his head, drawing in a deep breath. I already undid the buckles on our ascent, and I don’t give him the chance to react before I jump.

My landing on the other Strix is rough, and only grabbing the saddle with one hand and Mariel with the other keeps me from sliding off right away.

I slide into the seat behind Mariel and secure the buckles around my legs while freeing her. I grab her waist with both arms, holding on for dear life when the Strix goes into a dive, trying to outmaneuver his attacker. With two of us weighing him down now, his movement is strained and slower.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Joel roars at me, his bird hovering next to me for a second before he attacks the Night Raven, trying to turn him away. When he gets close again, I motion toward Mariel.

“Can you catch her?” I yell.

“We can take both of you. Just jump with her.” He lets his Rukh lose height, getting slightly below us.

I shake my head. “Too much weight,” I shout back. I’m also not ready to give up the Strix, but I’m not going to tell him that. Streaks of bright red color the white and gray feathers of the bird beneath me, and the movement of his wings is labored.

Joel doesn’t look happy, and I’m sure his moving lips mean he is cursing up a storm, but he nods.

“I’m coming back for you, and then you’ll jump.”

I smile reassuringly and give my consent. His Rukh loses height. Once he is below us and gives me the go, I heave Mariel over the side, letting her go before the fighting birds can move again. She tumbles through the air, and I lose sight of her when the Strix twists.

Joel will catch her.

The next time the Night Raven collides with us, I meet Gorgon’s frightened eyes. Right. I forgot about him.

“You have to jump off,” I scream, but he shakes his head. “This won’t end well.” I try to get through to him.

He sets his jaw. “I’ll be fine,” he says. “The Night Raven will win.” My jaw drops. How can anyone think of winning at a moment like this?

I shake my head and concentrate on the bird beneath me instead. I stroke his feathers soothingly, getting ready to implement my plan.

The Night Raven breaks away to gather momentum. I give the Strix the signal to dive, and he does. We turn and swoop, making it harder for the Night Raven to catch us, masking my plan in the process.

We head straight to the cliff behind Telos. It is steep and wide, like someone chopped off a part of the mountain to make room for the city below. We come closer, and I spot the flaw in my scheme. The Strix is too tired to pull up at such an angle with my added weight on his back. I’ll have to get off to give him a chance to make it.

“Head straight to your nest and caregiver,” I shout, hoping he hears me, before I pull the dagger off my belt and slash the straps on both my legs. I swing a leg over his side, and when we pass the city wall, I jump.

I misjudged the effect speed has on my body. The Strix’s right wing clips my shoulder and sends me tumbling. My body’s right side hits the top of the city wall, the impact rattles my bones, andmy whole side goes numb for one blessed second before the pain hits. I curse wordlessly, and the world goes black.

I’m back home sitting in a tree, and I’m momentarily disoriented. I look down at my legs; they are much shorter than I’m used to. My brothers are searching for something or someone below me.

I remember this moment. I was around eight and hid in the forest after a fight with Ben. My brothers had been shouting at each other, and I fled so no one would see me cry.

I watch them and see the growing concern on their faces. I don’t want them to worry, and I don’t want to get them into trouble either.

So I call out to Dar when he starts to head back home. His gaze flies up, relief washing over his handsome face once his eyes find me.

I grin down at him.

“I’m still better than all of you at climbing,” I brag.

A small smile tugs on the corner of his mouth, like he’s trying to suppress it. He nods.

“True. How about you come down here without breaking your neck?” he asks.

“Okay.” I push off the branch I’m sitting on and see Dar rushing forward.

“Ara!” he shouts. I land on a thicker branch below me and jump off. My hands grab another branch, and I swing back and forth for a few seconds before I let go and slam into Dar. He wraps his strong arms around me, grumbling.

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