Page 58 of Reaper's Ruin
I rolled over and peered over the edge, looking down at Rhyker, expecting to see him preparing for his own climb.
Instead, he took a few steps back, his eyes never leaving mine. Then, with a grace that seemed impossible for someone his size, he launched himself at the wall. He scaled it in seconds, finding handholds where I saw nothing but smooth stone, muscles flexing beneath his clothing as he pulled himself upward.
In moments, he was sitting beside me on the ledge, not even slightly out of breath.
“Show-off,” I whispered, but I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.
His lips twitched in what might have been a suppressed smile. “Now we go down. I’ll go first and catch you.”
He swung his legs over the edge and dropped down with catlike silence. Then he looked up at me, arms extended.
“Jump,” he said.
My stomach clenched as I looked down at the drop below. But as I looked down, it wasn’t just the drop I saw. It was the man I’d just met, theReaperI’d just met, the one I somehow trusted completely. He had already kept me safe so many times, and as I looked into his eyes staring up at me from below, I knew in my bones that he would catch me.
He would always catch me.
I pushed off, and for a heart-stopping moment I was falling—then his arms were around me, strong and steady, catching me against his chest.
Time seemed to slow. I was pressed against him, my hands on his shoulders, his arms wrapped around me. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart, smell the earthy scent of him.
His eyes met mine, something dark and hungry flashing in their depths before he quickly set me on my feet.
“We need to move,” he said, retrieving our bags. “The stables are this way. We can change there.”
We slipped through the shadows of the courtyard, avoiding the few guards who patrolled this section of the grounds. When we reached the stables, Rhyker led me toward an empty stall at the far end.
But as we entered the dimly lit building, I froze in awe.
These weren’t ordinary stables. Instead of horses, magnificent creatures occupied the stalls—beasts I’d never seen before, not even in fantasy films or illustrations.
“What are those?” I whispered, moving closer to one of the stalls where a creature watched me with intelligent silver eyes.
“Stormsteeds,” Rhyker said quietly. “The signature mounts of the Storm Court nobility.”
The creature before me was breathtaking. It had the general shape of a horse, but with dramatic differences. It had cloven hooves and its body was covered in sleek feathers rather than hair, primarily a deep slate-blue with iridescent highlights that shimmered in the stable’s low light. Its head was more refined than a horse’s, with a proud, almost raptor-like quality, crowned by a feathered crest that rose when it noticed us watching.
Most striking were the wings—smaller than a true flying creature would need, but still impressive, folded neatly against its sides. When the Stormsteed shifted, I could see the wings briefly extend, revealing feathers in deep blue with silver-tipped edges.
“Can I touch it?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes away.
“Carefully,” Rhyker cautioned. “They’re temperamental with strangers.”
I approached slowly, hand outstretched. The Stormsteed regarded me with those intelligent silver eyes, then, to my surprise, stretched its neck forward to sniff my palm, its sharp beak dragging gently across my skin.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered as my fingers made contact with the soft feathers of its neck. They felt like silk beneath my touch. “This is crazy. I’m petting a flying horse-bird kind of thing. How is this real?”
“They can’t fly for long,” Rhyker explained, watching me with the creature. “But they can leap great distances and glide, which makes them invaluable in mountain terrain. Only the highest-ranking nobles and most powerful Storm Warriors possess them.”
I could have stood there petting the beautiful Stormsteed all day, but Rhyker cleared his throat.
“We need to hurry. We don’t want to get caught here and guards patrol these stables often.”
“It was nice to meet you,” I said, reluctantly pulling my hand away from the magnificent creature. It gave me a gentle nuzzle, then I gave it one last pat and walked away.
“We’ll change here,” he said, moving toward an empty stall at the back. “Be quick.”
The stable was dimly lit and filled with the soft sounds of the Stormsteeds shifting in their stalls. Rhyker turned his back to me, giving me some semblance of privacy as he began to change. I should have done the same, but I couldn’t help stealing a glance over my shoulder as he pulled his shirt over his head.
