Page 108 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“And what is that saying you and Kaia use?Teamwork makes the dream work.Awful—but applicable here.”
“Now let’s finally singe these suckers.”
“With pleasure.”
Solflara dove into three half-loops, then cut sharp zigzags, her rapid maneuvers throwing the constructs that had survived the canyon into chaos. They regrouped, pressing in as one massive swarm.
Her body vibrated with tension as power coiled within her. The air crackled, charged with heat. When the constructs surrounded them in their final push, Solflara unleashed.
A wall of fire detonated outward.
Protected within the translucent blaze, Alaire braced as waves of heat rolled over her, the air itself burning.Holy gods. The swarm disintegrated, their shadowy forms erased in the inferno. Nothing remained but smoke and scorched earth.
Thiswas what they were capable of together.
Thiswas why they would win.
“Ican’t believe you can do that.So cool.”
“Told you all the praise had merit.” Solflara dimmed her flames to a subtle glow, letting out a proud chirp.
Adrenaline sang in Alaire’s veins as she gazed at the scorched sky. The night stretched ahead—vast, untamed, and theirs.
The Silver Plains stretched before them like something out of a dream—rolling hills and pockets of trees blanketed in silver-hued grass.
The high of their earlier victory collapsed into bone-deep exhaustion. Solflara’s wingbeats slowed as they took advantage of the brief respite from the constructs. Every muscle in Alaire’s body screamed with each movement.
The plains stretched endlessly in every direction, deceptively vast. Ahead, the sky darkened. A knot of dread tightened in her stomach as thunder rumbled across the distance. Solflara picked up speed. The quicker they crossed this storm, the better.
The sky cracked open, unleashing a deluge that hammered her skin. Water sluiced down her neck, soaking through the layers beneath her leathers. The magical barrier shielded her eyes from the wind, but not from the flood of rain. She tried shielding her face with her hands, but the force gave her no respite.
Solflara let out a distressed cry, wings flaring as she shook off water.
“You alright?”Alaire pressed her hand through the wet feathers.
“Fine.”
Alaire bit her lip, unconvinced. Lightning illuminated the storm ahead—swirling clouds, columns of air twisting toward the earth. House Aetheris and House Arculum’s handiwork, no doubt.
Solflara banked hard, straining against the gale. Lightning split the sky in blinding bursts. Then came the screech—sharp, pained.
“Soflara!” Alaire cried.
The phoenix’s beak dipped toward a singed feather, throwing them into a violent freefall. Solflara strained to right herself, but pain bled down the bond, raw and staggering.
Alaire’s decision was instant. She slid down Solflara’s slick feathers, clinging tight as the storm battered her—one hand in front of the other, slow and steady, her breath shallow andragged. Thunder boomed overhead, the wind threatening to tear her loose. Her thighs and calves clamped around Solflara’s body, anchoring her as her hands slipped on wet feathers. Every jolt wrenched her stomach, but she refused to let go.
“What are you doing?Get back in your seat!”
“Absolutely not.” Her teeth clenched. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“We lift each other up in times of hardship.Remember.”
A reluctant huff shuddered through the bond. “Be.Careful.”
Don’t look down. Just move.
