Page 89 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“Reluctantly.”
“Follow my lead.Do you think I want the reputation of dropping my flier?If nothing else,rely on my vanity.”
Alaire molded herself against Solflara’s feathered neck.
Without warning, the ground dropped away. The pair weaved through hoops and barriers of varying heights, Alaire’s hands tightening on the braid, her body moving instinctively with Solflara’s motions. A rush of pride surged through her as they navigated the course.
Already, she was beginning to anticipate some of Solflara’s movements—reading the shift of her muscles, the minute changes in position—before they happened.
The final stretch was a series of tight turns around glowing blue pillars. Briefly, the light caught her attention; she leaned forward.
Her grip slipped.
In a split second, the world tilted. She scrambled for Solflara’s braid but found only smooth feathers beneath her fingers.
The glow of the pillar pulsed closer, almost reaching for her, as her body twisted in free fall. Wind roared in her ears. The sky and ground blurred into a dizzying vortex. Panic surged. She opened her mouth to scream, but the wind tore the sound from her throat.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
I’m going to splatter across the arena?—
Talons grasped her—firm but careful—as Solflara descended. Alaire’s body jerked from the sudden change in momentum.
When Solflara deposited her safely, Alaire sagged to the ground sticking her head between her knees. Gritting her teeth against the light-headedness, she forced herself to breathe, trying to calm her heart’s frantic pounding.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Alaire replied through their bond. “One minute I was looking at the pulsing pillars,and the next I wasfalling.It was as though the blue light was reaching for me.” She shook her head. “Probably just the change in altitude.”
The phoenix’s amber eyes narrowed at the pillars. “Odd.”
“Let’s go again.” Alaire brushed the sand off her leathers as she stood, her stubbornness refusing to let that be the last lap of the day.
“This is why I chose you.”Solflara clucked her tongue. “Though it appears I may have overestimated your ability to stay conscious during flight.Should I get you a helmet?”
“Bite me.”
“I’d rather not.Humans are quite fleshy. You don’t suit my elevated palate.”
Rolling her eyes, Alaire climbed onto Solflara’s back—no dizziness this time.
Once resettled, she locked her legs around Solflara’s sides, using every ounce of muscle to keep her seat.
“Hold tight,” Solflara warned before launching into the turns again, wings adjusting minutely to match the varying angles and distances between each pillar.
Crossing the finish line, Alaire couldn’t resist letting out a big, “Woot woot!We did it!”
“Once we can do that without anyone falling off,you can do your unattractive victory dance.”
Her face fell. “Again?”
“Did you think that would be the only time?”
“Yes,” Alaire whined.
“We’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Great.Can’t wait.I’ll be counting down the seconds.We should get back to the rest of the cla?—”
