Page 106 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Under the night sky, the parchment glowed faintly, warm like the orbs that lit the campus. Once she had her bearings, she tucked it beneath her leathers.
She mounted Solflara with practiced ease. They’d trained relentlessly for this—together and apart—honing every skill for this moment.
A flare shot upward, briefly lighting the sky and dark water below.
“Don’t look down.”
“Too late.” She gulped.
Solflara launched with a powerful thrust of her wings, the ground falling away.
At cruising altitude, her wings caught the wind. Cold, salty air howled past. The dark churn of the North Sea stretchedbeneath them—Alaire’s only other glimpse of it had been on her way to Aeris Academy, and she had no desire to see more of it tonight.
She leaned back, trying to take advantage of Solflara’s steady pace. Conserving their energy for the challenge ahead was paramount. Stars glittered overhead, sharp and bright.
Fuck, it’s cold. The wind was numbing her fingers. She pressed closer to Solflara’s neck, grateful for the phoenix’s warmth, her plumage dimmed to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Fatigue began creeping in. Her biceps cramped from gripping Solflara’s braid so tightly, but it was that or plummet into the sea. Flexing her fingers, she adjusted her hold.
The Crystal Spires rose against the night, mist curling around jagged peaks. On the tallest, a gold-and-black flag snapped in the wind.
The higher they climbed, the more her lungs burned. Each breath came harder, the familiar wheeze echoing in her ears. Peaks that had loomed above now lay far below, and her vision blurred at the edges.
No. Not now.
Focus.
The burning in her chest sharpened into claws. Her body shook.
It isn’t losing if you take the medicine.
One hand on her breathbind reliquary, she took a quick puff and dug her knees into Solflara’s sides, focusing on her breathing—inhale through her nose, exhale through her mouth.
Solflara slowed her wingbeats.
The constriction eased, but the relief didn’t stop the sting of needing it. Hating the weakness was almost as bad as the breathlessness itself.
“All good now.Let’s go.”
Solflara’s nose dipped, speed building fast. The sensation of freefall sent a jolt of euphoria through her.
Now this is more like it.
Everything warped around her as they dove.Gods, this was freedom—wild, untethered. Every worry vanished in the rush of wind, the thunder of her pulse, and the heat coiling in her veins.
Magic shielded her eyes from the wind’s sting. She closed them anyway, soaking in the serenity—the sky, the stars, the mountains, and her joy.
The shift in Solflara’s muscles snapped her eyes open. She tugged the braid, easing them from the dive. Her breathing had steadied by the time they cleared the mountains.
One last look back showed the towering slabs of rock, scarred and smoothed by storms, still standing. Like her, they’d endured and been shaped into something stronger.
The land ahead lay shrouded in clouds.
Something moved in the distance—dark specks swarming in formation.
What the hell?Dragonfly-shaped constructs, carved from black stone, their wings cut like keys with metal spears slotted between ridges. A collaboration, no doubt, between House Cerebral and House Arborstone.
Without warning, they loosed a volley of spears.
