Page 95 of Glass Wings
“Precession indicated that the child might be in danger. Reign also indicated the same thing,” Arryn continued.
“Why don’t you take Reign and collect the child? I don’t understand the problem,” Djoser said.
“The problem is that whenever I look at Reign, I see Allienna’s best friend. I see someone who had to know what happened to her, who likely promised to look after her and keep her secrets. I can’t stand to look at Reign right now. No, I know she’s been hiding something from me.”
“You are serious right now, aren’t you?” Djoser smirked, shaking his head down at the floor. “Right then, so I’m your second choice.We can’t stand to be near each other for more than forty-five seconds, but you spent all that time in the air to get little old me?”
Arryn slammed his now empty second glass on the table, frustration visibly growing.
“When was the last time you unleashed yourself? I thought this journey could give you a guilt-free opportunity to do that again. That’s all this is,” Arryn mumbled.
“Ending life, no matter how deserving, will always take its toll on me. You know that. Also, you are an utter lightweight.” Djoser slid off of his barstool, his feet hitting the ground hard.
He knew the depression, the desperation in Arryn’s eyes well. He remembered those fits he would have when they were children before Allienna put her skin on his, relieving him of the depths his magic would pull him to.
Arryn was a man of immeasurable pain, and he was insufferable for it.
“When was the last time you created?” Djoser asked him, eyebrows raised. Arryn would get dangerous, locking away that magic without an outlet.
“I have a handle on it. If you won’t help me, it’s time I make my way there alone,” Arryn said.
Djoser let out a dramatic sigh, hiding his every intention of supporting Arryn on this.
Fucking purpose.
“Where is she?” Djoser asked, signaling for the check.
The flight had been gruelingly long,and Djoser had wished he had started much drunker than he was to help pass the time. He had never flown so far west before without stopping, exploring, and getting into trouble.
If there was a thing that they had never figured out, it was talking in the air. The wind and the pressure made hearing anythingdownright impossible, so they flew silently. Djoser stole glimpses of Arryn, his face determined, yet entirely horrified.
Arryn was facing his demons, and despite Djoser’s general distaste for him, he could respect that enough. Even if boredom didn’t have a role to play, Djoser would have chosen to come.
They finally touched down, the sun rising over the horizon. They were in the middle of a paved street, large grandiose houses lining up on each side of them. The two Kinnari had their wings out, and Djoser realized that he likely had human eyes on him at that very moment.
Instinctually, he pulled his wings in before staring at Arryn, looking for a signal of what to do from here.
“I’m not exactly sure which house she is in,” Arryn muttered, walking forward down the road. “We could know it when we see it.”
Great. No fucking plan.
After passing a few blocks, each home larger and more opulent than the next, Arryn stopped and nodded to the home on the left side of the street.
“Look, there, on the grass,” Arryn whispered.
Djoser looked up, and the movement took a moment to register. A young girl, maybe six or seven, swayed back and forth as she sat cross-legged on the grass. There were no adults around, no concerned parents. It was too early in the day for her to play outside on her own, something that was off about the whole thing.
“Excuse me, sweetheart,” Djoser found himself calling to her, feeling insecure about the interaction. “Are you okay? Do you need us to call someone for you?”
“I don’t have a phone,” Arryn muttered under his breath to Djoser.
Gods, he’s an idiot.
The child looked at them and got to her feet. She seemed eerily familiar, with big ears and a small frame, soft, creamy fair skin, with contrasting black hair. She was tapping her foot impatiently, like an angry housewife in the movies.
“It took you long enough to find us,” her frilly voice sounded like a song. “I flew to you nearly a month ago.”
“Reign?” Arryn stepped closer towards her, his eyes wide. Djoser shook his head, doing a double take, and realized that the child that stood in front of him was indeed the child that they had grown up with.
