Page 37 of The War of Wings
Silence expanded around us for a moment, until Whit blew a breath through his lips. “So what now?”
“We send word again,” Cal suggested, his voice brusque. “And keep writing until we have a military large enough that we stand a chance against the Occulti. Our best bet is for Petra to free Katia and Rhedros, but a sizable military isn’t a bad idea.”
“Malosym will find her before then,” Miles said, his previous irritation gone, replaced by a sickening air of something that sounded a lot like hopelessness. “We don’t have time to wait around hoping someone will take pity on us and send aid. It won’t happen.”
I exhaled a breath, willing some of my unfettered anger out of my body. I needed space to think, to figure something out. Everyone else in this room had some level of military experience, but not during wartime, and certainly not against a force like Malosym.
“We can travel to ask the leaders of each country in person,” Nell offered, her voice full of cautious hope. “Start with Nesan since it’s one of the closest and most powerful, then go from there.”
“No,” Cal answered quickly. “It’ll take weeks to sail across the Widow’s Sea, and another to get through Nesan to Araqina. And there’s no guarantee we’ll even be granted a meeting with the King and Queen, even if the Daughter of Katia is requesting that meeting.”
“Maybe they wouldn’t meet with the Daughter of Katia, but do you think they’d meet with King Belin?” I asked, tapping a finger on the table.
Cal’s lips pursed. “Relations between Nesan and the countries of Astran aren’t the best, so I can’t promise it would work.”
A collective, defeated sigh seemed to leave everyone at once.
“There has to be something we can do to convince someone,anyoneto send aid,” I muttered, tapping at my temples as if it would dislodge an idea that was hidden deep in my mind.
“If only they’d seen the drivas,” Nell murmured, tapping her finger on the table. “The kelpies and soulhags, too. But the drivas were… Wow.”
And there it was. A pinprick of an idea sparked to life. I concentrated on it, pulling apart the strands of light until it finally caught and grew into a full-blown flame. The thought was risky, and I wasn’t even sure if it was possible, but I was willing to try anything.
“You’re right, Nell,” I started, sitting straighter in my chair, determination like a rod against my spine, propping me up. “If only they’d seen the drivas.”
Cal leaned forward, the look on his face hesitant. “What are you thinking?”
I looked at each of my friends. “Is anyone here afraid of heights?”
???
“Um, I’m not afraid of heights, Petra,” Nell said, apprehension slowing her steps, “but I might be afraid of drivas.”The rain had let up. Well, my mood had let up. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe not.
Whit scoffed, narrowly avoiding a crooked cobblestone as we made our way out of the city and headed for the plains. “Afraid of the very thing that won us the battle?”
“Yes,” she answered matter-of-factly. “Call me crazy, but I am afraid of the gargantuan, mythical creatures that flew out of nowhere to decimate a horde of demons.”
“But they’re–”
“Do you two ever shut the fuck up?” Miles snapped. Cal’s brows were furrowed as he looked at his brother.
A disbelieving laugh left Nell’s mouth as she shot Miles a sidelong glance. “You’re particularly pleasant this morning, Lieutenant.”
Miles remained silent, his eyes somewhere far over the horizon. “I’m just tired.”
We walked in silence out on to the plain, Miles’ rage hanging in the air as Taitha’s skyline grew smaller and smaller behind us. When I felt like we were far enough outside the city to avoid causing more chaos and panic, my steps slowed, and I turned to face the group.
“Okay,” I said. “I have no idea if this is going to work. But this idea is all I have.”
“All you can do is try,” Cal answered, his lips upturned in the ghost of an encouraging smile.
I inhaled deeply through my nose, filling my ribcage with the crisp morning air, hoping it would somehow connect me to some ancient, otherworldly magic and carry my will straight to wherever the hell the drivas went after Eserene. I closed my eyes, flexed my hands at my side.Please.I tunneled into the same feeling I had in the Darkness Beyond, when I wished to be anywhere but there, same as when we left Heaven and found our way to the Sanguilite’s Realm.
Nothing felt special or different. I was simply standing amidst a massive expanse of open land, hoping for a fucking miracle.
I opened my eyes to see Nell, Whit, Miles, and Cal all staring at me with expectant faces. My gaze moved back to the gray-white sky, flitting over the horizon as I turned in place.
“Do you think they heard her?” Whit asked out of the corner of his mouth.
