Page 92 of Guardian of the Drowned Empire

I tightened my hold on Meera, running ahead as I dragged her along, but we were both slipping and sliding across the sand, our boots sinking with each step.

“We need to stop the seraphim before she leaves without us!” I yelled over the waves crashing beside us. The tide was moving closer and closer, and our seraphim squawked in annoyance.

Meera pulled out her stave, her other hand tightening in mine.

“Glemata!” Meera yelled. A burst of blue light shot forth, rushing over the seraphim, transforming its wings and body to moonstone blue. The bird froze in a half-crouched position, but Meera’s spell wasn’t strong enough to hold it. The seraphim’s wings were shaking. With another shake, she broke free of the spell.

Rhyan reached her first, the bird now fully standing with no way for us to climb onto the carriage. With a yell, Rhyan launched himself into the air, landing on the bird’s upper leg.

She froze in indignation as Rhyan grabbed her feathers, climbing his way up. But instead of going into the carriage, he crawled over to her face and managed to lay his belly across her beak. He stroked her feathers, speaking gently.

Her wings stopped fluttering as she was soothed by his voice or his strokes or both. He was looking right into her eyes. Her body stilled, and her legs began to bend until she laid back down.

I could relate. Rhyan had never lain across my nose, but the rest of his technique was familiar.

At last, we reached the carriage. Meera sheathed her stave in her belt and climbed aboard while I waited for Rhyan to climb down.

“You’re a seraphim whisperer?”

He tilted his head to the side, one hand grazing the nape of his neck, an almost sheepish expression on his face. “Gryphon whisperer. Luckily my tricks work on Bamarian birds, too.”

Rhyan had wanted a pet gryphon when he was younger. But the creatures grew to such massive sizes he could have never kept one inside, so he’d helped train them with the Glemarian Master of the Horse. A skill I was beyond grateful he had now.

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by an earth-shaking clap of thunder. Our bird stood as another tide roared to shore, rising and rising as it raced.

“Blood debt,” I gasped.

“Fuck!” Rhyan grabbed my waist and jumped, landing on the carriage steps just before they were out of reach.

“LYR!” Meera screamed. The bird was preparing to take flight while we were barely hanging onto her, before Meera had even locked the carriage doors.

“Come on,” Rhyan urged, grimacing as he held onto the stairs. The seraphim’s wings flapped, picking up speed.

“By the Gods!” The ground was getting farther and farther away from my feet.

“Lyr, climb!” Rhyan commanded. He pushed me against the stairs, somehow lifting my entire body with just one hand.

I grabbed the stairs with both hands as Meera shrieked, leaning out the carriage door, her hand reaching for me.

“Climb!” Rhyan yelled.

I pressed my face against the bird’s side, frozen with terror to be outside as she soared.

“Lyr, climb! I’m right behind you,” Rhyan yelled, his voice sounding distant as the wind cut between us.

My hand shook—the burning was back in my wrist—but I managed to let go of the step I clung to with one hand and reach for the next, one foot gaining purchase on the step above it. The wind was bitingly cold at this height, and my entire body was shivering both from the temperature and the fear pulsing through me.

Warmth suddenly covered my back as strong arms appeared on either side of me. Rhyan had climbed up behind me. His body shielded mine against the wind and endless sky around us.

“You won’t fall. I’m right here.” His breath was warm against my ear. I could feel his aura, soothing and trying to warm and calm me.

“Come on, Lyr!” Meera yelled.

I reached for the next step and the next, Rhyan climbing just behind me, until I found my way into the carriage and collapsed into Meera’s arms. She hauled me back, as far from the carriage door as possible, until we landed on the ground on top of all the blankets I’d pulled out.

Rhyan slammed the door shut, locking it in place, and exhaled sharply. “Partner,” he said. “Let’s never do that again.” He sank into a seat, looking uncharacteristically shaken.

I tried to say something in response, but words weren’t quite forming in my mouth, so I simply stuck up my thumb.

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