Page 53 of Sky of Thorns

“Fucking storms,” I mumble under my breath as I kick at a pile of snow and send it flying into the air.

“Hey, at least we did nae freeze to death.” Nero yawns and stretches. His large membranous wings glow shades of cobalt blue as the sun hits them. I reach out a hand in fascination to the wing closest to me.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used—“ He quickly snaps his wings back, out of my reach, folding them gracefully behind him.

“It’srudeto touch someone’s wings without permission,“ Nero says, crossing his massive arms over his chest. “They’re extremely sensitive.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realizeyouwere so sensitive, you big baby. Can you blame me? My friend of over a century suddenly surprises me that he’s a giant lizard.“ I throw my hands up in surrender and grin. He responds by punching me soundly in my left arm. “Ugh!” I grunt, rubbing the sore spot.

“Aye, and look who’s the big baby now. And I’m no lizard, ye daft arse—I’m adrake shifter.“ He laughs, then jumps down the ledge below us, making his way to the bottom of the ravine.

I don’t deign him with a response. Besides, we don’t have the time. “How do you know we are going the right way?” I scramble down after him, my boots sliding on the loose rocks and ice. “Her tracks are bound to be completely covered after last night’s storm, unless you’re going to tell me you have an extremely heightened sense of smell?”

“Think with yer head,Princeling.” Nero stretches his arm towards the sky. A thin trickle of smoke is barely visible above the treeline before the wind whisks it away.

My heart begins to speed in my chest, my mouth dry as I take off at a run to the other side. Only one thought in my head.

Mine.

***

“She’s gone!” I yell, slamming my hand into the stone fireplace. The pain radiating from the impact barely registers as I turn to face Nero.

“She canna have gone far. The ashes are still warm.” He attempts to soothe me as he crouches beside me, then places his bare hand in the half burnt logs and soot. “Maybe they left a note.”

Rage boils inside me. To be this close and not find her makes me want to tear the world apart. The longer it takes us to find her, the more my agony deepens. Is this what the fated link does to us? Take over so all I can desire is her safety? I didn’t know the physical pang my heart bears as it pumps harder, trying to reconcile the fact that she’s not here. I thought this was it—that we would find her. I close my eyes, my hands clenching at my sides.

Where are you, Sybil?

“Aramis.” Nero’s voice is distant.

The guilt and the need twist into me, slowly pulling me apart. There are a million things I could have done differently had I not been so blinded by my own prejudices and fear. I should have listened to her in the dungeons, reasoned with her, freed her. What kind of man sees his mate thrown in the gutters and leaves without looking back. If Sybil does not grant me forgiveness I will understand. Why the fuck would a gentle and brave soul like her see past all my disgraceful flaws. I barely know if I can forgive myself, but I have to try, even if it’s the last thing I do. The urgency to see her drives my every move. The desire to ensure that she is safe is the only thing working in my brain and in my heart.

I have to find her.

“Aramis!” Nero’s voice is louder. A steady pressure grips my forearms through my leather gauntlets. Opening my eyes, I see we’re standing in the middle of a small cyclone, the wind ripping the objects off the shelves and smashing them into the walls. Above us the roof shakes from the force of my wind magic. I pull my power back in and the wind slowly dwindles to a light breeze making the objects fall to the floor with a crash, except for one small scrap of fabric which floats towards the floor.

“I’m sorry.” My voice falters as I turn away from my best friend and snatch the piece of fabric. I lift it to my face, inhaling deeply. It smells of rich lavender, vanilla, and black tea. I breathe in her scent. My mate’s scent. “She was here,” I say, my thumb idly caressing the worn fabric in my hands. Her cloak. The memory of clasping it around her neck the night we raided her house surfaces. Even then my senses tingled as my fingers brushed against the bare column of her throat. I sigh, suddenly aware of my indifference even when the truth was right in front of me.

“Of course she was here, ye dolt.” Nero smirks, laughing at me. “And if ye want any chance of catching up with her, we have to leave now. She’s with Kela, I can smell her all over this cabin, despite your destruction. She’ll have Sybil halfway across the country by nightfall if she has her way.”

“What are you talking about. Who’s Kela?” I growl, my body tensing possessively.

Nero reaches over and grips my shoulder, staring me in the eye. “Calm yerself down, lover lad. Kela is a close ally. She’s one of the good ones, like me.” He points to his chest in emphasis.

“Where is she taking Sybil?” I ask. We pick up the pace as I spot the tracks leading away from the cabin. Two sets of petite boot prints in the snow.

“If I ken Kela as much as I think I do, she’ll be taking Sybil to the Southeastern rebel camp. It’s nae safe to tarry here in the woods, especially with Tricella in a rage. She’s a seer, she’ll have sensed her looking for the unicorn.” I look at him wide-eyed at the news that the shifters have a seer of their own.

“That crafty little wolf.” Nero grins as he points at the ground. “See how she doubles back and then heads off in another direction? She’s trying to lead someone off to break their neck falling down one of these ravines. Ye would have kept walking and fallen straight through the snow, had I nae scented it.”

Nero breaks off a branch and pokes directly in front of the path I was about to push through the foliage. The snow falls away between the roots revealing a downward steep slope to snow covered rocks below. He points to our left where another set of footsteps continues.

“Two more steps and at best ye’d have broken yer leg. At worst, ye’d have fallen through and broken yer neck.”

We turn and head into the direction of the other footprints. I’m more careful about where I place my weight, which slows our progress.

“This is taking too long,” I complain after hours of hiking uphill. Each step is a struggle, the weight of the accumulated snow pulling at my boots like unseen hands determined to pull me down. Impatience simmers within me like a restless flame. “Can’t you just use your dragon powers and fly above the tree line?” I grumble, pushing aside a branch in my way. A yank at my collar has me stumbling backwards. A large sharp icicle falls directly where I was just standing. I throw a grateful glance in Nero’s direction.

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