Voices had Metis tensing and ducking down. She made sure Clara Kate wasn’t visible and peered over the edge of the crate.
A small group of Waresti entered the far side of the room, their swords drawn. Several balls of light followed them. Metis scanned their minds and realized that she hadn’t managed to avoid detection by the Orculesti elder, after all. The warriors had been sent to secure the platform so no one could leave.
Knowing it would be foolish to linger, Metis took advantage of the noise the Waresti made as they issued and fulfilled orders. She made sure the dagger she had stolen was still secured around her waist, then grasped the plank’s rope and hurried away from the crate. Escaping the room from the direction she had come, she used the dark shadows to conceal them from view. She didn’t detect any suspicion from the Waresti as she rose to her full height and hurried with the Kynzesti down a narrow tunnel.
That had been close, she mused. She supposed it wasn’t much of a surprise, though, in light of the many protections in place around the Kynzesti. It was a good thing she had developed a secondary plan. There was more than one way out of this air fortress.
Ini-herit hadn’t ever experienced the strange sensation that now clung like a band around his chest. The longer it took them to find Clara Kate, the tighter the band got. It was similar to a physical pain.
“What’s that?” Tate asked.
They gathered around Sophia when she stopped to investigate a spot on the rug lining the hallway that apparently led to Clara Kate. She issued a soft whine and then moved on to an object a few feet away. Ini-herit identified the small, dark red patch as blood. The feeling in his chest intensified.
“There is blood on this object,” Zachariah said, lifting the cylindrical vase Sophia sniffed. His gaze moved to Ini-herit. “This isn’t a lethal weapon unless applied to the right spot on the skull. Judging from the amount of blood on the ground, Clara Kate is merely unconscious.”
Ini-herit nodded. It was safe to assume Clara Kate was the one who had been incapacitated. If she had escaped Metis, she would have returned to them. They also knew if Metis killed Clara Kate that she would attempt to assume her form, which would leave evidence behind. He couldn’t help but wonder why Metis hadn’t already done so.
Sophia took off again, distracting him from his thoughts. They sprinted until they reached a narrow corridor. Though the tunnel itself was dark, he saw light flickering at the end of it. It would be a tight fit, but none of them stopped for a second to worry about that.
Because he was armed and could see in the dark, Zachariah entered the tunnel behind Sophia. Ini-herit went in after him. As they emerged, they were greeted by the Waresti guarding the platform.
“Have you seen anyone come through here?” Zachariah asked.
“No, sir,” one of them replied. “No one passed this way.”
Since Sophia investigated a wooden box near the tunnel, Ini-herit approached it. He noticed more smears of blood on the ground as Sophia gave another whine. When she turned and ran back into the passageway, they all followed her. They were trying to maintain some stealth, so Ini-herit fought the urge to cast a light as they ran. The darkness made him feel unexplainably powerless.
After another few minutes, Sophia’s pace slowed. Ini-herit had never been in this part of Central, so deep in its bowels. It looked uninhabited. Sophia growled low in her throat as she approached a rock wall. Everyone with weapons raised them.
“Sophia thinks they’re on the other side of this rock,” Quincy said.
“That’s not a rock,” Tate replied. “It’s an illusion. They’re on the other side.”
Where does this opening lead, Sebastian? Ini-herit thought.
Outside, Sebastian said. It’s one of the holes crafted as part of Central’s natural cooling system. If Metis wanted to leave without accessing the platforms, she found the right place.
Metis wasn’t sure why there was a disguised room leading directly outside and she really didn’t care. All that mattered was that it was about to serve her great purpose.
She had discovered the small chamber a couple of hours earlier when she watched a Waresti emerge from it. He must have been conducting a patrol, as his weapon was drawn and his gaze alert. If she hadn’t been walking in complete darkness and taking care to remain among the shadows as she explored, she would likely have been caught. As it was, the Waresti paused and stared intently in her direction, so she used her abilities to make him believe he was seeing nothing but shadows.
Now, she retied the unusual rope she had used to secure the Kynzesti. It took precious time to unwind the rope from the unconscious female, but Metis knew the extra weight of the plank would hinder her ability to fly. It would have been easier to cut the Kynzesti free of the plank, but Metis needed to reuse the entire length of rope to properly secure her.
Although she worked quickly, she cursed the extra time it took to wrap the rope back around the Kynzesti’s wrists and upper body. Considering Clara Kate’s formidable abilities, though, Metis knew this was the wisest course. She had just finished tying the last knot when Clara Kate shifted and moaned.
“Good,” Metis said. “It would be best for you to be conscious for this part.” She pressed the tip of her dagger against the Kynzesti’s neck, making her draw in a sharp breath. “Get to your feet. Now.”
Clara Kate must have decided that it wasn’t worth arguing, as she slowly rocked until she got to her knees. Impatient, Metis grabbed a handful of the other female’s hair and urged her up with a hard tug. The Kynzesti’s cry of pain was muffled by the gag. Metis ignored her.
“I have fastened the ropes around you so that you cannot use your abilities or extend your wings,” Metis said. “There are loops for me to carry you. As long as you cooperate—”
The Kynzesti interrupted her with a hard lurch to the left. The dagger sliced her throat, but she didn’t seem to notice. Metis followed her, her lips curling on a snarl.
“I will kill you, Kynzesti,” she hissed, grabbing one of the loops she had made. “Come with me now.”
Although she knew her abilities weren’t powerful enough to affect an elder despite that elder’s young age, Metis sent a direct wave of thought to the Kynzesti’s mind. When the female sagged and the fight seemed to leave her, Metis wasn’t sure if it was because of her powerful suggestion or the steady flow of blood pouring from her neck wound.
“Stay up,” she snapped, using her greater height to aid her in keeping the Kynzesti upright. She put her dagger back in its sheath and took two more steps toward the edge of the stone floor leading to the pinkening sky beyond.
Then growling filled the room. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the Kynzesti’s family standing at the small opening to the chamber.
“It’s over, Metis,” Zachariah said.
Clara Kate jerked in Metis’ grasp. Her head turned in the direction of her would-be rescuers and her body once again coiled as though regaining the strength to fight. Metis knew she had to act.
Turning, she yanked the rope around Clara Kate, sending them both falling from Central with nothing to break their fall but the roiling ocean many feet below.
Chapter 26
Clara Kate could barely think. Between the pain in her head and neck and whatever Metis was doing to try and influence her thoughts, she felt as though she was watching events unfold from outside her own body.
For a moment, when she heard Zachariah’s voice and turned to see her family, some of her instincts and training returned to her. Her legs were free, she reasoned in the back of her mind. There was surely something she could do to escape. She glanced at Ini-herit. For the first time, she was sure she saw something stir in his gaze.
Then Metis pulled her. She expected to hit the floor. When she realized they were instead free-falling, terror seized her. Thanks to the gag, her screams came out as little more than muted mewling.
She felt tugging on the ropes that bound her and looked over her shoulder. Metis had extended
her luminescent wings and was trying to stop their rapid descent. It wasn’t working.
Above them, Clara Kate saw a streak of gold rapidly closing the distance between them and the dwindling image of Central. The further they got from the stronghold, the stronger the enchantments around it became. Soon, it would be gone from her sight and memory.
Issuing a curse, Metis maintained her hold on the rope and withdrew her dagger. She started hacking at the rope. Was she trying to free her?
The blade had no effect on the rope. Clara Kate knew by looking at the milky length wrapped around her that it was a special binding created by the Lekwuesti. It couldn’t be cut by metal. Metis must not know that. Since Clara Kate couldn’t communicate with the Orculesti through her thoughts, there was nothing she could do.
Metis gave up, letting go of the rope and using her wings to stop herself. Clara Kate watched her grow smaller and waited for the blast of pain that would mark her death as she hit the water.
Then the gold streak reached her. Sophia continued her dive in the form of the harpy eagle until she was able to clutch the rope in her talons. Clara Kate knew the bird would be no more successful in stopping her descent than Metis was.
Let me go! she thought.
No, Sophia returned, making Clara Kate realize they could now share thoughts like other elders and their core leaders. Sophia caught her gaze. Trust me, archigos.
Although she was the elder, Clara Kate had no choice but to obey.
Ini-herit knew he would dream of the seemingly eternal fall from Central for centuries to come.
When he walked into the cooling chamber and saw Clara Kate in Metis’ grasp, he froze. His mind transposed the image of her in her white nightgown with the white sundress she wore in his memory from the human plane. The innocent image was now violated by the large red stain running from a cut on Clara Kate’s neck down to her waist.
She didn’t seem to realize how seriously she was injured. Her deep blue-green eyes moved to him, appearing hollow in her pale face. He had to get to her and heal her. She was going to bleed out.
But he didn’t have time. Metis moved so quickly that she took all of them off-guard. Well, almost all of them.
Sophia surged forward as Metis jumped, her animal instincts prompting her into action. She reached the edge of the floor shortly after Clara Kate’s feet disappeared. Then she leaped off the edge.
Ini-herit and the others followed as quickly as they could. He knew as he jumped that the head-start Metis got was probably enough to keep them from reaching Clara Kate before she hit the water. Still, he mimicked those around him by keeping his wings extinguished and streamlining his body as much as possible in a headfirst dive.
He tried to use his power to generate a protective landing barrier. He had done it once for Clara Kate’s mother, Amber, when she was flight training. But he’d been able to draw on Gabriel’s elder power and fear for his avowed at the time, and he couldn’t do so now. His efforts were unsuccessful.
Wind burned his eyes as he watched Metis extend her wings. Because she held Clara Kate, she didn’t slow much. It was enough to allow them to gain some ground on her. Sophia surged closer to her cousin.
A couple of seconds later, Metis released Clara Kate and locked her wings. They all flew past her, not expecting the maneuver. Ini-herit saw the others briefly exchange looks, but none of them pursued her. Clara Kate had to be their priority.
The water was so close. Ini-herit fought the instinct to extend his wings to stop himself. They watched as Sophia reached Clara Kate and took the rope. He realized she wasn’t going to succeed in slowing their fall. Her bird form was far too light. With mere yards to go before impact, all hope seemed lost.
Then Sophia wasn’t an eagle. She shifted into a golden kragen. The creature’s powerful wings tipped, the thick leather catching a current and lifting them into the air.
Everyone immediately angled their bodies to slow the airflow around them and then extended their wings. Ini-herit’s boot clipped a wave as he managed to pull up just in time. Quincy extended his wings a fraction earlier than everyone else, probably interpreting his avowed’s thoughts and realizing she wouldn’t crash. He soared after Sophia.
On Ini-herit’s right, he saw Zachariah grab the less experienced Tate around the waist and twist her sideways to keep her from striking the water. They skimmed the waves with him on his back and her on top of him.
Just as Ini-herit wondered about Tiege and Ariana, a splash of lavender caught his eye. He watched as the Lekwuesti disconnected from a parachute that she must have generated to slow their fall. Tiege had been holding onto her and now extended his wings, carrying her as the fabric vanished in a flash of lavender light.
“Sophia,” Ini-herit called out. “Bring Clara Kate to me.”
The wind stole his words. He hurried in pursuit of the kragen. Sophia instinctively headed in the direction from which they had come. He understood her reasoning, but he needed to heal Clara Kate.
He got closer to Sophia. Central reappeared in the distance. His gaze moved to Clara Kate, who dangled like a child’s doll from the kragen’s claws. Her eyes were closed. Something wet and warm hit his cheek as he got less than fifteen feet from her. When he reached up to wipe it away, his fingers came away red. Her blood, he realized. The inexplicable band around his chest tightened even more.
“Sophia!”
This time, his shout reached her. She turned her serpentine neck to glance at him.
“Let me heal her.”
She slowed. He didn’t pause when he reached Clara Kate’s side. Instead, he wrapped his hands around her neck and brought forth the full power of his healing abilities.
First, he closed the artery that Metis had opened. Then he sealed the wound. His attention moved to her head injury next. He healed the small skull fracture, the bruising on her brain and the broken skin. Then he focused on increasing her circulation to more quickly replenish her blood loss. He realized his efforts weren’t as effective as they should be. It was almost as though she had another injury requiring additional blood.
Before he could continue his examination, they reached Central. Sophia pulled Clara Kate from his grasp as she landed. The contact with the cold stone floor seemed to rouse Clara Kate. Her eyelids fluttered open. She still looked pale.
Ini-herit realized the other elders had made it to the room. They quickly gathered around Clara Kate, but he wanted to continue his assessment of her condition. Something wasn’t right.
Sebastian used his power to dissolve Clara Kate’s bindings with a single touch. Ini-herit approached her, removing her gag and pulling her to her feet. She held his gaze the entire time. He couldn’t read whatever it was she tried to convey through her eyes, but he realized that the band in his chest eased the longer she studied him. For a brief moment, he wanted it to remain. In its place waited an emotionless void.
“Thank you for healing me,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Of course,” he said. “Seeing to the welfare of a fellow elder is my highest priority.”
Again, he couldn’t read her expression, but he knew it wasn’t a positive reaction to his matter-of-fact statement. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her gaze.
“Is that the only reason you came after me?” she asked.
He couldn’t answer her. His mind told him that this was the only reason he possibly had to pursue her with such ferocity, but another part of himself—a very small part—whispered of something more. All he could do was hold her gaze and hope she somehow understood.
“Oh, the hell with it,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air.
That small part of him shattered at the words. But then she stepped closer, grabbed him behind the neck and dragged him down to touch her lips to his.
A surge of energy exploded at the contact, followed by a series of exclamations by the witnesses in the room. Rather than pull away from Clara Kate over the unexpected reaction, Ini-herit drew her against
him. When her lips parted beneath his, he claimed her in a way that was both familiar and foreign. Her taste filled him, provoking another powerful flash.
He was in Mrs. B’s home in Newnan. He heard his guardian speaking to someone at the front door and got up from doing his homework at the dining room table to see who had come to visit. As he heard the sweet, feminine voice of the stranger, a picture formed in his mind of what she would look like.
Then he saw her. Every imagined image paled in comparison. When she smiled shyly at him, her beauty hit him like a physical blow.
Time moved forward. He sat with her outside the school’s cafeteria, laughing at something she said. The sunlight shone on her upswept hair and her sparkling eyes. He felt himself falling hard for her and didn’t bother trying to stop it. Only when he realized that there were many other guys looking at her the same way did his good humor fade.
That image shifted to prom. As they danced to a slow song, he held her close, enjoying the feel of her arms around him and breathing in her wonderful scent. When she tipped her face up to catch his gaze, his throat constricted. How could he have possibly earned her love?
Another whirlwind of time and he sat with her in Mrs. B’s tree house. They spoke of things that should be impossible, but somehow felt all too true. She talked to him in her calm manner until he couldn’t help but accept what she said. Then she gave herself to him in a way he hadn’t expected…a way he would cherish forever.
That vow bled seamlessly to his next as they stood together at the transition point. Once he assumed his true form, he would make her his forever.
Then nothing.
Chapter 27
Clara Kate wasn’t sure what possessed her to kiss Ini-herit. Normally, just the knowledge that so many people stood around them would have been enough to deter her. But as she held his gaze, she saw just the slightest flicker of expression as he considered how to answer her question about why he risked his life to save hers. It was enough to give her hope, and hope sliced right through her inhibitions.