SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (50 page)

“
I have not heard my name spoken in many
years, Lev,
”
Spite says but her eyes
sparkle with pleasure. Then she shakes a scolding finger.
“
You
risk the wrath of the mighty
Aledaar by letting it pass your lips.
”

“
I
’
ll take that chance,
”
Lev laughs. His big hands take Spite
’
s and pull her up before he swallows her
in his embrace.
“
Firn is here.
”

“
I
’
m pleased to see her again,
”
Spite
says.
“
My heart has ached since I
heard of your eyrie
’
s losses. It has been too many
years. We must get below and talk. I believe you will want to get on with your
task right away and I will join you.
”

The four disappear back down into the
rock. It
’
s unnerving that Spite could
even guess what Lev and the others are doing hiding so near to Bolshevik Island. The renewal of acquaintances delays learning the purpose of her visit and
although the mood lightens it is quickly replaced with concern.

“
Sire
Lev,
”
Spite begins as they settle
into a corner with Talon, Soar and Firn.
“
Just a short while ago Lord
Fury was recalled to the council by the news that Lady Tempest has surrendered
to Aledaar.
”

“
We knew that she
’
d been captured,
”
Soar says.

“
She surrendered minutes before the
messenger came for Fury.
”

Soar glances at Talon and Lev as he rakes
his fingers through his hair. Whatever happened to Tempest didn
’
t happen the way they thought but Soar
tries to express his version anyway.

“
She was captured more than a day ago,
”
he states. The words tumble from his
lips, giving away his concern and confusion.

“
The gryphon Lawrence acted under the
influence of Lord Fury and took the relic from her some time after they left Calgary,
”
Spite explains.
“
It is he who was captured. When Aledaar
found the box sealed he threatened to pit the gold dragonkin against each other
in fights to the death until he received the key. Tempest must have heard you thought
she was already at Bolshevik and surrendered.
”

“
Damn it,
”
Soar growls.

“
Spite,
”
Lev whispers.
“
You know they will kill you for leaving
Skyfall.
”

“
That is my choice, Lev,
”
the gold dragonkin gives her head a
determined shake.
“
I hid in Skyfall because it is
the only place Aledaar
’
s order for my capture cannot
be carried out. One can only leave voluntarily. I have been there long enough
to hear of the death of my mate, to learn my young daughter did not survive
Aledaar
’
s trial. My son was killed in
Aledaar
’
s service. Some gryphons in
the Will feel the dragonkin are expendable and the treachery of their prejudice
has taken my family.

“
Master Soar,
”
she takes his hands and
continues.
“
I am a free dragonkin,
protected from enslavement by my unborn children as Tempest was protected by
yours. I will not sit idly by and watch them taken from you. Aledaar will die
either by my hand or by Tempest
’
s. I
’
m not going in case she fails. My
intention is to take Aledaar
’
s life if it
’
s the very last thing I do.
”

Her warm
hands
squeeze the chill from Soar
’
s cold limbs.

“
Tempest will fight to do the same,
”
Soar says.

“
I hope so. This task is too important for
either of us to have hurt feelings for getting to Aledaar second.
”

Lev gives a low whistle as the room
bursts in to quiet action. Only the sounds of their breathing and the shuffle
of metal, feather and leather give any hint of their departure.

“
Aledaar knows you have plans with the
green dragonkin,
”
Spite says.
“
He
’
s certain you will move against him,
considering he believes he
’
s in possession of the relic.
Entrance to Bolshevik will not be easy.
”

“
If they expect us then portalling in
close will give us the benefit of surprise over the stealth of being spotted
half an hour away,
”
Soar nods to Fire, his
transportation.

“
Agreed,
”
Lev
leaves the
crevasse
first. The rest depart silently behind
him and cluster in the monotonous Arctic wind. There is no fear among the
gryphons and dragonkin. Under the green fire of the northern lights, the
dragonkin appear nearly as black as the brown winged gryphons.
“
Portal in right on top of them. There
will be blood shed today. Your courage honours our gold dragonkin friends. Let
’
s see them free.
”

Tempest portals to the very spot where
she arrived with Fury when she first came to Bolshevik Island. At that moment
just as with this one she
’
s deeply aware of the
emptiness in her immediate future. Aledaar
’
s trial wa
ited
for her then and now she faces one of another sort. She has nothing but her
wits with which to get through the next few hours.

It
’
s
only an hour to Aledaar
’
s deadline and the frigid dark
coats the world in all directions. The Council
’
s mountain is only a few kilometers ahead
and the Will
’
s patrols are double their
usual size.

It makes sense.

Torch, Aledaar
’
s messenger, couldn
’
t have missed the large number of green
dragonkin preparing for battle alongside Lev
’
s gryphons. She understands how Torch
felt when she walked into the main chamber of the Vancouver Island Eyrie when
it was packed full of warriors. Tempest feels the same way, inadequately
prepared to stand alone against Aledaar and the Will.

Her black prisoner
’
s garb was Daniel Cooper
’
s idea and doesn
’
t do much against the cold. She won
’
t be out in the chill for long if the
large number of Will guard headed her way is any indication. Black is the
colour of both surrender and incarceration and Tempest expects both will come
quickly. After that, she can only hope to stall Aledaar until Soar gives her a
chance to kill the old Generous Sire. She
’
ll
never get close enough on her own.

Several short lengths of the horrible
silver chain hide in the sleeve seams of her tunic. The ends are tightly
wrapped in a scrap of black cloth so she can safely grip them to pull them out
yet they are small enough they shouldn
’
t
be detected when she
’
s searched. In tests that Flay
volunteered for, a three inch piece was sufficient to disable a dragonkin and
rendered her so clumsy she was safer clinging to the floor. The rest of the
chain is ground into grit and pressed into the seams of the patch-pockets of
her trousers as if it were no more than lint. A small amount of dust will
prevent a dragonkin from making a full shift although getting her hands in the
stuff to toss it on someone will limit Tempest as well.

A small, old key hangs on a chain around
her neck. Even the tiny weight makes her feel top heavy. The key is close in
appearance and size to the one Cooper always carried and used more out of habit
than for any other reason.

Lawrence
believes it
’
s the key that opens the box,
Cooper explained as he strung
it around her neck.
Not the hand that holds the key.

As she flies, the key rests against the
inside of her tunic and occasionally shifts against the skin of her upper arm.
Tiny jolts of cold from the frozen, tarnished brass bring back a little
alertness. A day and a half of rest on a mountain next to Welch Peak did a lot of good but the two portals that got her home then to Bolshevik have left her
nearly exhausted.

The northern aurora is Tempest
’
s only companion as she circles. In
addition to the green and gold ribbons of light, a streak of bloody crimson
hangs directly above. A single member of the Will removes himself from the
group and approaches. While Tempest recognizes her brother, Con, the lights in
the north eastern sky redden.

“
Tempest,
”
Con matches her speed and paces her slow
circle over the frozen snow. All she knows of her brother is filtered through
Flay
’
s love for the gold. He
’
s been cool and distant with Tempest and
unlike Fury who
’
s obvious about it when he shows
detachment, Con has been completely disinterested in knowing his sister. At
least Fury tried to show her affection if only once or twice.

Maybe it
’
s just easier for him than getting to
know me and losing me again. Maybe it
’
s easier for me to let him.

“
Conflagration,
”
she answers.
“
I have come to meet Aledaar
’
s demands.
”

Con turns away.

“
You shouldn
’
t have,
”
he
whispers.
“
We can
’
t help you, Tempest. Whatever you think
you
’
re going to do here will end
in the destruction of the green dragonkin and your death.
”

“
I understand.
”

“
You
don
’
t,
”
he barks and for a
moment there
’
s a glimpse of their dame,
angered and scared, in a fire lit chamber when Tempest was very small. Tempest
can
’
t look away as the memory of
the cries of slaughter echo about her ears.
“
I
’
m happy to die here, fighting at Aledaar
’
s order, if it means my Lady Flay remains
free. You will give Aledaar the one thing he needs to enslave her and his power
over me prevents me from doing anything about it.
”

“
What if I
—”

“
What if you what?
”
Con tilts his head toward the Council
’
s mountain.
“
Stop him? You
’
re naive and foolish.
”