Wings of Nestor (27 page)

“Enough,” Alcander said. The Wings went black.

“How long have you been watching?” Kiora asked.

“Too long.” Alcander sighed, brushing her hair back.

“Did you find what you needed to know about the castle?”

“I did.”

Kiora leaned over, gently resting her lips against his forehead before giving him a small kiss, rich with magical exchange. His arms tightened around her waist and she thought for a moment he would kiss her, but he stopped, just as he had that last time.

“Why don’t you want to kiss me?”

Alcander chuckled darkly, murmuring into her shoulder, “If I kissed you the way I want to kiss you, I would not be able to stop myself.”

Imagining that, butterflies exploded through her stomach. “You could try.”

Alcander ran his hand under her jaw, pulling her to his lips. The first kiss was gentle, but as the magic began flowing Alcander deepened the kiss, pulling her against him as if he were trying to meld them into one person. Kiora’s hands moved to the back of his neck, letting his hair tangle through her fingers. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t afraid. Whatever the reason, Alcander felt right.

When Alcander finally broke the kiss, he tore away, breathing hard, his pupils constricted. “By the Creators, Kiora. I don’t know what you do to me.”

Kiora gasped with regret at the loss of contact and set her forehead back against his. “Alcander,” she whispered before biting her tongue at the words that were willing themselves forward.

“What?” He ran a finger over her cheek, sending rivers of fire through her.

“I think I am falling in love with you.”

Alcander’s features softened to the sweetest smile she had ever seen cross his face.

“Kiora?”

“What?”

“I am already in love with you, so I am very glad to hear it.”

***

EMANE WASN’T SURE WHOSE giggles had woken him up originally, but Kiora’s giggle was the one that had kept him awake. He tried to go back to sleep, but that giggle, the murmuring voices—the kissing. Maybe he was hearing things that weren’t there, but it was nearly enough to drive him mad.

He had to let her go. She had told him that much and he had seen nothing to make him think the contrary, but it hurt so badly. And it wasn’t just that—there were so many things he was trying to forget, just as Lomay had advised. The mixing of the two had set his broken heart and his frazzled nerves on end.

Having heard nothing but silence since the two pairs of footsteps had passed his door a while ago, he kicked back his blankets and strode toward the Wings.

Standing in front of them, he commanded, “Show me Meros.”

Nothing.

“Show me my father.”

Nothing. The Wings mocked him with their silence.

“Please, I just need to see it,” he pleaded.

The Wings were as cold as this land, treating him like the Witow he was. Just enough magic to keep him alive, but no more. His shoulders slumped as he trudged back to his room.

***

KIORA WOKE TO THE sound of hundreds of insect feet. She was becoming strangely accustomed to them. She peeked over the edge as the beetles poured in her door, surrounding her bed. Thankfully, they stayed on the floor and did not start pulling themselves up the bedding. They all looked at her, antennas waving.

“What?” she asked. Their eyes shifted in unison to the door and then back to her, still waving. “Is it safe?”

She must have gotten it right because the bugs jittered excitedly before flowing out of the room. She heard the tiny feet making their way back down the marble floors. She smiled to herself. She was beginning to like those creepy little things. Pulling her boots back on, she went to go wake the others.

Pushing open the door to Emane’s room, she paused. He was lying on the bed shirtless, his arm thrown over his eyes. She watched him for a while, remembering how it was before they came through the pass. He had done so much for her. Had built her up when she needed to be strong, believed in her when she hadn’t believed in herself. And even more, he had opened his soul—confessed his love to her, taking the chance that it would be requited if he could wait long enough—and she had torn his heart out, leaving a hole in her own heart as well. Regretfully, she ran her eyes over him one more time, memorizing every bit of him before she moved to wake him.

“Emane,” she whispered. “Emane.”

Emane jerked up, reaching for his sword and swinging the point toward her throat. “Kiora!” he said before collapsing back on the bed, the sword slapping down at his side. “How many times do I have to tell you not to scare me like that? I can’t feel threads!”

“I’m sorry. Is there another way you would like me to wake you?”

Emane’s eyes changed for a minute as they roamed over her, resting on her lips. “No,” he said, blinking. “Never mind.”

“I need to wake the others,” she said, nervously twisting the side of her pants. “We are ready to leave.” She turned to go, but was stopped by his voice.

“Kiora, thanks for keeping me with you this time while we get the Light.”

Kiora smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She woke Drustan and Lomay, sliding into Alcander’s room last. She was looking forward to seeing him sleep. It was one of her favorite times, when all the tightness and all the pain on his face gave way. But he sat on the edge of the bed lacing up his boots.

“You’re up,” she said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Would you rather I not be?”

“No, I was just coming to wake you.” Kiora blushed.

Alcander tied the laces and crossed the room to her, sliding his arm behind her and kissing her lightly on the lips. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

She knew what he was really asking. Was she ready for the death that would ensue? “I haven’t been ready for any of this from the second it began—it doesn’t really matter. Are you ready to go home?”

His eyes turned to flint as his arm dropped from her waist. “Very ready. Is it safe to go?”

“Yes. The others should be waiting for us by the main door.”

As they headed down the hall, Alcander kept his hands to himself. Out of respect for Emane, Kiora was grateful, but she longed to reach out for him.
Stop it,
she thought.
You are about to storm the Tavean castle. You need to focus. You can think about the beautiful prince when it is all over.

At Kiora’s approach, the beetles chirped and hurried forward, leading them through the tunnel. Her boots were thick with mud that stuck like glue by the time they got to the top.

The beetles passed through the wall that held them back last night. Kiora cautiously stuck her arm out, not anxious to repeat the face-plant of yesterday. Her arm went straight through.

“It’s open,” she announced.

The temple room was nearly destroyed from Jasmine’s wrath. The painting of the Dragon Queen was obliterated and the altars were smashed to pieces.

Arturo, we are ready to go,
she thought.

Kiora! Jasmine destroyed the enclosure you put up. All of your threads are in the open!

Kiora’s heart raced. They had to get out. “Go!” she shouted, pulling at Emane’s arm. “We have to go. The enclosure is gone.”

They raced up the stairs just as Arturo landed. A battle cry rose from over the hill as masters of the slave camp poured forward, magic shots volleying out before them.

“Drustan, shift!” Kiora cried, throwing a shield. Alcander threw another shield to protect their flank. “Arturo and I will be right behind you.” Red and green magic sizzled across the shields.

Lomay climbed on Drustan’s scaly back. “We must stop the volleys or the bubble will pop before we get off the ground.”

“I will take care of it.” Kiora climbed onto Arturo. “Alcander, shield them until I am up and then go.”

Alcander took over the shield as Arturo and Kiora rose. She pushed out a separate shield in front of them as they flew toward the attackers.

Right here
, Kiora thought to Arturo. He stopped, keeping their place with slow wing flaps.

Kiora called the wind to her. It responded immediately to her pull. Gathering it around her, she dropped the shield, sending the whirlwind rushing forward. It bowled over the attackers as if they weighed nothing, sending them head over heels. Lomay put up the bubble.

Some of the Taveans immediately rose to their feet, harnessing the same wind she had thrown at them and turned it back toward her.

You are not the only one with the ability to control wind,
Arturo snapped as he struggled to keep them aloft against the wind attack coming from every direction.

Kiora added more wind to what she had already sent, pushing it back with more force than she knew she had. Before the wind reached its target, she threw a bubble. “Go!” she shouted. “Before they send it back.”

Arturo sped forward. Kiora looked over her shoulder to see the Taveans struggling back up the hill, sending small, twisting tunnels of wind zipping across the land in search of them.

She watched as the whirlwinds grew smaller in the distance, making sure that Lomay and the others had indeed made it out. Moving around deep in evil’s territory was proving more difficult than she had anticipated.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Heading For Tavea

THAT WAS TOO EASY,
Arturo thought.

“That didn’t feel easy,” Kiora said, still winded.

That was the first time she had tried to control that amount of wind, and she felt the strain.

They should have left those guards at the entrance. Why were they so far away?

“Maybe they couldn’t leave the slaves unattended.”

Perhaps.

Kiora rolled Arturo’s words around in her mind the rest of the way to Tavea, but could think of no reason why the Shadow’s forces would have let them escape. Nobody knew for sure if they were still in there or bubbled and long gone, which was the most likely explanation. Of course, what if she was wrong and Arturo was right?

You worry too much.

“
You read thoughts too much,” she retorted.

When you learn how to turn off your hearing, you may teach me,
his beautiful tenor sound rang through her head.
I simply mentioned a concern—it does not make me right.

Kiora took a deep breath. “Everyone keeps looking to me to make decisions, even Lomay. What if I am wrong?”

Then you are wrong. As the Solus, it is better that you embrace your role rather than hide behind those you view as older and stronger—even if that means you make mistakes.

“
Mistakes hurt people.”

A leader is not born, Kiora. Although you were born with the capability for this, those capabilities will grow over time with each decision, good or bad. Sometimes even the greatest leaders make mistakes. I believe you know one such example very personally.

“
Eleana.”

Yes. Kiora, you have everything you need to be the Solus. It is just a matter of using it. You are still holding back in so many ways.

“I am not!”

Kiora, the magic I feel residing in you is far stronger than anything I have seen you demonstrate. And soon, you may need to draw on it. Stop being afraid of who you are.

Arturo set them down on a hill over looking the valley of Tavea.

Kiora wanted to argue the point—she didn’t know what else he wanted her to do. But there were more pressing issues at the moment.
Emane,
she called,
where are you?

Well, we are on a hill with no landmarks. I am not sure what you want me to tell you.

Kiora rolled her eyes.
Give me a second.

Emane was right—there was nothing except grass on this hill and the ones that surrounded it. The trees did not begin until the edge of the village, and they had been carefully planted. Calling two handfuls of bright fall leaves to her, she directed the wind, sending them gently swirling out of the bubble.

We see you.

She left the leaves scattered around the bubble as they waited for the others to arrive.

How is Emane doing?
Kiora thought. She could feel the look Arturo was pressing into her back without turning around to witness it firsthand.
What?

You complain about me reading too many thoughts, and then you want me to invade his privacy by passing along his thoughts to you?

I just want to make sure he is all right. I am worried he’s upset.

About you choosing Alcander over him?

You knew?

Of course I knew, Kiora. I read minds.

She sighed, shaking her head.
I am just worried about him.

He will be fine.

Alcander strode through the bubble first and Kiora’s heart soared at the sight of him. Arturo’s chuckle slid through her mind.

It’s not funny
! she mentally hissed as Emane, Lomay, and Drustan entered the bubble.

I am not laughing at the situation. I am laughing that you thought I wouldn’t know.

Shooting Arturo a quick glare, she asked, “Where do we go from here, Alcander?”

Alcander crossed his arms and looked out over his kingdom. “We need to get inside the castle sometime between one and three’ o clock.”

“What time is it now?” Emane asked.

“Almost noon,” Lomay replied.

“If we can reach the throne room before the public is admitted, we could minimize the loss of life. But I won’t know how many guards Aimon has until we get inside. I checked the Wings, but it varied from day to day and I could not pick out a pattern. He is bound to have at least four—but that is just a guess. Aimon was always chiding my father about his lack of security, so it is possible he has heightened it. I haven’t seen any signs of magical security from the air, which is good. We could possibly slip in through one of the balconies and make our way down to the throne room.”