Chapter Eleven
YAHIRO
Every bone in her body had turned to dead weight when she saw the last flight of stairs and the end of the golden railway come into view. She was exhausted physically and emotionally from the arduous journey but now that her eyes were on the vast structures over the top, she knew it had been worth every step.
Everything was light and mirrors, crystals and reflective surfaces. Even the buildings had a translucent, airy gleam to them. And from what she could see, there wasn’t a corner that was cast in shadow. Her eyes were blinded by it at first and although they had adjusted, sunspots stilled filled her vision.
Yahiro pushed herself over the last several steps. Her heart lightened and her excitement burst at the seams.
She glimpsed a pair of wings as she climbed the last step. Sundamar’s hand poised on her lower back. The link between them practically vibrated with energy when Galan came into view.
Her mouth dried up instantaneously and a sense of perfect harmony flooded her. Sundamar grunted next to her and helped her off the landing. Her eyes never left Galan.
“Hello,” she whispered, softly, shyly. His wings hooked over his back like talons while the longest feathers caressed the ground. They sparkled like the rest of the city that surrounded the courtyard they stood in.
His eyes narrowed on hers and he made no move to come closer. “Yahiro,” was all he said, his voice barely above a rasped whisper, nearly lost to the breeze. Her skin turned to gooseflesh as a needle-stab of unease shot through her.
Behind, a bell tolled, and shortly after, the city shifted under her feet. She startled and spread her legs for balance when Quist held her upright.
“The stairs are lifting,” he said. “We’ll be heading back to the world-path shortly. It’ll take some time to get used to.” She glanced his way and her disquiet grew.He’s upset?She then snuck a look at Sundamar but he had his back turned to her while he raised a translucent bell at his side.
Something was suddenly off. The knot in her stomach had distracted her enough to be ignorant of the change in mood. The pull to step into Galan’s circle built despite her apprehension, and she looked back his way. He was the tallest of the three, his wings bigger than Quist’s, and his eyes darker. His shoulder was marred with a fresh wound and...
“You know my name,” she whispered although he was a dozen yards from her.
“I saw your temple.” His response was abrupt and accusatory.
Quist stepped forward. “What’s wrong, brother?” The whip was already in his hand.
“Much.”
Yahiro suddenly wanted to be anywhere else in the universe than where she stood right now. The increasing clacking noises of the staircase folding behind her only heightened the tension. It got louder and louder as it was pulled toward the top.
He doesn’t like me.
She was trapped. Always trapped. But the connection forced her to move forward and confront Galan, so she placed her hand lightly on Quist’s arm and stepped past him. When she did, she perceived all the other details she hadn’t before. Her eyes flickered while her mind went a mile a minute.
