My arms grow heavy, his weight sinking as my body aches and burns.
I start to count to pass the time, seconds building in my mind. When I reach five thousand, I fight back a sudden rush of tears.
We have to be close. Hala, please.
Leo shifts, stirring, and I grip him more tightly, settling him into me.
His breathing slowly changes against my neck. Arms suddenly grab for me, pulling at my wings as he panics.
“Stop!” I cry out, my stomach swooping as we drop. It takes precious seconds to regain my balance. And Leo begins to cry. Shallow, panicky sobs that dampen my neck as I hold him, shifting his arms up. “It’s alright. Hold onto me.”
“I didn’t mean to.” His hands tighten around my neck, his voice trembling and bordering on a shriek. “I didn’t mean to, Selene.”
“Hush.” Pain pulses in my chest. “It’s not your fault.”
I puff the words. My energy is draining, trickling away like grains of sand through an hourglass.
He hiccups. “You’reflying.”
“Yes.” I crane my head up, but it throws off the rhythm of my wings. “Can you seeVolatus, Leo? Are we close?”
Please let us be close.
He shifts, his body trembling, and I focus on pumping my wings to counterbalance the shift in his weight. “I don’t want to fall again.”
“I won’t let you fall.” Ash in my mouth, and fire in my throat, and pain everywhere. I block it out. “I’m taking you back to Merrick. Can you see it?”
He squints. “Maybe. But it’s pretty far.”
My breathing hitches, and he gasps as my wings falter for a split-second. His voice is small when he says, “Not too far.”
Something that might be a laugh, short and abrupt, spills from me. “That’s… that’s really good.”
My face crumples when I feel a small hand run through my tangled hair. “You look tired, Selene. If I had wings, I would carry you.”
“Well,” I force out around the tightness in my throat. “One of us has them, so that’s all we need.”
I snatch a glimpse up, my neck craning as I fight to keep my wings going. My heart flips over.
It’s there.Volatusis there. And I laugh again, out of shock and sheer disbelief. “We’re nearly there.”
Just a little more.
Don’t stop.
It sounds like Nyx. I’m almost sure that she’s here, beside me, and I blink. She disappears.
Leo is talking. I try to listen, but I can’t focus on anything except the pain. It’s everywhere. He slips, and I clutch at him, my arms tightening.
“Sorry. I’m sorry.” My voice is winded. “Nearly there.”
We’re almost to the bottom of the ship. I risk another glance, trying to keep my balance. Thick ropes of netting are only a few feet away. I hadn’t even noticed them on my way down. And it’s as though the sight of them weighs me down, makes it ten times harder to keep going.
“Leo,” I gasp. “We’re going to make a stop. Just a small one.”
I can’t go any further. We crash into the netting, tangling in the ropes. “Grab on!”
Leo reaches for it, wrapping his hands and legs into the fibers before I twist. I cover him, copying his movement. His face drops as he peeks up at me.
