The flame dances in my palm, curling into a ball. I glare at each of our opponents and size them up. In a matter of seconds, I’ve calculated each of their demises. I swing my sword as a distraction and hurl the fire at the wolf across from me. Its gray coat blazes, and it falls to the ground, rolling to put out the flame.
Cohn charges forward. Each slice of his blade is sure, severing heads and hacking off limbs. Within seconds, his dead foes accumulate in a heap at his feet.
While a new fire ball forms in my hand, and I busy myself sinking my blade into another shifter. When a sphere is ready, I release it on two wolves. They shriek as their legs give out. The dead leaves blanketing the ground set on fire, covering everything around them in flames.
I yank Raelle into a thicket of trees, with Cohn swinging at the single wolf following us. Ashavee remains on our heels as the crashing waves grow louder. Their rolling call lures us forward.
Raelle stumbles, pulling me back. I grip her waist and lift her from the ground. Nothing will stop me from putting her on that boat. Nothing.
We hit sand, and it slows us down. Thankfully, our destination is in view. As we move onto the shore, other soldiers break out of the tree line and bolt for their rowboats.With no time to spare, I toss Raelle into the boat and the jaguar jumps in beside her. Several soldiers and I wade into the water, pushing the small vessel beyond the waves. When the waters calm, we hoist ourselves into the boat one at a time, take our place, and row.
Not wanting the salt water to get into her wounds, I keep my distance from Raelle. She is tucked behind me against thestern, holding my jacket around her. The leather overwhelms her frame, and her skin is ghostly pale against the black. I offer her a weak smile hoping it will comfort her until I can hold her in my arms again.
The night swallows the beach the farther we get, but the same can’t be said for the birds' haunting presence in the sky.The winged Allaji soar in circles above the water, stalking us like prey. Several of my soldiers attempt to knock them down with their powers, but it’s hard with them flying so high.
An eagle swoops down and grabs a soldier from their boat. The other soaring Allaji do the same. One by one, the birds pluck people like grapes from a vine and drop them into the middle of the ocean.
“Fuck,” I hiss, standing. The boat rocks under my movement, and the men and women around me grip the sides, trying to steady it. I call upon my gift, bouncing the fire from palm to palm, waiting for the birds to come closer. My aim is impeccable and the distance I can throw a fireball is decent, but I don’t have the ability to accurately hit our enemies when they’re hidden within the clouds.
A raven nosedives for us, aiming for the soldiers at the front of the boat. I wrench my arm back and let go of the flame, pounding the bird in the chest. It screeches and shoots skyward again.
“Where the hell are the ship cannons?” I say.
No sooner do I ask and a blast sounds from meters away. The six gun ports along the sides of the two ships light up with every blast. The cannon balls send a falcon into a barrel roll and a vulture explodes into thousands of feathers mid-flight. Just as our chances of taking the upper hand increase, so does the number of predatory birds joining the flock. They rotate, plucking us from the boats and soaring high above the water, scouting for their next move.
A hawk flies in our direction. It flips back, flapping its brown and white speckled wings, and extends its talons in front of its body. As it descends, I catch a glimpse of its beady electric blue eyes. I freeze as I come face to face with my uncle’s killer. Zekel and I would meet again—I never doubted that—but I never imagined being so vulnerable when we did.
Raelle springs to her feet and shoves the stone she found in my jacket pocket into my hand. She holds her hand over mine, saying, “Relax and call their power to you. It will come.”
“I’ve tried. I can’t control it the way you can,” I say, not hiding the desperation I feel.
“I can’t control it at all anymore. The Statera—I’m no longer… It has to be you.”
She doesn’t let go of me as I close my eyes and lift my hands into the air. My knuckles heat in a way they’ve never done before. I inhale and imagine a string linking the Eporri to each gift around me. When my skin burns, I push the fire out. Glowing ropes of orange and red arch across the sky, chasing after Zekel. My body quakes with the force, and Raelle holds me steady, pressing her body to mine.
“Burn them all,” she hisses in my ear.
I let go of the pure hatred I have for Zekel. It clogs my lungs and rattles my core. The burning ropes streaming from me whip in the opposite diction of where I point. They sputter out as if I have no gifts at all.
Panic washes over me. I shake my hands, trying to rein in the power again.
Zekel barrels forward and this time he doesn’t slow.
“Duck,” I yell, but Raelle is too slow.
Zekel grabs her by the shoulders, piercing her skin with his talons. Her feet leave the boat. The cat and I leap forward. I reach for Raelle’s ankle but only graze her foot before she’s out of reach. Her friend has no better luck, clasping her skirt betweenher sharp teeth before the flimsy material rips. Raelle struggles to break free, her screams filling the sky. I lift my hands again, and a plume of flame bursts through my fingers, singeing Zekel’s left wing. He squawks and tilts to the side, unable to stay steady in the air. He lets Raelle go, and she plunges into the sea.
I drop the Eporri and jump in after her, not waiting to see if Zekel retreats.
Shouted orders erupt around me.Get the king out of the water! Do not let the birds near him! Row faster!I don’t care what they do as long as I reachher.
I dive beneath the surface, stroking and kicking through the dark waters. The gentle rocking of the waves disorients me, and I can’t so much as see my hand in front of my face. With no other choice, I return to the surface and suck in a lungful of air.
“Raelle,” I yell, hoping she will answer and set me off in the right direction. “Fuck. Answer me Raelle!”
Something jets out of the sea and, just as quickly, sinks beneath. I swim toward it and dive under the water. Holding my hands out in front of me, I sweep the space, only to find it void of anything solid. Dread expands inside me like liquid lead, threatening to sink me to the ocean floor. I should have found Raelle by now or at least caught sight of her.
With a deep breath, I dive again. My shadows push through the water, expanding from me like extra arms. I concentrate on any sign that she’s near, but my power finds nothing.
