‘To do what?’ Ezer asked.
Kinlear grinned. ‘To choose.’
Something strange began to move through Ezer, deep in her core. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘The book you’ve been searching for in the library. You won’t find it, because quite frankly it doesn’t exist. But the darksouls know. I told you before about the interrogations. About the things they tell us, when they are tortured.’
He had a new expression on his face.
He looked … like he was staring into the flames of a crackling fire, spilling his secrets. Ones he’d held on to for far too long.
‘The war eagles are assigned at random. They usually leantowards one or another, but in the end, they are all capable of being controlled by any Rider.’ Just as Zey had said. ‘Not so with the raphons.’
‘You knew this?’ Ezer asked. ‘The whole time? And you didn’t tell me …’
He shrugged. ‘The process must be organic. It cannot be forced, and I apologize for holding it back, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Because in the end … the raphon chooses the Rider.’
She couldn’t speak.
She couldn’t breathe, because she knew what he was saying.
And it terrified her, more than anything ever had in her life.
More than the shadow wolves, more than the summons to war.
‘And according to what she’s done now, Ezer …’ Kinlear glanced past her, where Six was still bowing low, as if waiting for her to climb aboard. He smiled, his eyes limned with silver as he said, ‘She has chosenyou.’
The sky is a dangerous place for a girl without wings.Ervos’s words echoed in her mind. A warning each time she’d strayed too close to the windows in their tower.
‘I won’t do it,’ Ezer said now, as she stomped after Kinlear.
They’d left the tunnel behind and burst through the door into the main hallway of the Aviary. The smell of leather filled her senses – saddles on the walls – and it made her all the more angry. All the moreterrified.‘I’m not a Rider.’
She wanted to scream at him. He’d given her hope that she’d be dismissed, that she’d get to walk free with enough coin to sustain her for life, once Six was handed off to her Rider … and now?
Now,shewas to be that Rider.
Which meant she’d have to go across the Expanse.
‘Then you’ll become one,’ Kinlear said, turning left towards the outer doors. ‘Severalweeks is plenty of time before you make the Descent. It’s daunting, but from what I’ve seen thus far, I trust that you and Six will demonstrate your skills as a duo just in time.’
The Descent.
She felt like her stomach dropped to the floor as she realized he meant the display she’d been watching all these nights with the others in the training room. The War Eagles diving down the harrowing cliff face, towards death.
‘I’ll die!’ Ezer yelped.
Kinlear waved a hand. ‘You said that before and look where it’s landed you.’
‘You’re mad,’ Ezer growled. ‘Utterly mad.’
He crossed his arms and raised a brow at her. ‘You’ll be fine.’
‘Fine?’ She threw her hands up, searching for the right words. ‘If you won’t see reason about the flying, then see reason about this. I am not amurderer,’Ezer said. ‘You want me to soar across the Expanse and waltz into the Acolyte’s domain myself, stab him with a blade, and—’ Anger writhed in her. ‘Why are youlaughing?’
‘Because it perplexes me, Raphonminder, how you can think so highly and yet so utterly lowly of yourself in one moment,’ Kinlear said.
He’d paused by the doors, the two of them several paces apart. The wind howled as one of the doors opened, and a gust of swirling snow spilled inside. A few younglings took notice of them – the snarling Raphonminder, the smiling prince – and promptly rushed past.
