But not by Six.
She turned, and suddenly she was running across the snow, towards the waiting Aviary doors. She burst through them, ignoring the glances from the younglings.
She ran until she made it behind the black door, surprised to find it unlocked. She sped down the dimly lit tunnel, and stopped in front of Six’s cage.
And then she curled her hands around the bars and gasped, ‘Why did you choose me?Why?’
Tears poured down her face, and she hated them, every single drop.
‘Tell mewhy!’
She screamed.
Six didn’t even flinch.
So she marched to the cage door … and found it unlocked. Like Kinlear had known she would find herself back here in the darkness, her heart too drawn to Six to stay away. And Six’s, too drawn to hers to even attempt escape.
‘Why not someone else?’ Ezer asked.
Six blinked up at her from where she lay by her pile of treasures, guarding them with her front paws.
‘I’m not a Rider.’
Six’s tail twitched once. As if to say,I know.
‘And yet you still chose me.’
Another twitch.
‘I won’t do it.’
Six chirruped her beak once, as if to saywhy not?
‘Because you haven’t flown before,’ Ezer said, to which Six let out a soft growl. ‘It’s the truth, and your fussing isn’t going to change that. Why did you pickme?’
She could have sworn, as Six blinked up at her … the raphon shrugged.
‘You don’t know?’
Two tail twitches.
Ezer sniffled and wiped her tears away. ‘That’s not comforting.’
Six huffed into the shavings.
‘Riders train their entire lives before they make the Descent. And that’s what the King and Queen will wish to see, Six, to approve this partnership. Are you willing to do that?’
Six’s tail lifted.
Paused, as if considering.
And then twitched once.
Yes.
‘Well, I’m not.’
Six just blinked at her innocently, like she hadn’t a clue why Ezer was so concerned. So Ezer crossed the soft shavings and slumped down with her back against the raphon. It was warm, and Six began to purr.
