The sky was pink this morning.
Which meant another snowstorm was already well on its way.
Ezer adjusted her position on Six’s back and pulled her hood lower over her eyes. She was grateful for the new runes Kinlear had ordered the Citadel’s seamstress to stitch upon the fabric. They were meant to weigh the hood down, to keep snow from her eyes and prevent it from falling back in the biting wind.
‘Come on, Six,’ she said. ‘A little faster now.’
Her mind flooded with a sudden vision.
Abeautiful black raven, nestling down inside a pile of sticks … a nest, filled with lovely little trinkets.
‘You can rest when Kinlear says we’re done,’ Ezer told her. ‘I know you’ve got more in you.’
She could have sworn she felt Six sigh beneath her.
But the raphon broke into a lope, and Ezer buried her fingers into the soft black feathers at the base of her neck and leaned in close, so the wind rolled over her.
They’d worn a pathway into the ground, a perfect ring of pawprints in the snow. Six’s movements were fluid, soundless as she loped. It was utterly fascinating how so large a beast could be so quiet.
But Ezer supposed that was the point of a predator.
To be able to sneak up on anyone at any time.
‘Good!’
Ezer glanced to the left, where Kinlear stood in the center of the ring, wearing his fur-lined cloak that glowed with delicate gold runes.
‘Now do the figure eight again, but don’t hit me,please.’ He pulled his cloak tighter around his middle. ‘I still haven’t recovered from the first time.’
Ezer rolled her eyes, because it wasn’therfault that just yesterday, Six had thrown her off and sent her careening against the prince, where they both came up trembling, covered in snow.
It was because Six saw a bird.
And she’d wanted to chase after it, marveling at the tiny little winter robin that had soared past, curious at Ezer’s presence as they always were.
‘You’re being dramatic!’ Ezer called, as she imagined Six performing the figure eight. Herself, seated perfectly on her back, not falling, thanks to the base of Six’s wings also supporting her at the sides.
A vision of that tired raven flitted into her mind.
‘I’ll give you double lunch,’ Ezer said. ‘Come on.’
She received a vision of a large raphon paw, shoving a full bowl of food away.
‘Fine,’ Ezer said. ‘I’ll scrounge up another bauble from Kinlear’s supply of lavish royal jewelry. Will that suffice? You’ll need a new cage soon, if you’re to fit all your little prizes.’
At that, she could have sworn Sixprancedinto the shape of the figure eight, keeping Kinlear safely at its middle. Where Ezer pointedly realized his hands were now bare ofallrings.
‘Now you’re just showing off,’ Kinlear said, when they had gone past him far too many times to count. When even Ezer was tired, her legs aching, her mind focused on the bathhouse – fleetingly excitedat the prospect of running into a half-naked Arawn again – instead of the snow all around. ‘Now try to get her to lift off just a few feet. Lean close. Don’t fall. We don’t want to heal another broken leg so soon.’
Not liketwodays ago, when Alaris had practically wrung Kinlear’s neck as he’d helped Ezer limp in. And Arawn had nearly beheaded him right after, in the hall.
Even the torches had blazed with a flash of brighter fire. Like his magic was coming back, when it came toher.
Ezer blew out a breath.
Her stomach turned as she thought of herself in the sky.
‘Now, flap your wings,’ Ezer said to Six. ‘Just a little bit.’
