She was laughing, and she wasbeautiful,no longer the girl of his childhood, but a grown woman he wanted to hold, and care for, and?—
“Arawn!”
His eyes shot open at the sound of a voice.
Because it wasn’t hers.
It was Kinlear who stood over him, in the near darkness. Arawn had left the curtains closed, and the fire had dimmed. He had no clue what time it was, whether it was day or night...and for a moment, in his sleepy stupor, Arawn thought they were kids again. He thought Kinlear had found his way intohisroom this time, freshly awoken from a nightmare.
“Arawn!” Kinlear was saying, as he shook him awake. “She’s gone.”
“What?” Arawn blinked.
“Oh, gods, she’s gone. She was talking about strange things, other places. She was begging me to go with her, but of course I wouldn’t, and—” He paused, pressing his hand to his mouth.
He wascrying,Arawn realized.
He hadn’t seen his brother cry since they were boys.
Arawn sat up, his heart in his throat. “Slow down, Kinlear, and tell me what happened.”
“Ican’t!”Kinlear screamed.
His eyes were haunted. He ran his hands through his dark hair, and then he was sobbing so hard he could barely breathe. His cough came back, and he slumped against the wall, too weak to hold himself up.
“She left. You have to go after her. She’s going to die,oh gods,I’ve seen it all in my dreams, and I didn’t know—” He moaned as if he were in pain, his hands slamming the sides of his skull as if he could shake the thoughts from it. As if he could give words to what he felt. “I didn’t understand, in my dreams, but I see it all now...and it’stoo gods-damned late!She took an eagle.”
“Who?” Arawn asked. He rushed to Kinlear’s side, took his too-thin shoulders into his hands, and practically shook him. “Who took an eagle, Kinlear?!”
“You have to promise me.Promiseyou will save her. I’m so sorry, oh gods, I’m so--”
“Who godsdamned is it?”Arawn shouted, as he shook him.
And he felt like he died inside as Kinlear whispered her name. “Soraya.”
He ran.
Likehell was at his back, he ran to get to her.
The snow poured into his vision as he raced through the Citadel, into the courtyard and up the stone steps between cliffs, faster than he’d ever pushed himself.
It was already nearing the end of the day again, the light sharp as it cut across the sky. It was almost time for battle, almost time for the darksouls to rise from behind their veil of shadows and darkness.
His aerie wasn’t supposed to fly tonight.
It was their night off, their chance to rest, but Soraya...
He made it into the Eagle’s Nest and found her stall empty. Her eagle,gone.
He took Cyrra without a saddle, for there was no time to waste. Every second was fleeting and precious, andwhy had she done it?Oh,gods, why?
He prayed to Vivorr as he took to the sky.
As he soared, clinging to Cyrra’s neck with all the strength in his arms and legs, and hell itself couldn’t have ripped him from her.
He would make it to Soraya.
He would get to her, andbring her back,even if it killed him.
