“I don't think so,” I muttered and shoved color into the eye, squeezing it to send it shooting through that last barrier and down all of those tendrils like air through a balloon. Purple ruled the sky, flashing out like joyous ribbons, and the air went suddenly still. Cries of “Adhara” echoed around me.
I grinned, perfectly content to give her the credit. I'd never been good at accepting adoration. At least, not that sort of adoration. Adhara could be the superhero today.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Everan found me. It's one of the perks of our marriage bond—he can find me anywhere. He pulled me into a relieved embrace as Adhara landed beside us. Then he stepped back to bow to the goddess.
“We need to see to the Heart of Air now,” Adhara said to me.
“I'll probably need some asha to fuel me,” I said. “I've already drawn on my men and I don't know how much more they have to give.”
“I have summoned the Sylphs; they will assist you.” She crouched down. “Now, get on, small goddess.”
“I have to go shield the Heart of Air,” I said to Ever.
“No.” Everan took my hand but faced Adhara. “She's not going anywhere near a heart. It could take her magic.”
“I'm just going to alter the colors of the shield that's already in place,” I assured him. “It won't hurt me. The shield will ensure that.”
“No.”
“Everan, if I don't, the Kingdom of the West is at risk,” I argued. “Look at how fast it escalated this time. They didn't have any warning.”
“Likely because the thief stole the asha immediately instead of merely sipping at the magic.”
“Yes, which means it's even more imperative that we shield the heart,” Adhara added.
Everan just scowled at her.
“She said that makes it even more imperative—”
“I can imagine what she said,” Ever cut me off. “I still refuse to risk you.”
“So, we just let Danu die?”
“No, we find the thief as planned.”
“And in the meantime, we just hope that the thief doesn't take all of the Heart of Air's magic and destroy the realm?”
“Sairana said that if even one heart remains, Danu will survive,” Everan reminded me.
“Everan, please,” I urged. “We need to do everything we can.Everything.”
Everan's jaw clenched and his shoulders bunched. I knew he wanted a foe to face but until the mages finished the device, there was no one for him to fight.
“Then I'm going with you,” he finally said.
“Fine. Tell him to get on!” Adhara snapped.
“She said to climb aboard.” I kissed Everan's cheek before scrambling onto Adhara's back.
Everan got on behind me.
“Grab a good amount of feathers and hold on tightly,” I instructed.
Everan leaned forward around me and grabbed Adhara's feathers. “Let's hope she doesn't suddenly molt.”
“Very funny,” Adhara squawked and then leapt off the cliff.
