“He’s barely had any training,” I told him. “I’m not getting stuck in between places, but if you’d like to volunteer, be my guest.” Talon grinned, and I added, “Besides, even the most powerful shadow crows couldn’t transport an entire ship. The most I ever heard of them taking were two people. Most of them could only transport themselves. I’d be surprised if Res can teleport anyone else.”
“Boo.” Talon swung idly in the riggings. “Ooh, I know! Let’s find an old Sella road instead. My ma said they connect the whole continent.”
“If those roads ever existed, they disappeared with the Sellas,” I said. The only time I’d ever even heard of them was when my mother told me stories fromSaints and Sellas. The book last night had mentioned them more than once. “Anyways, what do you care? You’re a sailor. Don’t you like sailing?”
“Of course. But I’d like teleporting through shadows even more.”
“Well, you’ll just have to settle for lightning.”
Res snapped his beak, and a burst of thunder echoed in the cloudless sky. Talon yelped with surprise, nearly losing his balance on the rigging. I laughed, and he joined me, swinging down from his perch to chase after Res. The crow sprang away, landing by me with a flutter of his wings. I spun on him, and he chirped in surprise, barely managing to avoid my embrace.
With a snap of his wings, Res sent us both tumbling to the deck in a flurry of wind.
“Oi, that’s gotta be cheating,” Talon said with a groan.
Flat on my back, I simply laughed, and then again when Res appeared above me, looking far too proud of himself.
“Yeah, yeah, you win.” I pushed his beak away, and he huffed.
Caylus appeared above me, a wry smile on his face. He offered me a hand up, and I took it, hauling myself to my feet. He nodded to something over my shoulder.
“We’re here.”
I spun about.
A sprawling, white stone city sat nestled in the rolling hills like a pocket of sea foam, glistening in the noonday sun.
Rosstair.
It was time for Res and me to fly.
Nine
I’d always loved Rosstair.
One of Rhodaire’s biggest shipping cities, it had a massive promenade lining the coast. The sloping city culminated in a wide boulevard filled with warehouses, some of which had been repurposed into collections of pubs and stores, including one of my favorite bakeries.
It was also where the flight training school had been built, right over the thin Fera River that trickled down from the hills the city rested on.
All of that I expected as theAizeldocked in port.
The army of green and silver soldiers, I did not.
“What in the Saints’ name?” Kiva surveyed the gathered ranks with an uneasy hand upon Sinvarra.
Samra stepped up beside me. “Is this not normal in a city of this size? We are quite close to Aris.”
“It would be if they knew we were coming.” I reached along the cord to Res. It wasn’t that I thought Rhodairen soldiers were a threat. It was that after all Razel had done, any strange situation made me wary. Had she somehow infiltrated the city? Were the soldiers a distraction?
“Who’s that?” Caylus pointed to where the crowd had just parted, letting through a tall, willowy woman with dark, curling hair unbound to her waist. One hand held up her skirts, and the other trapped her circlet to her head against the sea wind. She forgot both when she saw me.
“Caliza!” I bolted down the gangplank and into my sister’s open arms.
She enveloped me, holding so tight, the bracelet on her wrist dug sharply into my back. But I didn’t care. I never wanted her to let go.
“Thia.” Her voice strained. I held her tighter.
When we pulled back at last, there were tears in her eyes. Something tugged in my chest, and my eyes burned. She held my face in her hands, her fingers trembling. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re home.” She pulled me into her arms once more.
