Ael shot a sharp glare at Luelle, his oldest friend, who was the only person alive who could speak to him that way and still go unpunished.
“Fuck you, Luelle.” He let out a sigh and stormed from the room, leaving the others behind.
Whatever Kalon was scheming, he intended to discover it.
And once he did, Ael vowed to kill him.
Chapter 30
Seda
Seda could hear the roar of the ocean as they stood before the castle, the tumultuous waves crashing against the rocks below the cliff face. The sound was all-consuming around the group that had gathered at the tall, emerald-colored gates of the castle. The chilled wind swept through her hair, and she pulled her cloak closer to herself, thankful that Suza had thought to pick this for her.
“This is where we part ways,” Benny said to her. “I don’t like it, Seda.”
She looked at her brother, her brave, loving brother who had stood at her side ever since they were children. For most of her life, he had been her only friend, and this was the first time they were willingly parting ways. It was clear he didn’t want to separate from not only her but Roya as well, judging by the way he clutched Roya’s hand tightly.
“Come here,” she said to him as she held out her arms andstepped closer, pulling him into a tight hug. “Please be safe and let us know how things are going. Come back here as quickly as you can. We’ll be back.”
Seda looked over to Vira, who inclined her head at her. “We’ll keep him safe, my queen.”
She released Benny and stepped closer to Askold, hugging him as well.
“We’ll be fine, Seda,” Askold said as he hugged her back. “Benny’s pretty smart when he wants to be.”
Benny laughed, but Cahir growled at Askold, and he chuckled in response. “Chill, dude. She’s my friend. Friend’shug.”
Luelle smacked Cahir in the chest and muttered something about possessiveness before she swept past him, heading to Seda and hugging her as well. “I’ll see you soon, Seda. Keep my friend safe,” she said of Cahir. “I can see that man would do anything for you, no matter how stupid.”
Everyone leaving was strapped with weapons, even Seda. She had a knife strapped to her hip, remembering when the Mungder had attacked them, and all she had was a stick to protect herself. The new weight of her wings felt heavy on her back, and they ached with the same soreness as if she had exercised for the first time in a long time, but she refused to let it affect her.
She mentally reassured herself that she was brave and strong, no longer the weak Seda of the past. Her fears and new feathers would not weigh her down.
“It’s time to go,” Cahir sternly said.
Seda looked at Askold, Benny, her new friends, Vira, and Sephyr, one last time before they set foot west. She watched them walk away, hoping that she would see them again soon.
They headed north on foot,away from the crashing sound of the waves, where the mountains and forests awaitedthem in the distant landscape. Hundreds of homes and buildings lay behind them as they pushed forward, away from the castle and city behind. They had walked past hundreds of Fae, who watched them with wonder and fear at the sight of Elco and herself. Many stopped to bow and talk to Cahir on their way out, but once they left that place behind, the familiar feeling of freedom sank deep into Seda’s bones.
She was amongst nature once again, where mysterious animals, and possibly monsters, potentially lurked in the shadows. The last time she stepped into the unknown, she was scared, but her determination pushed her forward. And that same feeling rekindled again.
The floating orbs seemed to lessen in intensity the further they walked away from the castle.
Cahir walked by her side, Roya near him, and Elco followed closely behind with Suza at the far back. Wilted flowers dangled from Elco’s mane, and he wore an expression of wariness that deepened the further they traveled.
“This land is unfamiliar to me, moon-flutter,” he echoed into her mind. “I don’t know what to expect on this trip.”
She paused and looked back at him, at the way he looked into the darkened trees ahead. When he caught up to her, she reached out her hand and slid it across his scaled shoulder. “Thank you for coming, Elco.”
He huffed, and smoke billowed from his nostrils. “I told you. I’m yours.”
She smiled, feeling her heart warm for her friend. Elco was truly hers, and she was his. He was the steady ground beneath her feet, and they had shared horrors, both coming out stronger than they were before.
“Have you tried to use them yet?” Elco asked, eyeing her glittering wings. Suza had helped cut a hole in the cloak she wore so her wings would be exposed, and she pulled the cloak closer around herself, feeling the cold, misty air sting her cheeks.
“No. I can barely move them. I struggled to sit in the chair earlier,” she admitted.
“Practice flexing them,” he suggested. He flared his expansive wings out and back in, showing her how to move them with ease. His movements were fluid and graceful, with an impressive power she longed to have.
