Moments later, I watched him dive toward a swarm of guards, talons extended. Shazeera transferred everything she saw to Tempest and me through our bond. Ten guards circled Shazeera, spears pointed outward. The others engaged in battle with Talon and Neo, being led slowly away from Shazeera. Talon and Neo seemed reluctant to kill the guards, only swooping down on them threateningly and drawing them away from Shazeera as promised.
Let’s go,I told Tempest when I saw they had moved all the way across the pasture and away from Shazeera.
I’ll grab hold of her and break the chains,Tempest said.
How will you avoid all the spears?
I’ll kill the guards holding them,he said matter-of-factly.
No! We should avoid killing if possible. These men and women are just following orders.
That complicates things,Tempest said,but I’ll do my best.
He took off like a lightning bolt, the wind forcing me flat against his feathers again. We arrived in less than a minute.
Tempest’s enormous wings blotted out the sun, casting a shadow over the entirety of the guards attacking Neo and Talon. The guards looked up in stunned silence. But as we soared past them to rescue Shazeera, they quickly regrouped. Half split away from the battle with Neo and Talon, launching spears at Tempest as he shot toward Shazeera.
Tempest knocked them aside with his powerful claws like they were toothpicks.
Shazeera reared, lashing out with her hooves at the guards surrounding her. At the same time, she pulled powerfully at the chains wrapped around the base of her neck and staked into the ground. A red rage ignited through my body at the sight of her abused in such a way. I almost told Tempest he could kill them all.
You may get your wish if they keep launching spears at me,he said darkly.
A screech echoed across the pasture, followed by the thunderous beating of wings. I jerked my head toward Talon and Neo, but they still hovered above the other guards.
And then Tempest shrieked a warning, the sound so painfully high-pitched that I covered my ears.
Twenty Eagle Riders flew above the pasture, fully dressed for battle with burnished gold armor, spears, and bows and arrows. I couldn’t see Talon’s face from this distance, but I could only imagine how he felt now that his own aerial cavalry threatened us.
Talon and Neo flew to our side. Talon didn’t say a word, but his actions made it clear. He had sided with us.
Lead them away from Shazeera,I told Tempest, an edge of fear to my voice. I was terrified she would be hurt in the cross fire.
Tempest banked left, and Neo followed. With a shout, the Eagle Riders pursued until we were clear across the pasture. They shot a torrent of arrows at us, but Tempest flew like he had eyes in the back of his head, easily avoiding them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neo perform the same maneuvers he had used when I tried to fire arrows at him all those weeks ago. He spiraled through the air, feathers knocking the arrows aside.
The line of Eagle Riders split, half surrounding Neo and Talon, and the other half attempting to do the same with Tempest. He outmaneuvered them easily.
Am I allowed to kill these eagles and their riders?Tempest asked.
No,I said quickly.I don’t want anyone else to die.
Then if you won’t let me fight back, what is the plan? Get Shazeera and fly out of here?
That would be ideal,I said.
A female Eagle Rider launched a spear at us, but Tempest caught it and snapped it in half like a twig.Would you be open to maiming them?he asked, irritation making his tone sharp.
Another Eagle Rider caught my attention as he hauled a metal cylinder up until it rested on his shoulder. He attempted to point it right at Tempest, but my bonded eagle was too fast. Ice-cold fear ran through my veins at the sight of it. I didn’t know what kind of weapon it was, but neither did I want to find out.
I reached inside me for the power that waited like a vast ocean just beneath my subconscious. Just before calling it forth, I hesitated. The shimmering bond with Shazeera, like a chain of light connecting us, glowed brightly. Beside it, Tempest’s was just as strong. Mistral had said that I needed to find Tempest to be able to truly control my wind power. But more importantly,bonding with Tempest had made it so I could communicate with Shazeera again right away—even after calling the wind in the west wing.
I will lend you whatever strength you need,Tempest promised.
With a deep breath and a prayer sent to the Earth Mother, I grabbed hold of the power inside me, and it surged instantly to my command.
I pictured a cyclone just strong enough to force the eagles to the ground, but not so powerful it tore them apart. I just wanted to incapacitate, not injure.
With my hands lifted skyward, I released the wind power within me. An enormous cyclone manifested, terrible in its intensity. Tempest was blown back, and I had to scramble to hold on. The Eagle Riders in front of us slammed into each other with screams and screeches, wings and talons tearing at the air uselessly. They were ripped out of the sky like flies in a storm.
