I could feel her eyes on me. “Why didn’t you tell me you could do that?”
“I didn’t know until recently,” I said, keeping my voice low from prying ears. “And I didn’t think I’d ever use it again.”
“You’ve been so afraid you wouldn’t have an ability to help us in this war, but look how powerful this is,” she said with a gesture toward the fallen eagles and riders. “When did you first discover you could do this?”
I took a steadying breath, not used to talking about things I’d kept hidden for so long. “I’ve always felt drawn to the wind—ever since I was little. I could almost sense a presence, like Ama has always described about things of the earth. But I’ve never been able to call upon that power. Not until the day that Eagle Rider showed up.”
Her eyes widened. “The one who attacked you and General Isa before you came to my camp? But that doesn’t make sense. Isa acted completely stunned today.”
“There was another Eagle Rider. It attacked Shazeera and me when we tried to escape—we were alone.”
Mariyah grabbed my arm, mouth open in shock. “Zara, no! How horrible. You must have been terrified.”
The fear of the moment when that eagle and its rider swoopeddown on us came back to me, choking me with its intensity. “I thought I would be captured or worse. I thoughtShazeerawould die. But then I heard the voice of the wind. It begged me to call upon it, to unleash its power.”
“Was it like today? With that cyclone?”
“Yes, it just—it blasted them from the sky.”
“This magic is incredible,” she said in an excited whisper. “This could make all the difference—”
“It comes with a terrible price,” I said, cutting her off. “It hurts my bond with Shazeera. I lose the ability to communicate with her, and—” I paused to rub my chest, where I could still feel the weakened threads that tied us together. “I’m afraid one day, I’ll use that power, and it’ll sever the bond between us entirely. It might already have.”
Mariyah stilled, mouth open. “Oh, Zara,” she said finally. “That’s why you were so upset.”
“Last time, we were able to talk again after a day, but that was with only one Eagle Rider. I don’t know how long it’ll take to recover this time.”
“That’s so scary. What does Shazeera think? I mean, obviously not right now, since you can’t…Did she say anything before?”
I glanced at her, knowing she was listening. “She wanted me to unleash it and save us—even if it hurt the bond.” I could feel myself tearing up again. “She’s more selfless than I am. Mariyah,” I said, lowering my voice, “what if this isn’t a gift from the Earth Mother? Why would it hurt my bond if it was?”
Mariyah put her arm around me. “When my magic first manifested, it drained me to the point that I couldn’t even lift my head afterward. But now, I can use it without getting immediately exhausted. What you did—calling the wind to knock eagles out ofthe sky—that kind of strength is bound to take a toll. The Earth Mother is kind. I’m sure once you get used to the ability, you’ll be able to use it without the terrible consequences.”
Hope bloomed inside me, but it was dampened when I thought of all the years I had never heard the Earth Mother’s voice. “I’m just so scared to risk it, you know?”
Mariyah watched us, her brows drawn in sympathy. “I can’t imagine, and you know I’ll support you in whatever you choose to do, but I don’t think the general will let this go easily.” She glanced back at where General Isa was taking stock of injuries and overseeing the transport of the fallen.
I bit the inside of my lip as emotions swelled within me. We were losing this war. Every day there were more casualties, and very soon, our entire people would likely be overcome by the Zephyrians. Every peace treaty we had tried so far had failed. The problem was, we had no leverage. Why should they make a treaty with us when they could just crush us in war?
Mariyah was right. This power could make a difference—could makeallthe difference in this war—but how could I sacrifice my bond with Shazeera?
I thought of Cassia, the girl who had suffered so terribly after the loss of her mare. I thought of how tortured she was—how every day she relived those moments when her mare was preyed upon by an eagle, and now she would never see or speak to her horse again. That could be me. How would I endure it?
But how could I endure doing nothing when I had the power to help?
11
Talon
For several days, I revisited the battlefield in a dreamworld while my body slowly healed. But more than any other, I dreamed of the battle that involved the Shendayah River Outpost, and I wondered if it was because not only had Lieutenant Callum died, but Emperor Altair had refused my recommendation to strip Captain Suna of her rank and remove her from commanding any outpost. Days after that battle, Emperor Altair had summoned me to the palace for the mission that had landed me in the hospital. Captain Suna remained in charge of the Eagle Riders at Shendayah River Outpost.
The medics had drugged me with canthis root powder, which kept me unconscious. They didn’t trust that I would stay in bed otherwise, and they were right. The minute it wore off and I woke up fully, I asked to speak to the emperor.
A medic with a permanent scowl shook his head and told me I couldn’t leave my bed. He sent a servant to summon the emperor to come debrief me.
I wasn’t sure he would come. Emperors were the ones whodid the summoning, after all, but he arrived so quickly I realized he must have been waiting in the hallway outside the clinic.
His face relaxed with obvious relief when he saw me. “It makes me happy to see you awake after so long. What happened, Cousin? I was told you crashed.”
