And we were alone.
Shazeera lengthened her strides, her whole body stretching out until it was as unhindered by the wind as possible. I leaned low over her neck to stay with her, to keep my body from dragging her back. Her mane whipped across my face.
With every stride Shazeera took, the eagle gained on us. My hand tightened on my bow. I knew we wouldn’t outrun it. Our only hope was for me to shoot it down.
I sent Shazeera an image of what I planned to do so she could prepare herself for the sudden change in my weight. Bracing myself with my thighs tightly gripping her sides, I twisted my upper body sharply backward and drew my bow simultaneously, ignoring the screaming protest of my muscles.
My eyes found the place where the eagle’s wing met its breast, and I sucked in my breath. The creature was massive, its wingspan easily thirty feet. It absolutely dwarfed Shazeera. Its talons were as long as daggers. When I imagined them tearing into us, a wave of terror crashed over me.
The wind whispered in my ear, even as it tore at my hair. It felt impossible, but it seemed like I could detect its desperation.
The eagle was closer now, but not enough that I could see the rider with any clarity. I did, however, see when he raised his weapon. It looked like a long pole with a noose at the end big enough to wrap around my body. Fear sliced through me, sharper than any blade. Did he want to capture me? For what purpose?
I let out my breath and then fired the arrow. It flew straight and true, but at the last moment, the eagle spun in the air to avoid it. My mouth went dry. I’d never seen an eagle make such a maneuver. I reached for another arrow as the eagle and its rider flew closer.
I fired again, but the eagle, despite its massive size, avoided it. I recognized the move as one General Isa had briefed us on. Seeing it in person, though, made my chest constrict painfully, squeezing the air from my lungs. The truth hit me like a blade to my gut. I was vastly outmatched before we had even really begun to fight back.
The eagle is too fast,Shazeera said, and even her mental voice sounded strained from exertion.Even though it’s the bigger target, your arrows will all go to waste.
I understood her meaning perfectly as I shifted the aim of my arrow. This time, I would shoot the rider.
I let it loose, the arrow pointed at the rider’s chest, but the eagle screeched and dove to avoid it.
Fueled by desperation, I fired arrow after arrow, faster than I’d ever done before, but they didn’t so much as clip a feather. And I knew they would catch us. After that, I didn’t dare think about what his plan was.
Too many voices in my head. Shazeera’s fear, which was nothing but sharp talons and darkness, poured into my mind. Myown thoughts were frantic. I wouldn’t let her be killed here. And then another voice, first a whisper, but steadily growing louder. I thought of that massive, churning power I had witnessed within my own mind, and I knew it was the wind just as surely as I knew the feel of Shazeera’s bond.
The eagle was close enough now to see the glint in its huge eye, to watch it stretch its talons toward my horse’s flank. I continued firing, though I knew it would dodge the arrows, because it would keep it from tearing into Shazeera.
I was soon down to my last arrow. The rider knew it, too, and he urged the eagle closer.
The rider was now close enough to see his face in detail, and it was disturbingly beautiful, with strong features that made it look like he had been formed from the granite of the mountain itself. It ignited an anger in me, that he wasn’t as hideous as the things the Zephyrians had done to my people. Or the things he and his eagle planned to do to us if they caught us.
Shazeera and I fell into darkness as the giant eagle completely blotted out the sun, its enormous shadow threatening to swallow us. The rider thrust his weapon toward me even as the eagle’s wickedly sharp talons reached for Shazeera. Fear heightened my senses and made my thoughts race along like lightning. I told Shazeera to evade their attack, and she obeyed without question, jumping powerfully to one side, which nearly unseated me. The noose whistled past my ear, treacherously close to my neck.
I let my final arrow fly, and this time, the eagle flew too close to avoid it. Hope blossomed in my chest for one terrible moment. But then the eagle snatched the arrow out of the air with its talons, snapping it as easily as I would break a twig.
I met the rider’s light-colored eyes as he raised his pole again.
Thump, thump, thump.
The eagle’s wings were deafening.
I reached deep within me, the pressure building until it felt like my head would burst, but I pushed on heedlessly. I would seek out whatever power was inside me that lay dormant—lesser magic or not. Anything to save Shazeera. Time seemed to halt as I reached for the earth magic that should be mine—the wards I should be able to summon to at least shield us from this attack. Just like before, there was nothing. Only darkness. I stumbled on desperately.
Suddenly I sensed a vast power, like a thunderstorm rolling in across the plains. Wind, both from the eagle and from Shazeera, swirled around me, screaming in my ears.
Call,it said.
Call and I will answer!
I watched the eagle’s talons reach for my beloved mare even as the noose began to slip over the top of me.
Do whatever it takes to live,Shazeera told me, her mind brushing against mine with a finality that felt like a blade slipping in between my ribs.
The wind cycloned around me, tearing my hair free from its bindings, ripping tears from my eyes.No,I thought to the eagle and its rider.No, you will not kill her.
I raised my arms and opened my heart to the wind. Ama had warned it was a dangerous power, but in that moment, I didn’t care.
