It looks like Blue is going to attack the third man, too, but Blue’s attention flashes to us.
Abandoning the remaining fae, Blue dives toward us.
His beak and neck are slathered in blood, his red eyes a bright blur as he gives a ferocious beat of his wings and spears directly downward until he’s diving parallel to us.
I struggle to keep my eyes open, our velocity pressing on me as Antony lifts his right arm away from me, catches the edge of Blue’s wing where it meets his body, and then, in anagonizingly fluid movement, he leverages us onto Blue’s back at the same time as Blue levels out.
We’re close enough to the ground that I make out a blur of fae on the streets below us, and then we’re soaring upward again.
Our path took us sharply down, and now we’re traveling abruptly up again. My heart hammers so hard in my chest, I’m not sure how it hasn’t burst.
It’s been mere seconds since Antony, and I leaped into the air. Such a short period of time that Quintus is still falling, now to my right.
Just when I count heartbeats before he hits the ground, a new bird appears, shooting across the air, its rider plucking Quintus to safety before he would have met his death.
We’ve nearly reached the white towers, but it seems our attackers are determined to pursue us despite what must be terrible injuries, jaggedly attempting to regroup behind us.
Before they can take up formation, the newcomer’s eagle spears directly up and across their path, forcing them to scatter.
I catch only a brief glimpse of the newcomer’s form, unable to make out details beyond brown hair and a physique similar to Antony’s. All I can really tell is that he’s nowhere near as willowy as the other men.
As we sail away from them, my focus lands on his ivory saddle.
He’s also a lord of the Starlit Court.
But for some reason…he got in the others’ way.
Blue doesn’t squander the clear air ahead of us.
His speed increases, and I can only hold my breath as he careens around the towers, spearing between them, leaving the five bloodied men, along with the newcomer, well and truly inhis wake.
Soon, we’re far away from them, and it’s clear they’ve decided not to follow us.
Catching my breath and trying to calm my heart, I tip my head back to see Antony. “Who was that?”
He’s slow to answer, and somehow, I don’t think it’s because he’s breathless. “His name is Rohan. You should steer clear of him at all costs.”
The warning in Antony’s voice indicates I should be frightened of Rohan, but I’m not so sure. “Did he…help us?”
“No.” Then, “Maybe.”
After a long moment, Antony gives a resigned sigh. “Mother controls Rohan. He doesn’t make his own decisions.”
“Just as Emiliana doesn’t control her own fate,” I say, recalling the woman Antony sometimes sneaks into the iron forge to meet with Victor.
“Remember, Thyra,” Antony says. “In this kingdom, you must treat assistance with suspicion.”
I exhale a sigh, recalling one of Antony’s first warnings: His life is filled with lies and liars. There is not a single promise that doesn’t come with strings, conditions, or limitations.
I want to ask more about Rohan, but we’re too near one of the towers on the Constellation’s northern side.
Every tower has multiple wide landing platforms at the top and sides, where eagles perch. As we soar closer to what must be our destination, I recognize the eagle resting on its landing platform.
Cassia’s chestnut-brown bird, Fortuna, startles at our rapid approach, giving a squawk of alarm as Blue spears toward her. From what I’ve seen, she’s larger than most eagles, but Blue is monstrous compared to her.
I’m in no hurry to forget the way he tore at our attackers, defending us before catching us again. Iwould take Blue into a fight any day.
There’s enough room on the landing platform for both him and Fortuna to perch, but it seems Fortuna isn’t taking any chances. I suppose I don’t blame her, given that Blue’s feathers are splattered with blood, which only enhances the ghastly gleam of his red eyes.
