It was the third time his name had been said this evening, and it was three times too many. “Leave, Felaf.”
“Cyrene was the twelfth since the curse started,” Felaf murmured on what was hopefully her final retreat. “She should have been the one to break it. This is our life from now on, isn’t it? The laughingstock of the realm, utterly useless?”
You are useless. You are nothing. You should never have been born.
The brutal words my mother had regularly stabbed me with as a child rang in my ears. I shook my head, reminding myself of who I had become and what I was destined to do. What Gregorios foresaw in me. I had a purpose. I was Chosen for a reason.
“You are anything but useless,” I said. “You’re a guardian. Act like it.” I secured my door behind her and breathed deeply. My gaze snagged on the drawing of the black rose atop my desk. Felafdidneed training, for she hadn’t noticed the drawing or that I was even packing until several minutes had passed.
I was alone at last, and the drawing seemed to mock me. Struggling to reconcile its significance with the curse, I curled the parchment in my fist.
I would find the black rose and bring it to Gregorios, no matter the cost.
Chapter 13
Raithe
“Easy, girl.”
The winds of Gemini battered against Cobalt’s broad wings. Air kingdoms were notorious for their gusts that were capable of felling trees and crashing skyships. As soon as we’d flown through the arch into Gemini, Cobalt had reared in bewilderment at the unforgiving squall.
“It’s alright, we’re alright,” I assured her, gripping the reins tightly. While I had been in Gemini only once before for King Zephyr’s ceremonial trial and subsequent coronation last year, this was the furthest north Cobalt had ever ventured. Her breed of Pegasus was born in a territory south of the Equator—Libra—and bred for more moderate climates like Scorpio.
The journey had been uneventful thus far, with us having flown low enough to evade most royal patrols. Only one patrol got too close for comfort, soaring overhead on a Hippogriff in the direction of the arch we’d come through. Thankfully, a string of cumulus clouds concealed us from their sight.
It was odd for a scout to monitor arches, given it was unlawful for Chosens to enter into another territory withoutpermission from its royal. No excuses were valid; were I to be spotted in Gemini, it would be disastrous for our court.
There was no sound reason Gregorios and I could come up with to justify my need to visit Gemini without raising suspicions—from both King Zephyr and Maryn—regarding my lengthy and undetermined stay. Discretion was paramount.
I squinted against the cool, damp air as we flew. The humidity was surprisingly refreshing. Cloud cover stretched in every direction. It was a welcomed view, even though it compromised my line of sight.
Detecting more scouts several miles above us, I steered us lower to where there were even fewer floating isles and skyships. Regardless of territory, not many were brave enough to dwell this close to the Barrier. As we coasted through clouds, I scanned the sky above to ensure no one?—
Look ahead.
“Fuck!” I cried out as a massive boulder appeared in front of us. With seconds to spare, I steered Cobalt to the right. She whinnied in alarm as we spiraled around it. I clutched her mane, squeezing my thighs to her ribcage as the world spun. When she leveled out, I stroked her neck.
“We’re okay,” I murmured. “Sorry, girl.”
I peered over my shoulder at the rocky peak emerging from the Barrier. We were lucky it wasn’t a wide formation, or else our maneuverings wouldn’t have been quick enough to evade it. My stomach twisted at the idea of anything happening to Cobalt because of me.
I clicked my tongue, urging her higher.
No one—not even seers—knew what existed within or below the Barrier. Even this close, I couldn’t detect anything. Legends claimed it was where the Astrals dwelled, though whoever ventured into the celadon clouds never returned. Over the years, thousands of soldiers from every territory had been lost to theBarrier in an attempt to discover its mystery—to no avail. I’d read myths detailing a time when life once flourished below it. Such stories were forbidden and hard to come by.
Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder why.
I checked the panniers secured behind me, grateful to see their contents remained intact. Gregorios had lent me a plethora of treasured stones from our court’s trove—a collection worth a fortune—that included lesser stones of luck and protection. There was no need to pack a travel stone, for the talisman on my finger would protect me beyond the borders of Scorpio.
Completely invisible, the magical borders of each territory produced a curse that would kill anyone not born of that territory’s Zodiac sign after twelve days. Unless, of course, one possessed a travel stone. With it, their protection was indefinite—so long as the stone was attached to a precious metal while also touching the skin of its wearer. The same applied to all other magical stones known to exist: without a metal to trigger or skin to impart its magic, a stone on its own was useless. Hence, many—particularly the elite who could afford it—adorned themselves with jewelry on their ears, necks, faces, limbs, and other, more creative parts of their bodies.
Apart from my talisman, the most valuable stone in my possession was a clear quartz. Known as acommunica, a clear quartz granted the ability to understand—and speak—any language unbeknownst to those who engaged with its wearer.
Like the Academies, the Martial Isles taught attendees to be fluent in each of the twelve languages. While I enjoyed the challenge of recalling Gemini’s tricky dialect, the clear quartz would ensure nothing got lost in translation.
Cobalt’s labored breathing captured my attention. Her strong heart hammered in her chest as her wings flapped twice as hard to combat the winds. Most Pegasi could fly for four hours without stopping to rest or hydrate. Knowing we had much moresky to cover, I didn’t want to push her. Finding some place in this cloud cover with enough ground for her to land—and build up speed to depart from—would be a challenge.
“Almost there, girl. Hang on. We’ll find you a place to rest.”
