Page 206 of The Trials of Ophelia

“Yes, they’re impossibly fast, and we need to ride them out,” Jezebel said urgently, ignoring my second question. “Lancaster—not sure it’s a pleasure to see you again, but I’ll let your presence pass given that you appear to be on our side. You, Dax, and Barrett are with me.” Rina’s shoulders sank in relief. “Santorina, you and…”

“Mora,” the female fae provided with a wide smile. She tossed her brown curls over her shoulder and secured her weapons in her belt, listening attentively.

“Rina, you and Mora take Kakias with Erista. Take that one, too.” Jezebel gestured to Ricordan’s unconscious wife.

Everyone filed toward the mounts she directed, not willing to argue. Dax would have had questions, his general’s mind picking apart any potential threat, but he rested silently in the fae’s arms, too much blood staining his leathers, and Barrett obviously didn’t have a thought beyond the man he loved.

Mora bounced over to Erista’s beast and threw Kakias’s body roughly over the back, quickly scaling the creature’s side to settle behind her. They were much larger than our horses, easily able to accommodate four or five riders.

“It’s been centuries since I’ve seen one of these!” Mora gushed. Leaning forward, she patted the beast’s side right above its wing, and I thought it might have purred.

“You’ve seen these?” I gasped.

Lancaster hopped up with my sister and the Engrossians. “She is very old,” he answered, shrugging as if that were a simple explanation.

Mora nodded. “If you must know,” she said, holding her hand out to Rina who appeared the only wary one of them all, “they are called khrysaor.”

“Khrysaor,” Jezebel breathed, like it was a word she’d been longing for. The beast nudged her fondly, and I tried my best to see past the threat. Still, Jezebel had a lot of explaining to do.

It would have to wait, though. The courtyard trembled again, walls unsteady from both the fae entrance and the explosive escape of Kakias’s power. Pieces of rock crumbled to the ground, splitting with an echo. A large crack speared up the side to where Jezebel and Erista had crashed through the ceiling. The khrysaor and Sapphire stomped their hooves—claws.

“Let’s go!” Jez roared.

“Well, where are we going?” I argued, gesturing at Tolek and myself.

“Isn’t that part obvious?” Jezebel’s knowing smirk had my eyes narrowing.

She jerked her chin, and when I turned, Tolek was no longer behind me. He was seated on Sapphire, with the emblems repacked and his satchel slung over his shoulder. My horse’s old saddle was destroyed on the ground now that it no longer accommodated her wings. Tolek held his hand out to me.

Wind gusted around me as the khrysaor took off into the sky, whipping my hair in my face. They soared into the distance, shrinking to a dark speck. Like a shadowed star blasting through the night.

Chewing my lip, I looked between Tolek and my horse—pegasus. Sapphire’s stare seared me with a promise: no matter how frightened I was, she was here. Sapphire had always been there. Perhaps the only one I could rely on to steady me as much as the man now atop her, ready to explore this new legend with me.

That, combined with Tolek taunting, “Well, if you’re too afraid perhaps she can walk,” had me quickly fitting myself in front of him. My knees tucked above Sapphire’s wings, a more awkward position than I was used to, but those muscular extensions on either side were reassuring.

“There’s no reins,” I argued.

Sapphire shook her head in response, and I understood what she wanted. I tangled my fingers in her mane, indulging in that new, direct connection, and Tolek’s arms wrapped around my waist. “Just like old times,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to my neck.

“Don’t unseat us, girl,” I said, a little breathless already.

Sapphire’s huff almost sounded offended, and I laughed at that.

Then, she was galloping. Straight through the back entrance to the courtyard and quickly out of that tunnel. Across the grounds, those strong wings extending on either side as she picked up speed.

They flapped once, and the wall at the edge of the property loomed closer. A second beat, and the vines crawling across the brick were individually visible.

No, no, no, a voice in my head echoed. Fear tumbled through my throat.

But my stomach dropped, and the snow-covered earth sank away from us. Sapphire’s hooves skimmed the top of the wall expertly, as if she had been doing this for centuries and knew exactly how much room she needed.

She banked softly around a copse of trees with limbs bare to the calm snowfall. Then, we were climbing, chasing the shadows of the khrysaor making haste for the mountains. From here, the rocky peaks stretched to the stars, fitting against the clouds like they were pieces of a puzzle long ago sketched.

Curling my fingers tighter in Sapphire’s mane, I dared a look down. Trees were the size of berries and a blanket of white stretched upon the land, the storm ceasing. It was so serene, not a hint of warfare able to reach us up here. No cries of pain, no shrieks of rage. The only sounds were the secrets between the three of us. The most alone I thought we’d ever be and the most together I had ever felt.

Up here, the air smelled of midnight stars and the burgeoning promises made beneath them. Tasted of possibilities and hopeful dreams.

We coasted over a pocket of air, bobbing slightly, but my stomach didn’t flip over as I’d expected. Instead, the wind slapping my cheeks awoke something in me, the rhythm of flight as natural as breathing. Because Sapphire was made for this, and I was made for her. The easy coast of her skillful flying was a lullaby rocking every fear I’d ever had.

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