Page 33 of The Flame King's Queen

“Who’s that returning?” Dusan asks idly.

We all watch as the wyvern speeds toward the ground.

Fiala says with a gasp, “That’s Keilar. Elysant’s missing wyvern.”

All three of us instantly tense. There’s been no sign of the spellbreaker since she turned traitor and tried to kill me. Her wyvern disappeared as well, presumably with her. Now, the creature is arrowing out of the sky, straight at the eyrie, and someone is on her back.

Fiala and Dusan put themselves protectively in front of me and brandish their halberds. It seems unlikely that Elysant would try to kill me in broad daylight while surrounded by armed Maledinni, but perhaps the woman is desperate.

“Kagin, to me! Wingrunners, there is an enemy incoming,” Fiala calls out. “Protect the king’s mate.”

The half-dozen wingrunners nearby race toward their mounts. Kagin emerges from the eyrie with a snarl and moves lightning fast to his rider’s side. I’ve always been impressed by how fast wyverns and their riders move, and I’ve never been more grateful. Keilar is instantly surrounded by six wingrunners, brandishing their weapons as she comes into land.

The cloaked figure on Keilar’s back is much smaller than the lithe, elegant spellbreaker, and whoever it is, they are far from comfortable riding a wyvern. They let go of the reins, grasp whatever parts of the saddle are closest, and slide in an ungainly fashion down the mount’s side, landing with a plop on the flagstones.

The figure’s cloak falls back, revealing a tumble of red, curly hair, and she looks up into the faces of half a dozen wingrunners brandishing weapons. They don’t recognize her pretty face with its smattering of freckles, but I do, and my heart leaps.

“Ravenna!”

She turns and greets me with a nod. “Well met, Lady Isavelle.”

I run through the knot of wingrunners to embrace her. My fellow witch hugs me back fiercely, and then we’re both laughing. All the soldiers lower their weapons. I grasp her hands and study her face, searching for any sign of injury or mistreatment. I’ve been so worried about her ever since she left with Kane.

“But how did you get here? Where did you find this wyvern? Where is Kane? Are you well?”

Ravenna smiles as I pepper her with questions. “I’m very well, thank you, and I’m alone. This wyvern has been very good to me, though I don’t know why. I…I think it killed its rider. That made me a little nervous, but it’s been nothing but friendly to me.”

Fiala and Dusan exchange glances.

“Is that possible?” I ask them.

“Wyverns understand loyalty,” Dusan tells me. “Once Keilar realized that her rider was a traitor to Maledin, I don’t doubt that she turned on her. Elysant wasn’t a wingrunner, only a spellbreaker, so she probably wasn’t expecting that.”

Keilar hasn’t moved away from Ravenna to seek food and rest within the eyrie. Ravenna glances at the place where the other wyverns are disappearing and says to Keilar, “You may go rest. I’m all right now.”

But Keilar doesn’t budge.

A tall figure pushes through the crowd of wingrunners, his face a mask of surprise that turns swiftly to happiness when he realizes who is making a commotion outside his eyrie.

“We’re so pleased to see you safe and well, Miss Ravenna. Allow me, my lady.” Captain Ashton takes hold of Keilar’s reins. He tries to pass the leather straps to another wingrunner, but Keilar shrieks in defiance and stays where she is. “Keilar has taken a liking to you, my lady. Would you wish to be her rider?” Thanks to the soft expression in Ashton’s eyes, everyone can see that he’s taken a liking to someone as well.

Ravenna is studying the wyvern in confusion. “She belongs to Maledin. I couldn’t ask that of her when my future is so uncertain.”

“But surely you must stay here with us,” he tells her. “You’re safe here.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Fiala and Dusan elbowing each other meaningfully.

Are you seeing this?

Oh, I’m seeing this.

“She did save my life, and I’m so grateful to her,” Ravenna says, gazing at the silver creature before her.

Captain Ashton pats Keilar’s flank, but he doesn’t take his eyes off Ravenna. In this moment, I don’t think anyone else in the world exists for the captain. Unfortunately for him, Ravenna doesn’t seem to notice.

“Was the battle to the south a success?” Ravenna asks, turning to me. “I’ve heard little news while stranded all the way out east.”

Meaning Kane didn’t tell her anything. “Kane did his part,” I admit grudgingly. “Zabriel was able to secure Maledin’s borders, but Emmeric escaped. We don’t know where he fled, but things have been quiet ever since.”

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