Page 36 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
They crept forward through the dark to where they knew Raith’s cage to be. Hands out in front of her, she felt the cold steel of the bars slide into her grip. “Raith?”
A light touch on her hands sent warmth rushing down her arms. She peered into the darkness, trying to see him, but could make out only an outline. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Don’t do this,” Raith said softly.
“I’m not changing my mind, so save your breath.”
From beside them, Harrow heard the metallic sounds of Malaikah working the lock with her enchanted pick. “This would be a lot easier if I could see the damn thing.”
Raith withdrew his hands at that moment, so Harrow twisted hers together nervously.
A tiny flame suddenly illuminated the darkness, and she jumped in surprise. The first thing she saw was the flickering orange light. Then her eyes traveled over what that little flame illuminated, and she drew in a sharp breath.
Raith was holding a hand outside the cage beside the padlock. The flame hovered several inches above the center of his palm.
Malaikah stared at it, transfixed. “What the…?”
“How did you do that?”
“I don’t know.”
He didn’t know? How could he not know? Harrow felt a lurch of disquiet.
But there wasn’t time to speculate. Mal bent back over the padlock, wiggling the pick. The seconds passed agonizingly slowly, each of them precious and essential to their escape.
Just when Harrow started to have doubts that the enchantment on the pick would fool Salizar’s on the lock, it sprang open. “It worked!” Mal whispered triumphantly, sliding the lock out and opening the bolt on the cage. “Oh, Sal’s going to be so pissed.”
Raith curled his fingers into a fist and extinguished the tiny flame in his palm.
He was free.
Heart pounding for an entirely different reason, Harrow pulled the steel door open.
Raith leaped out of the cage. She couldn’t see it, but she couldfeelit, feel the moment he regained his freedom.
He didn’t waste a second. She heard him taking rapid strides toward the exit of the tent. He threw open the flap and ducked outside, Harrow and Malaikah hurrying behind him. Outside, he stopped and took in the still camp and moonlit night.
It was a glorious moment.
Raith stood, bronze skin lit by the night’s bluish glow, silky hair falling onto his bare shoulders. His powerful back expanded as he took a deep breath of fresh air and straightened to his full height. Rolling his shoulders back, he stretched his neck from side to side, clenching his fists and shifting the strength in his arms and back.
A tingle of power charged the air, similar to Harrow’s own when she was provoked. She cautiously approached, stepping alongside him to see his face. The flames in his black eyes glowed, almost casting light into the night. He lifted his hands and stared at them, and suddenly, sharp claws lengthened from his fingertips.
Then, he raised his arms slightly, arched his spine as if stretching, and…huge leathery wings burst out of his back, so tall they nearly doubled his height.
Harrow jumped back with a gasp, and Mal cursed. Salizar hadn’t been kidding about the wings, had he?
Raith looked over his shoulder at Malaikah and bared his teeth in an attempt at a smile, but he looked so formidable that Mal recoiled. Then he looked at Harrow, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She was still caught up on the wings, staring at the foot-long talons at the tip of them, arcing high above his head.
Folding them against his back, he strode off into the night, leaving them behind.
Both women stood frozen, not quite believing what they were seeing, but Harrow recovered first. She raced after him, turning her run into a sprint when she found he’d already made it halfway across the fairgrounds. How did he move so fast?
“Raith,” she hissed, running as fast as her legs could carry her. “Raith, wait!”
He stopped reluctantly and turned back. His face was inscrutable, his eyes still glowing. Those enormous wings surrounded him like a cloak of shadows.
“Where are you going?” Goddess forbid someone catch them now. There was no telling what he would do.
