Page 86 of Crown of Briars
But we didn’t have a choice right now.
Loud pounding hammered against the door now. It couldn’t be Enzira or Ramia.
Which meant it was either Varius… or someone else. Someone like Warwick.
My breaths came in sharp spurts as I seated myself on Azure’s back, then leaned forward to wrap my arms as tightly around her as I could. She made a low rumbling sound that I interpreted as a warning before she took off, her great wings beating on either side of me. Within moments, we flew into the sky, and the balcony behind me grew smaller and smaller.
I wasgrateful I’d donned a cloak before taking off; the brisk wind nipped at my face and stung my cheeks. I clung as tightly as I could to Azure’s back, the terrifying weightlessness of the ride making me feel as if I could slide off at any second.
Her descent was smooth and graceful, as if she sensed my panic. She landed with such agility that I didn’t even feel a jolt or a bump when she hit the ground. In this moment, when my fear and adrenaline were so poignant, I appreciated that small act of consideration.
I held the opal stone in my freezing fingers, using it to cast a light around us. With the midnight darkness and the Umbra Mist engulfing us, it was hard to make out our surroundings, even with the stone. I squinted, shivering against the evening chill as I gazed up at the crooked trees towering above me.
“What is this place?” I whispered, pressing my free hand to my amber necklace.
“I’ve heard the fae refer to this as the Noxen Forest,”Azure said.“It’s located just behind the training yard of the castle.”
I slid off Azure’s back, keeping the opal stone gripped firmly in my hand. I lifted it and stared into the dark abyss of the forest before me.
Suppressing a shudder, I asked Azure, “Is it safe? What about the Necro Shadows?”
“They were not around when I came here.”
I hesitated. Perhaps she was immune, but I certainly wasn’t.
“These shadows are different, Sybelle. They do not smell like the Necro Shadows.”
I frowned at that. “Is it Umbra Mist? Or the king’s magic?”
“It is not anything I have scented anywhere else before. This particular kind of shadow is unique to this forest alone, as far as I can tell.”
My eyebrows lifted. A new type of shadow that could only be found in this forest? My mind sparked with possibilities.
“Sybelle, no matter how angry you are with me, you must trust that I would never put your life in danger. I would never risk your safety if I did not know for sure.”
I nodded immediately. “I know that,” I said. Our connection was too strong to be broken over a single heated argument.
She would protect me with her life.
I took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with her. “Lead the way.”
She made a low grumbling sound in her throat, then faced the forest and lumbered forward. Leaves and branches crunched under her feet, and I followed her dark shape. The opal stone gleamed, illuminating the shadowed figures of the trees. As we passed under the canopy, the stars and moon suddenly shrouded from view, I held my breath, waiting for the Necro Shadows to devour me.
But they didn’t.
It felt much cooler within the forest, and I tugged my cloak more securely around my shoulders. Ahead of me, Azure patiently waited for me to get my bearings before continuing onward.
Even with the opal, the trees still looked black in the dark of the night. They seemed to creep toward me, prepared to swallow me up.
My breath shuddered, and I hurried to Azure’s side, not wanting us to become separated.
“Is it much farther?” I whispered.
“We are close,”she said.“I can smell it.”
I nodded, clutching the opal so tightly that the edges dug small grooves into my palm.
A few minutes later, Azure came to a stop, then dragged one talon through the earth at her feet.
