Page 37 of Tower of Tempest
My wings twitched, but I couldn’t get them to flap, to lift me up in the air. It should’ve been the most natural thing in the world, but not for me.
The prince shimmied forward on his stomach.
“Stop!” I yelled. “You’re going to fall!”
“I will not let you die,” he said, inching farther.
He couldn’t lose his life because of me. Couldn’t risk himself like this. Shame swept over me. He gritted his teeth and stretched his arm out once again, his hand brushing mine.
“Let go and grab tight,” he commanded.
I had to do this. I had to try, or he’d keep inching forward until hefell right over with me. With a shaky breath, I reached up, and he clamped his hand tight around mine.
“I’ve got you,” he said, and then he started pulling. It was slow, steady, but I was able to get my feet into the grooves of the rock, and I pushed myself upward as he tugged.
“We’re almost there,” he said. “Just a little farther.”
I walked my feet up the side of the mountain, my entire body damp with sweat, struck through with fear. One misstep, and I’d fall. Prince Lochlan gave one last final heave, and I flew upward and back over the edge, barreling into him.
He brought his arms around me, didn’t even ask what happened, and for that I was thankful. I wouldn’t be able to speak even if I wanted to.
He shushed me and stroked my hair, and that’s when I finally let the tears come.
Chapter Sixteen
LOCHLAN
We’d reached Winded. Thank the bloody waters.
Poppy had finally relented and told us what happened to her on that cliff outside Feathered. My little bird. She’d been so brave, fighting off three men at once, using her magic in such a clever way to push them off the edge of the cliff. Somehow, she hadn’t seen it that way, convinced she hadn’t done enough, wasn’t worthy of this magic that was hers by birthright.
She’d been in a fog for days after that harrowing experience, but slowly, I’d lifted her out of it with my jokes and stories and teasing.
She was almost back to her normal self, and now, I couldn’t stop staring at her, at the wonder in her eyes as she took the royal city in.
She’d stayed silent as we entered through the silver gates of the city, winged guards nodding at us after they patted us down and decided we weren’t a threat. The stone road shot straight down toward the city, filled with the domed buildings native to Valoris, all shoved close together. Elementals soared above us, the sky full of wings and feathers. No one actually lived in the city—everyone’s homes built into the sides of the isle, little cave dwellings that they’d made quite sophisticated overthe years. It also made it very hard to escape one-night stands. Their homes were made to easily fly into and out of. So when I’d wanted to sneak away one morning after a night with a sky elemental, I’d almost died falling off the damn cliff. She’d come upon me, hanging over the edge of her front door, and made me apologize for being a pig before she’d pulled me up and flew me to safety. I’d avoided flings with sky elementals after that experience.
Poppy arched her neck, and I didn’t miss the tight way her wings folded to her back beneath her cloak. That experience on the cliff had scarred her, and now she refused to even try to fly. I wished I could’ve faced those men, that I’d never left Poppy alone like that. I would’ve ripped their fucking throats out for what they did to her, stealing her gold and satchel, then attacking her, making her feel like she’d done something wrong by defending herself. I shook away the thoughts.
It didn’t matter. We were here now, and I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
The castle hung over the city in the distance, huge and remarkable. I’d visited a few times on diplomatic trips, and it had always been dizzying to be flown up there by the sky elementals, even more dizzying staying there as a guest, knowing your only way down was at their mercy.
Poppy ran toward a bubbling fountain that sat in a pavilion and sank onto the edge, trailing her fingers through the water. Restaurants with sweeping balconies surrounded the courtyard, sky elementals eating and drinking, their wings draped over their chairs. Others hurried through the courtyard, some on foot and others daring to fly through the narrow streets packed with businesses. Driscoll, Leoni, and I stopped and let her have a moment to take it all in. The city was easy to navigate, a simple square with four main roads that crisscrossed. From here, I could see over the edge of the isle where Winded lay, the cold blue seas far down below, the green expanse of the cliffs stretching out. After weeks of sleeping outside, trekking through the cold, I was ready for a warm bath and a bed.
I peered at Poppy as a younger sky girl landed on the edge of the fountain and kicked her foot through the water, splashing it up. Poppy laughed in delight, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Most people would be annoyed at the child, but not Poppy. Shefound so much joy in the world around her. Not to mention, she was incredibly smart—all those years spent reading books in her tower paying off. She also gave so much of herself to others. She tickled the girl, speaking to her and telling her some story that made the girl’s eyes light up in delight. She splashed back at the little girl, who giggled.
We’d spent weeks together now, long days walking, talking. Long nights spent around the fire telling stories. I regaled everyone with tales of my adventures with Mal and Gabby, sneaking out of our castle, riding waves in the sea, interacting with the sea folk. It had delighted Poppy, which delighted me. She, in turn, told stories about her and her gran, the books they’d read together, the things they’d make for their tower. I didn’t understand her relationship with her gran, didn’t understand how Poppy wasn’t angry at the woman for choosing to isolate them in a tower. Surely her gran could’ve come up with a better way to protect them than keeping Poppy hidden from the world.
“Prince Lochlan, what an honor,” a woman said from next to me.
I turned to see a redhead curtsying, the ends of her black wings brushing the ground. She wore a thick wool dress with boots and a jacket. She was pretty, and from the calculating way she stared at me, she knew it. She was also blocking my view of Poppy, and my annoyance fought with my urge to accommodate her.
So I’d tell a little white lie. No feelings hurt, no conflict. Easy.
“You have the wrong person,” I said, pushing past her. “If you’ll excuse me.”
