Page 60 of Damned and Broken Gods
Um…What the fuck?
He held out his hand to Dharma. “Will you accept?”
“Not like I have a choice,” she muttered, then louder, “If you do decide to drop me, please give me a heads-up. A warning?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “That is not part of the vow, but as you asked so politely, I shall give you thisheads-up warning.”
“Great.” Dharma took his hand. He pulled her against his body. Mist rose around them, and they shot up into the air.
One of the thunderbirds peeled off after them. Chaya, no doubt.
Another Vayujaari came forward and stood before Joe. It was the female with green hair and moss eyes. “I am Thalara of theRootwoven. Bear the weight of truth, be grounded in it, and we rise; honor false crown and you fall.” She held out her hand. “Do you accept?”
“In for a penny…” Joe took her hand and, like Dharma before him, shot up into the air. Above us, another thunderbird left the circle and followed.
The man with the frosty eyes made to walk forward next, but the mercury-eyed women held up a hand, and he halted.
Her gaze fell on me, narrowing slightly. She walked toward me, and my stomach dipped with a mixture of emotions I didn’t understand.
“Zarael of the Stormbound. If your pulse mirrors the storm, then rise with me, but if your courage flickers, you will fall.” She tipped her head to one side and held out her hand. “Will you accept?”
I looked up at the thunderbirds, wishing I could identify Araz, gave the air a thumbs up, and took Zarael’s hand.
Her grip sent an electric shock up my arm, but before I could cry out, I was enveloped in mist and cradled to her chest. My stomach dropped as my boots left the ground. All I could see were her mercury eyes, a stationary point in the vortex surrounding me.
The air crackled and stung, and a strange warmth rushed over my skin.
Zarael’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice echoed around me. “Would you like to see the journey?”
No. Yes. No. Fuck it. “Okay.”
The mist parted to reveal clouds far below. I was tethered by wind, my chest facing the world, my back pressed to Zariel’s elemental form. A thunderbird appeared below me, the silver feathers on its head glinting in the sunlight. Araz looked up at me, his eyes bright against his brown skin.
How long before the Vayujaari knew whether to keep us or drop us?
Long seconds passed, and the elemental grip around me remained firm and stable. I relaxed, searching the skies for the others. Dharma was far ahead wrapped in a vortex of air threaded with crimson, to my left was a vortex threaded with green, but no visible demigod. It had to be Joe, though, because Mahira flew below it.
To my right was a vortex of pale blue. It opened a little, and I spotted Vick’s terrified face. I couldn’t see behind me but sensed that we were good.
For now.
Long seconds passed. The world below rushed by, and heat bloomed across my back—Zariel’s presence making her known.
I was starting to relax when a scream cut through the hum of wind. My pulse stuttered as I caught movement up ahead.
Dharma falling.
My cry of alarm didn’t have time to air before she landed on the thunderbird below her. She clung to Chaya as the bird dropped altitude until both her and her drohi were nothing but shadows on the bird’s back.
Another scream. Distant. Behind us.
Then another.
Fuck.
A fourth.
I looked to my left and my right in time to see Joe’s Vayujaari pick up speed, putting distance between Mahira and her thunderbird below.
