Page 130 of Skyshade
“He’s going to kill him once they find her,” he said through his teeth.
She shrugged, trying her best to be casual. Trying to pretend Grim didn’t just kiss her in front of Oro. “Zed’s fast. He’ll be fine.”
Maybe.
Oro still hadn’t looked at her. Perhaps he couldn’t. He was likely disgusted by her, by the fact that she was married to the person they had once plotted to kill.
She turned to him. “Ready?”
Using Grim’s portaling power was too much strain. She needed to conserve her energy for when her abilities would be crucial.
Her flying wasn’t perfect. It would slow them both down. Reluctantly, Oro bent and took her into his arms.
She faced away from him, in a failed attempt to get her pulse to settle, as he shot into the clouds, toward Sky Isle.
The hive was empty.
They had portaled into the familiar lattice structure. The winged creatures were gone. Remlar was gone.
Oro frowned. “They were here.”
Remlar was ancient. Could he somehow feel Lark’s presence on the island? “They must have fled.” But where?
“Is there somewhere else on Sky Isle they’ve been known to live?”
He shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Great. She had been counting on the ancient being to help them. He had been born in the otherworld, and lived here, on Lightlark, since its inception. If there was a way to incapacitate Lark, he would know.
Oro looked ready to return to his friends, but she stopped him.
“We keep looking for him,” she said.
He looked like he wanted to be as far away from her as possible, after seeing her with Grim, but he flew out of the hive, landing at its base.
She did the same, using his powers. His jaw worked as he watched her.
He could feel the bridge between them. He knew she still loved him. Yet, he had to watch her with him, his enemy...
“Oro—” she said.
He turned away.
For several minutes, they walked in silence. She wished she could fill it, tell him all her truths, the way she had before.
If only he could understand why she had left. Why she hadn’t returned.
“How is he?” he finally asked.
Isla blinked. “...Grim?”
Heat flared through the forest. “No,” he said sharply. “I don’t give a damn how he is. I meant Lynx.”
Oh.
Her leopard had always liked Oro. “He’s fine,” she said. “I think he misses it here. I don’t think he likes the cold.”
That was an understatement. Lynx slept exclusively next to the hearth in her room and had no shame in waking Grim up when the flames got too low.
