Page 19 of The War of Wings
I crested the final hill, my feet pounding as I beheld the scene before me. From this vantage point, I could see the crowd forming near a towering gate.TheGates, if I had to guess. It would be impossible to pick out my mother and aunt amid the crowd, especially as I sprinted, but it didn’t stop me from trying as I careened over the hill. A pasture sprawled to my left, the swaying green grass within illuminated by the golden sunlight.A horse, black as night, trotted toward the wooden fence, his attention rapt on the gathering crowd as his tail swished back and forth.
And there she was. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the tiny figure in the distance, standing apart from the crowd. Even from here, I knew it was Petra. Did everyone know she was here? Was that the reason everyone had congregated in town? It had to be. Even from here, even this far away, the sight of her caused my breath to hitch. Pride swelled in my chest.
The horse in the pasture beside me brayed. “That’s the love of my life,” I murmured, pointing in Petra’s direction. “There, at the front of the crowd.” The horse didn’t answer, because he was a horse. I was talking to a fucking horse. But Saints, the pride overflowed in me, and I had to put it into words.
A few people stood alongside Petra. Larka, probably. Maybe her father? Saints, I hoped she got to see her father again. Another figure stepped forward from the crowd, and Petra launched herself at them. Who was that? I could see someone else standing close by, but no matter how hard I squinted, the distance was far too great to discern any of their features.
The horse’s hoof pawed at the grass, its ears flicking back and forth wildly. “I’m not a fan of crowds, either,” I told him. “But this one, I don’t mind.” My mother and aunt were down there, somewhere in her vicinity. Maybe they’d never meet, but the thought of them just being near to Petra…
Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes as I pinched the bridge of my nose, but I looked up when the horse brayed again. His hoof was moving faster against the grass, each impact so hard it felt like the ground was rumbling beneath my feet.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him, as if he could answer.
He grew more agitated still, his chest bumping up against the wooden fence. The whites of his eyes were visible around the dark rings of his irises. The rumbling beneath my feet grew stronger, and I realized it wasn’t from the horse’s hoof at all.
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
Terror seized me, my muscles freezing as I stared at the crowd gathered for Petra.Think, Cal, think.I was a mile away at least, immobilized by indecision. I could run to her, push through the crowd, hope I made it to her in time. I flinched as the horse’s movements grew more erratic, shifting on its hooves as its nostrils flared and its breathing quickened.
“Petra!” I shouted desperately, knowing there was no way she’d hear me from here. But dammit, I was going to try. “Petra!” My hands tore through my hair. “Fuck!” I bellowed, feeling completely helpless as I spun in place, looking for an answer. I froze as I spotted the horizon behind me, where a dark cloud had just begun to form.
The rumbling in the ground grew deeper, the anxiety in my chest growing louder along with it. I stared at the horse, and he stared back at me. It was like he knew, too. The Occulti weren’t just coming.
They were here.
Chapter 8
Petra
I pretended I didn’t see the streams of people walking from every direction, converging near the Gates in a steadily growing crowd. I just wanted to get to the Gates, say goodbye to Da and Larka — both of whom were trailing behind me, though the latter was grumbling beneath her breath — and see if I could make it to the Darkness Beyond. I’d figure the rest out from there.
At least, I hoped I would.
A hand rested lightly against my elbow, and I turned to see Elin with a soft smile on her face. “Is that smile for me?” I asked with a laugh that felt good amidst so much uncertainty.
“Figured I gave you enough shit in life. Maybe death has made me kind.” Her smile faltered a bit when she saw Larka’s hardened expression. “Actually,” she started with a deep breath, “word has traveled that you’re here. There are some people who want to meet you.”
“Word traveled all across Heaven?”
“It all works a bit differently here. Details sort of just…appear in your mind as they need to. That, and there’s been a few people asking around about you for quite some time.”
I wasn’t sure what I felt in that moment — shame? People had died because of me, after all. But that shame quickly melted away the moment a pair of deep brown eyes met mine. I blinked, disbelief halting every thought in my brain as I stared back at someone I never thought I’d see again.
“Wrena?” I gasped, breaking into a sprint to close the short distance. A sob overtook my body as I held her, as I held the first true friend I’d ever had. “I’m so sorry, Wrena. I’m so, so sorry.”
“Don’t you even think of apologizing.” She pulled away, her eyes clear and bright. I was a mess of tears and sniffles as she beamed at me. “Petra, I want you to meet Imar.” She gestured to the man who stood behind her, chocolate brown hair tumbling to his shoulders. It was him — the man Wrena had loved and lost. I’d never asked his name back when she told me about him, but I was sure I’d never forget it now.
Imar smiled, and just as I reached forward to shake his hand, I realized what was tucked beneath his arm. Wrena’s smile deepened. “And this is Enella.”
Words failed me as I stared down at the sleeping baby girl, her long lashes resting softly against her perfectly round cheeks. My hand flew over my mouth as joyful tears spilled down my face. “Wrena, she’s beautiful. I can’t believe it.”
“Neither could I,” she answered, staring longingly at her daughter. “I named her after–”
“Your cousin!” I cut in, unable to contain myself as my hands waved with excitement. Wrena’s face was a mix of confusion and joy. “I know Nell! She was my very first friend in Taitha!”
Her eyes lit up, crinkling at the corners. “I guess it runs in the family.” She laughed, tears forming in her eyes.
“Could I borrow Lady Petra from you, Wrena?” another familiar voice asked from behind me. I spun to see–
