Page 53 of The War of Wings
I looked back, seeing Obitus and Gehenna right where they should be, and I patted Adorex twice on the neck. At my cue, a stream of fire flew from Adorex’s massive jaws, Obitus and Gehenna’s too. The flames burned out in the air above the city, just as we’d planned. And even though it touched nothing, even though nothing burned, it sent the already panicked citizens into an absolute frenzy.
Good. We needed as much panic as possible, because panic would catch the attention of the King and Queen.
Adorex banked right and headed straight for the castle. She circled the massive sandstone structure, and I scanned every terrace, balcony, and garden I could for any sign of Araqina’s rulers. Unsurprisingly, they hadn’t dared to come outside.
The top of the highest tower was lined with massive windows, and I could see figures moving behind them.There they are.Who else would be hiding up there while their people were enduring chaos below? Adorex landed on the terrace just outside the windows, and even though it was a massive expanse of space, it still couldn’t accommodate her size. Bits of sandstone crumbled away beneath her weight as Obitus and Gehenna landed on two of the smaller spires, their great wings flapping as they balanced on their too-small perches.
Adorex’s stare was set on the figures frozen behind the windows, their faces contorted in horror. With a swing of herneck, she let out a deafening roar. The windows shook in their panes before they shattered completely, and the two figures inside hit the floor, their arms thrown over their heads.
Oops.
I had to hold in the chuckle that bubbled up my throat at Adorex as I dismounted.I could do this. I was powerful. No, I was power incarnate.
I cleared my throat. “King Laion and Queen Irli.” The figures stayed motionless on the terracotta floor, though I could see both of them quaking. The interior looked to be a dining room, fruits and pastries strewn across the large tabletop as if they’d been eating when their city was invaded. “My apologies for interrupting your breakfast.”
Slowly, the man — Laion — began to stir, an arm lowering from his head just enough that I could see one dark eye, wild with panic.
“I am Petra, Daughter of Katia,” I said, my voice strong, just as I’d rehearsed over and over again with Cal. “The realm is in danger, and my request to Nesan for aid was denied. I’m here to demand you reconsider. My drivas will not cause any harm to you or your people. Unless,” I added, “you were to give them a reason to. Show yourselves so we may discuss the matter at hand.”
Damn, that all sounded a lot better than I thought it would.
Good, Adorex thought.
King Laion slowly lowered his arm the rest of the way, cautiously pushing against the floor to rise to his feet. Queen Irli tried to peek out from where she was huddled on the ground beside him, but her husband threw a hand in her direction, halting her movements. Though his eyes were still wild with fear, his features were hardened with fury. “You come intomykingdom uninvited, cause complete and utter havoc, and demand my time?”
A puff of steam left Adorex’s nostrils.Man. Fool.
I took a step back to peer over the edge of the terrace to the city streets below. With a palm in the air, I tapped into the storm brewing just below the surface of my skin. “Yes, I am demanding your time,” I answered simply, and the sky began to darken. Thunder rumbled in the distance, growing closer and louder as the clouds roiled more and more overhead.Just like we planned, I reminded myself. “How much rain does Araqina get in an average year, King Laion?”
The fury on his face morphed to confusion and then to panic as King Laion’s eyes raised to the sky then back to my hand. Black clouds loomed threateningly overhead, lightning flashing suddenly as thunder rattled the city, its boom almost as loud as the call of the drivas.
“Less than a quarter inch of rain every year, right?” I asked. “Your people are already panicked down there. Imagine the panic a torrential downpour would cause. Flooded streets, ruined homes…”
I summoned a few raindrops, watching them splatter against the sandstone.Come on, Laion. Don’t make me do this to your people. I really, really don’t want to do this to your people.
“Okay,” he finally said, his lip curling.Thank the fucking Saints.“Just call off the storm.”
Laion jolted as I let one more crack of thunder roar above the city before I willed the storm away. The clouds dissipated to reveal blue skies and sunshine once again. Adorex’s neck flexed, something I knew looked terrifying to the King and Queen, but she was just soaking in the sunshine.
Fuck, I felt powerful.
“Thank you,” I said, walking forward. My boots crunched over the broken glass as I entered the dining room and picked up a lone pastry that had somehow survived the commotion. “Was that really so fucking hard?”
Chapter 21
Petra
I told Adorex, Obitus, and Gehenna to fly far enough into the desert and away from the city so no one could see them lounging in the early evening sunlight. Last thing we needed was for someone to see a driva snoozing belly-up and think they were anything less than mortally terrifying.
Cal, Miles, and I stood in the antechamber just outside a dining room — a different dining room than the one Adorex blew to pieces. We’d been invited to dine with King Laion and Queen Irli tonight, but not before we’d been shown to a suite in the Araqinan castle complete with a sitting room, two bedrooms, and a blissfully lukewarm bath that felt nothing short of divine after today’s heat.
“Remember,” Cal murmured in my ear. “You are the rightful Queen of Astran. You are the Daughter of fucking KatiaandRhedros.”
The high I’d felt after demanding to speak with King Laion had worn away, the adrenaline dissolving like it had never been there in the first place. I was back to wringing my hands and second guessing, well, everything.
I closed my eyes, repeating Cal’s words back to him. “I am the rightful Queen of Astran and the Daughter of Katia and Rhedros.”
“You could blow this castle to pieces on a whim.” He squeezed my hip, sending a chill racing up my spine. My back straightened its wake.
