Page 81 of Black Wing and Shadows
I turned on my heel before I could say something that would get me permanent latrine duty and began sorting through who I trusted enough to join me, off the books. If Corson wanted to play it slow, fine. I’d find my way.
By the time I left the strategy hall, I knew who I could count on, not just people who were capable, but people who would move now, without questions or hesitation.
Lili was the first. I caught her before she headed into the sparring gym, twin daggers strapped to her hips. “She’s gone,” I said.
Her brow furrowed. “Auri?”
I nodded once. That was all it took. She didn’t ask about Corson or demand details. She simply fell into step beside me.
We found Alex in the Alpha Wing Hall. He tensed the instant he saw us together. “What’s this?”
“Auri’s missing,” Lili said.
His jaw worked, but he didn’t waste time pretending not to care. “Where?”
“Don’t know yet,” I said. “We’re going to find her.”
Eli and Oliver were in the courtyard, mid-banter with some other Drusearons. I caught Eli’s gaze and tipped my head. He joined without a word, Oliver right behind him.
Once we were clear of any ears, I spoke straight. “Corson’s locking the perimeter and waiting on a sweep. That’s too slow. We’re going now.”
Eli’s mouth curved in a sharp grin. “Finally. Some fun.”
Oliver frowned, but there was steel in his eyes. “We do this quietly. If they catch us—”
“They won’t,” I said.
We gathered gear in minutes—blades, light packs, enough water for a long day. Lili produced smoke flares from gods knew where. “If we find her and need a quick pick up,” she said.
We moved to the flight field, Lili and Alex already summoning their dragons.
“Where first?” Alex asked.
“Tracks,” I said. “If they took her on foot, we’ll find a sign near the Alpha side. If not…” I let the rest hang. If not, we had no choice but to start guessing—and there wasn't time for that. The campus was already alive with sound—dragon wings beating overhead, instructors shouting commands, the metallic ring of gear checks. Perfect cover.
The flight fields were a chaotic mess. Cadets ran drills with their bonded fliers, taking off in staggered intervals, looping in tight arcs before landing hard and fast. From the ground, it was a cacophony of noise and motion. From above, a swarm that no one could track individually.
Lili had Veyra saddled and waiting in the shadows off the Alpha side of the flight field. Alex’s Korven crouched beside her, restless, smoke curling from his nostrils.
“We slot in right after Corzine’s group launches,” Lili murmured, keeping her voice low. “Their formation breaks south for wind training. We peel off before anyone clocks us.”
Eli adjusted the strap on his pack. “What if the watchtower spots us?”
“They won’t,” Alex said. “We’re ghosts until we’re out of range.”
We timed it perfectly. Corzine’s squad took to the air in a spray of dust and wingbeats, and we launched right behind them. Eli, Oliver, and I flew under the dragons, masked by their shadow.
We stayed tight in formation until the towers were only dots on the horizon. Then Lili signaled—two sharp hand motions—and both dragons banked hard east. The drills behind us continued, their noise covering our escape.
Once the campus disappeared into a haze, we dropped lower, skimming treetops. The smell of damp earth rose in waves. I scanned the ground for any sign of her.
A few miles out, Eli pointed toward a break in the canopy. Something fluttered on a low branch—a strip of dark fabric. I leaned down, catching it as Veyra eased closer. It was a torn strip of black cotton. Auri’s.
“She’s out here,” I said, my voice tight.
No one argued. We turned the dragons toward the forest’s edge and pushed harder, the hunt officially begun. The cloth was our first sign. We hunted and searched all the grounds. Eli tracked it to an animal den, and Auri wasn’t there. Every hour that passed, my chest felt tighter. Like my heart was on the verge of disintegrating.
There were pieces of her clothing all over. We spent the entire day flying over the forest, searching the ground. I could smell traces of her everywhere, like they were toying with us.
