Page 132 of Realm of Wind and Vines
Even though it has been months since I was trapped in this castle with an iron collar around my throat, my entire soul still balks at being back inside those thick ice walls. And it must be even worse for Isera and Alistair, who suffered a lot more than I did in there. I glance over at Alistair as we run towards the first fork in the path. He is clenching his jaw slightly, but apart from that, he shows nothing on his face.
It must have been truly horrible for him to return to the kennels, where he was locked in a cage for weeks. Same with Isera. She ran all the way up to the Icehearts’ private wing to find Lavendera. I don’t know exactly what the Icehearts put her and Alistair through in there, but it can’t have been easy for her to return.
Alistair suddenly sucks in a sharp breath.
I snap my gaze to him.
Alarm flashes in his eyes as he jerks his chin towards the left and then the right. I flick my gaze from side to side while we turn right and sprint down the path that leads directly down into the city rather than towards the Silver Clan barracks and the library.
Ice spreads through my veins.
There, on the horizon in both directions, silver dragons are starting to return to the city.
My heart leaps into my throat. We need to make it to the empty house where Grey has a portal waiting for us before theyreach the city. Or Draven, Galen, and Lyra are going to be in the fight of their lives.
“Uhm,” Alistair begins in an effort to bring that to Isera and Orion’s attention without blowing their cover.
“I see it,” Isera confirms.
Running beside her, Orion flicks a glance at her before casting a quick look back at us. His eyes are serious and full of warning. “It won’t be long.”
I swallow down a flash of dread, because I understand exactly what his warning meant. It won’t be long now before Nysara’s magic runs out and their glamour disappears. We need to make it to the portal before then.
Before the magic runs out.
Before the silver dragons get too close.
Before Draven and the others have to shift and engage in battle.
Before Lavendera can figure out that this is an abduction and not a mission from the Icehearts.
Blood pounds in my ears as we sprint the final distance down the path and towards the first street ahead.
The silver dragons are getting closer on all sides.
I flick my gaze desperately over the rooftops, praying to Mabona that Draven doesn’t shift yet.
Panicked screams echo across the city as the civilian dragon shifters rush back to their homes to take cover. My lungs burn as we hurtle down the street and then take a sharp left before going right. For the first time, Lavendera casts a confused glance behind her. Alistair and I just look back at her, trying to project a calm that I’m sure neither of us feels.
People scramble out of the way as we charge down the next road.
A market square opens up at the other end of it.
I drag in short shallow breaths while trying to block out the exhaustion that courses through me. We’re not even halfway tothe portal yet. Since we couldn’t set it up in a place where any dragon shifter might find it, we had to open it in one of the now empty areas where the humans used to live. Unfortunately, those areas are located farthest from the castle.
Dragon shifters are hurriedly shoving wares down into carts and pushing them into the buildings that line the market as we cross it. They still think a massive attack is incoming, and they’re trying to protect their livelihoods from being destroyed in the fighting.
I whip my head from side to side, but from down here, I can no longer see the horizons clearly. My heart hammers in my chest. I have no idea how close the silver dragons are to the city.
“We need to—” Isera begins.
Her glamour drops.
And so does Orion’s.
Panic shoots up my spine as the fake Jessina and Bane who used to run at the head of our little group suddenly transform back into Isera and Orion. Jessina’s white hair turns black, and her glittering silver dress becomes black fighting leathers. Next to her, Bane’s smooth black hair changes to a dark blue color, and a spiky black crown appears on his head. The silver formal wear bleeds into dark blue and black, with only hints of silver decorations.
Lavendera slams to a halt in the middle of the market square.
