Page 96 of The Silent Mountain
Please,I beg her.The less I need to worry about, the better.
She sighs.Fine, but we will need to talk about this eventually!
*ALANA*
“What’s going on down there?” Elio asks, pacing around anxiously. We walked for a while, both of us at an ambitious pace, and soon were far away from the clan and up one of the mountains. It’s then that we spot the clan area and see the birds circling it.
“Favian just linked me, they are being attacked,” I explain nervously.
“We need to help them!”
“I promised him we would stay here.”
Elio groans.
“Yeah, that was my initial reaction as well,” I admit.
“Why is he like that!?” Elio exclaims. “This is our home and our clan, too! Why doesn’t he trust me at all?”
“It’s not just you,” I say.
“But how come you accept it so easily?”
“I don’t,” I admit. “But I know we are all he has,” I add. “His trauma runs deep, Elio. I know it’s frustrating, but let’s try to be patient with him and work on it.”
“Alright,” Elio says with a sigh. “He has been more relaxed since you’ve been with us.”
“Let’s find a better spot,” I tell him. “I want to be able to see what’s going on.”
“There is a cliff a bit ahead,” he says. “We will see the whole area from there.”
I let Elio take the lead, and we make it to the cliff, though it’s more like an extension of the mountain than a cliff itself. He was right with his promise, though, it gives a view of the whole clan area. A beautiful observation platform, although now the scene is nothing but scary. Flocks of birds are fluttering above the clan while the dragons have lunged into the air and are fighting back.
Favian obviously wants to get rid of this problem, judging by the aggressive way the dragons are fighting back. Fortunately, they all had the potion.
“Let’s hope they truly get rid of them,” Elio mutters.
“Can we even do that?” I ask. “Birds are birds; they will come and go. If we get rid of this flock, won’t another one just reappear?”
“Probably,” Elio says.
A surreal sound ahead of us pulls me out of our talk. For a split second, I am confused. It’s just a couple of seconds of inattention, but they are enough for me to be distracted. I spin around, suddenly staring at a pitch-black bird the size of a small dragon above us.
“Careful, Elio!” I yell, pushing him to the side before the bird can lunge at him. With Elio out of the way, I come eye to eye with the gigantic bird.
By the Goddess Aine, I have never seen such a beast before! What is this? Red eyes seem to stare right into my soul, the feathers have been plucked, and bones and skin are hanging off the creature. Whatever this is, I am sure it’s not a normal bird!
A loud screech rips through the air, making me wince in pain. Blood drips out of my nose. I try to ignore it and reach for my dagger, but I am too slow. The creature grips, its claws driving deep into my shoulder and making it impossible for me to even move before it drags me away from the mountain and towards the ocean.
“Alana!” Elio yells.
I can see him shift and take off in his dragon form. “No, Elio. Stay back!”
The creature screeches again, making me convulse in pain.Favian,I try to reach out to my mate.Favian, can you hear me?
I am greeted by deafening silence.
It’s blocking my connection to Favian, although I am marked! How is that possible?
