Page 9 of Silver Claws, Crimson Tears
Without waiting for acknowledgment, I turn and walk away.
I approach the spot where she vanished, my steps measured despite the urgency pounding in my chest. In daylight, the ground bears dim signs of yesterday’s impossible event. The earth is scorched, a mark that radiates outward from where the mountainside split open. Smaller fissures spider across the rock face, healed but still visible like newly formed scars.
This is where I failed her, where our fingertips touched before she slipped beyond my reach.
I press my palm against the stone, feeling nothing but cold, unyielding rock. No trace remains of the power that surged here. No hint of a passage within.
“Rhealyn,” I whisper, the name a prayer upon my lips.
My riders can’t see me like this, so desperate and undone. A leader must embody strength, especially in a crisis. Yet standing here, alone with my regrets, I’m merely a man who watched someone he cares for vanish.
I close my eyes, steadying my breathing as I was taught long ago at the Aerie Academy. Control. Discipline. These virtues have always guided me. They should guide me now because I can’t fail her again.
When I open my eyes again, I’m resolute, focused, the High Prime once more. Iwillfind her.
This place keeps its secrets for now, but not forever. Nothing does.
With each step back to camp, the wind whispers doubts in my ears. Duty weighs on me like those peaks weigh on the land, yet so does the memory of her fierce, courageous gaze. I steel myself. This place owes me answers, and I will return for them.
I’ve barely madeit back to camp when Dakar steps into my path, his dark eyes narrowed with concern.
“You ain’t yourself, mate.” He scratches his stubbled jaw, studying me too intently. “What’s eatin’ at you about this girl?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” I reply, squaring my shoulders.
“Wyrm-shit.” Dakar lowers his voice, glancing around to ensure we’re not overheard. “I know you. Been flyin’ together too long. There’s somethin’ between you and that Skysinger that’s got you tied up in knots.”
I clench my jaw. Even acknowledging such feelings would be a betrayal of my position.
“You know you can trust me,” Dakar says.
I say nothing, staring at the scorched earth.
“Look,” Dakar steps closer, “we’ve lost riders before. Good ones. Never seen you this torn up.”
“Not here.” I glance toward the others. This conversation requires privacy, and perhaps more honesty than I’m prepared to offer.
“Fair enough,” Dakar says with a shrug.
A moment later, I stand before my riders. Their faces are etched with questions and judgment. Their dragons rest nearby, scales gleaming in the morning light. This moment demands clarity from me, not the storm of conflict raging within.
“We return to Cinderhold immediately,” I announce, my voice carrying across our makeshift camp. “Commander Voltguard must be informed of everything we’ve witnessed here.”
Emberstone nods in approval while Dakar frowns.
“After delivering our report, we will abide by whatevercourse the Commander and Council of Primes determine is wisest.” The words taste bitter, but duty demands nothing less. “This threat extends beyond this contingent alone.”
Goddess!Can I truly leave? My gaze traces the jagged outline of the range. There might be other entrances, cave systems I need to explore. These mountains harbor passages. I saw them marked on several maps as we planned our excursion here.
A voice inside me whispers that I could request a small contingent stay behind. Just a few riders and I could search while the others return with news to Cinderhold.
But that would be folly.
My responsibility extends beyond one missing Skysinger—even one as exceptional as Rhealyn. The others look to me for leadership, for protection. Whatever emerged from that mountain could threaten not just Rhealyn but all of Embernia. Besides, a small contingent would be no better than ants searching the vast range.
“Ready yourselves. We fly within the hour,” I say, letting reason prevail over my heart’s desperate plea to find her.
I’ve made my decision. I know the Commander will dispatch a full search team once we report what happened here, a force far more capable than our small group. This is the rational path forward. This is what Rhealyn needs, not my reckless impulses.
