Misfits of Aquila (Aquila's Originals 1)

Chapter 28: Ice, Part 1

RHIDDYL PANICKED. SHE heard the ice crack and took off, feeling the lake shatter beneath the push of her weight. Her flapping wings caused more confusion, whipping snow into the air, making the miryhls shriek and scream. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear, she couldn't think. She didn't know what to do.

Vhen was screaming at her, yelling at her to go back, to go down, that she'd left them behind.

Rhiddyl looked down. Zett and Caelo were gone.

She'd left them behind.

Broken ice and clear water yawned below her, leaving no trace of where her friends had been.

She'd left them behind.

Rhiddyl gathered her power, summoned her lightning and roared.

* * *

"GET AWAY! GET away! Get away!" Milk shrieked, her talons buried in Orla's shoulder as she half carried, half dragged her Rider away from the spreading cracks, Strike on her tail. Pinwheel and Taryn were ahead, the girl clinging to her skinny miryhl's back, in clear danger of falling off at any moment. Sunshine led the charge, gold and glinting as she raced for solid ground.

Orla hit the shore with a thump, landing on her knees, heart pounding, shoulder screaming. She packed the bleeding wound with handfuls of snow, turning to look back across the lake.

Lightning near-blinded her as Rhiddyl roared, spitting magic at the shattered ice.

"Stop her!" Taryn screamed. "She'll kill them!"

Strike set off immediately, no doubt realising she'd left her Rider behind.

"We need help," Taryn gasped, turning to her own miryhl. "Fetch it."

Pinwheel nodded and flew swiftly away, while Sunshine and Milk cowered in the snow.

"Let me see that," Taryn said, pulling Orla's hand from her shoulder. Taryn hissed and immediately began unwinding her scarf from around her neck.

"The others," Orla protested, thinking they should be doing something, should be helping in some way.

"Are beyond our reach," Taryn said, as further cracks split the lake ice, shattering it into great peaks and troughs. Water flowed up through the nearest patch of snow, melting the whiteness away and leaving deep blue shadows. "We can't do anything for them, except pray."

Gulping, Orla closed her eyes against the pain and begged Maegla for Her mercy.

* * *

ICE SURROUNDED ZETT, gripping him in a vice that stole breath, movement and thought. He dropped into darkness, a world of bitter cold and strange noises. Groans and snaps shuddered through the depths like distant thunder. It might almost have been the voice of some ancient beast, stirring from slumber and unhappy about it.

He fell, losing track of the light, wrapped in a cold that embraced him, enfolded him, cradled and comforted him. It was peaceful, even amongst the groans. They sounded deeper now, more rhythmic, almost like singing...

A spark ignited in the darkness and he opened his eyes.

Caelo.

A hand closed over his.

He pulled her in. They wrapped their arms around each other and sunk into the deep.

* * *