Treason's Tempest [Fourth Wing]

03. slippery paths and death threats

𓆩 chapter three 𓆪

slippery paths and death threats

RHIANNON GRIPS BOTH SIDES of the opening in the turret, glancing over her shoulder at me and Violet. "I'll wait for you two on the other side," she shouts over the storm.

"I'll see you on the other side!" Violet calls back, trying to sound confident.

But Dylan is dead, and the thought of watching someone else slip and fall makes my stomach churn. I'd trained for the parapet, trained for combat, but nothing prepared me for the sight of someone plummeting to their death. 

Now I understand why Mira warned us not to make friends.

Even though I know his hands are more than full today, I send up a silent prayer to Zihnal, the god of luck, begging him to help Violet make it across the parapet safely.

"Name?" the rider at the edge asks as his partner holds a cloak over the scroll in a pointless attempt to keep the paper dry.

"Violet Sorrengail," Violet answers as thunder cracks above us. My breath catches at the sudden, booming noise, jolting me back to nights as a young child when I'd crawl into bed with my mother out of fear. I've long since outgrown the phobia, of course, but the deep rumble of the sky sounds a lot louder up on the turret than it ever did below.

Ahead of us, Rhiannon is making her way across, her hands out for balance. She's probably a fourth of the way, her figure becoming blurrier the further she walks in the rain.

"I thought she only had one daughter?" The other rider asks, angling the cloak as another gust of wind blows into us. If it's this windy here, then we're about to be in a world of hurt on the parapet.

"I get that a lot." Violet replies, her voice barely audible against the wind.

"Violet, listen to me," I interrupt, my voice cutting through the wind and their conversation. "Don't let the wind sway your steps. Eyes on the stones ahead. Don't look down. Arms out. If the pack slips, drop it." I recite Mira's words, and I can see the gears in Violet's head as she processes them.

She nods, taking a shaky breath.

I reach out, giving her hand a firm squeeze, "You've got this, Vi. I'll see you on the other side."

Violet manages a grimace of a smile before I let go. She takes a deep breath, then takes the lone step up onto the parapet. Her small figure trembles as she grips the stone wall, another gust of wind instantly knocking her sideways against the opening in the turret.

I wince.

"And you think you'll be able to ride?" the asshole candidate behind me mocks. "Some Sorrengail, with that kind of balance. I pity whatever wing you end up in."