The Walls Have Eyes

Chapter Two

The wind knifed through my furs and whipped my hair behind me in a stream of pink and black. The chill that rode the air bit down to my very bones, my cheeks tingling from it. We'd flown through the night, and the sun was just beginning to paint a gray dawn across the eastern sky.

Sadness drained what was left of my energy. The snow-covered trees below us reminded me of the forests of my homeland. It had been sixty years since I'd fled, but the longing had never faded. I wondered if I'd ever see the thick forests and snow-covered mountains of the Shadowlands again.

Ahead of me, the gray-furred pegasus that led our procession started to descend below the clouds. I urged my own beast to follow, my energy renewed by the thought of nearing our destination. Hooves clattered onto a snow-covered path as we landed, and the winged beasts slowed to a stop.

"We'll take the roads from here," the dark-skinned rider in front of me stated, hopping down from his mount and searching the surrounding area with amber eyes.

A glossy black dragon, wings as black as night and eyes a rippling blue like the ocean, landed beside him. Blue smoke enveloped the ignembra, and when it dissipated, a young woman stood in its place. She was tall, with pale skin that shimmered blue in the light and long black hair contained in a braid. Her arms crawled with black inkings, left bare by the gauzy dress that fell to her feet in waves.

"There's no one in the area," she reported. "Eeion should catch up momentarily. Lyall is still in the air."

"I'm here," a deep voice called from just behind.

I turned in the saddle, my breath catching at the sight. He trotted up on a huge pegasus, his leather armor clinging to pale muscles. His mount stopped beside me, and he smiled, ever so slightly, in my direction.

"What's the plan," the darker man questioned.

"Eli, you'll ride just ahead of us. Raendri and Lyall will watch from the air. Mikhail will stay where he's at, and I'll guard Morgana's flank," Eeion answered.

"Should we make camp to break our fasts?"

Eeion let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. "We're only a couple hours' ride out. I would prefer we wait until we're in the safety of the manor."

Eli nodded and climbed back onto the pegasus, who shot me an annoyed look. My own mount nickered, and I allowed my shields down just enough to communicate with the animal.

"Poor Dhamir," he mocked.

"Hush, Shadow," I told the beast. "You'd not enjoy carting a lycan 'round either."

Shadow snorted as Raendri changed back into the blue dragon and took to the air. Eli raised an arm and gestured ahead. "Onward," he called, urging Dhamir into a brisk canter.

Eeion and I followed suit, hooves crunching in the snow.

"The manor is well fortified," Eeion told me as we rode. "It should be easy to guard."

His words brought to mind the attack I'd narrowly survived three months prior. The castle had been well-fortified, but still, the defenses were breached. For days, I had been unconscious while blood poisoning attempted to steal my life. Even the smallest amount of iron in the blood was enough to kill a fae, but somehow, I survived the blood poisoning with nothing more than a nasty scar.

When I asked Eeion about it, he simply told me that perhaps the gods had interceded on my behalf. I wasn't sure I believed him, but there were no prior reports of a fae surviving blood poisoning. There wasn't another explanation.