Crown of Feathers (Book 2 of the Crown Trilogy)

Twenty-Three

Kyron and I scurry to our feet, grabbing our clothes and haphazardly throwing them on as we race out of the stables. The bell continues to ring, joined by horrendous animalistic calls and shouted commands. The red and gold glow of power reflects from the low sitting clouds, and swords clank in a horrid symphony. We are at war.

I grab Kyron's hand as he rushes ahead, past the pigpen and grazing field. The pounding of my feet causes rocks to dig through the soles of my delicate slippers. It slows me down, but Kyron holds tight. We round the chicken coops, and I yank his hand, bringing him to a stop.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," I say, looking up at a human-sized hawk perched at the top of the feed house.

The Allaji bird stares down at us, its electric blue eyes darting back and forth. Beyond the intelligence of an efficient predator, there is something menacing brewing beneath the surface. It opens its curved beak, displaying a slender, wiggling tongue, like it's tasting our scent on the breeze. The bird expands its cream and brown speckled wings, and its long, sharp talons uncoil from the thatched roof.

Kyron releases me, and his hands light up with his flames. "Run!"

We sprint toward the center of camp, and the sounds of the battle intensify. The screams are more frantic and the clattering of swords is constant. They are almost as loud as the massive flapping wings closing in on us.

The hawk swoops down and Kyron hurls a ball of fire at it. Tilting to one side, the bird soars by the projectile and dives for us again. I take control of Kyron's shadows and yank him to the ground with me, letting his gift camouflage us. The hawk flies past, and I blow out a puff of air.

"I fucked up. We should have gone over protocol for an attack today." Kyron says, helping me to my feet.

I tighten the shadows around us like a protective blanket. "It's not your fault. We'll figure it—"

"Duck!"

I drop to my knees, but I'm not fast enough. A sharp talon slices across my back, ripping through my nightgown. Kyron runs in the hawk's direction and a stream of flames shoots from his hand. It arches through the sky, following the bird but never reaching it.

"How did it see us?" I yell, ignoring the warm liquid running down my spine.

"Great eyesight. It must have seen the ripples in the shadows. I'll distract it. You head for the hub and gather the others."

"No, I'm not leaving you."

"Damnit, Raelle!"

I call the flames away from him and lift my hands over my head. They expand under my control, raging as they shoot high above us. "Let it try again and we will have a roasted bird."

Kyron shakes his head and presses his back to mine. "So much for saving the pretty damsel in destress."

I laugh. "What do you mean? I think I'm doing an amazing job, my pretty prince." 

He shoots me a glare over his shoulder and takes a step back, moving me forward. "If you get us out of this alive, I promise to swoon at your feet."

"Oh, sexy. You have a deal."

The hawk soars overhead in a circle, staying far from the blazing heat. Its head moves with each turn, not letting us out of its sight. I can't help but feel like the bird is on a specific mission. It was waiting for us to leave the stables, eager to toy with us. Nothing about this attack was spontaneous. We are its intentional prey.

Under the plume of fire, we move onto the main road, and I lessen my control on Kyron's gift. The wooden buildings lining the street give us some cover and I don't want to set camp up in flames. We need to make it to the hub, where the flashes of fire and guttural animal sounds seem to be the loudest.