“Release her,” he said sternly.
Isla looked around to see who he was talking to. That was when she saw them, standing in the gaps of the hive. Dozens of them.
They had long, transparent wings that hung limp at their sides. Their skin was light blue, like someone had stuck a paintbrush in the air to get the color. Their eyes were too large, limbs too long.
Not one of them moved.
Oro bared his teeth. “Did you not hear me?”
Steps sounded before her, at the center of the hive. From the shadows stepped a man as tall as Oro. He had the same light-blue skin as the others, but his wings were larger and perched high, the tops peaking above his muscled shoulders. His hair was dark as Grim’s. “Oh, no, they heard you,King,”he said. “They are hesitant to listen to a ruler who has abandoned them, however.” He angled his head at Oro. “You can understand, I am sure.”
Oro made to step forward, but a sword appeared from thin air—and pressed firmly against his throat. The winged man had a hand raised, keeping the blade hovering in place.
Oro’s finger twitched and the blade drew closer, sending a droplet of blood spilling down his neck.
The winged man clicked his tongue. “A move,King,and we’ll see just how easily you can die like the rest of us.”
She had to think, do something. Stall, until she could come up with a better plan. “You would destroy the island just to kill him?”
Slowly, the man turned to her, as if noticing her for the first time. She expected a sword against her throat next. Oro had said he would try to kill her. That he, like other ancient creatures, hated her kind.
But he only grinned, pleased. “The island is well on its way to destruction,” he purred. “And it would be a gift ... We all have suffered enough,Wildling.”
He turned to Oro, amused. “Did you think you could disguise her from me?” He smiled, and Isla saw too many teeth in his mouth, all crowded together. “That might work on others ... but me?” He laughed. “Or did you think she would be enough to convince me to work with you? Are you truly that cornered, King, to ask me for aid? You fool.”
The winged man turned to face the others. Their hair was blue, not dark like his. And they looked too pale. Sickly. The way their wings hung made Isla think they didn’t work anymore. Was it because of the Skyling curse? Did it affect them as well?
“What do you say?” he said loudly, a leader rallying his people. “Are we ready to be free of this island? To see how we fare on the other side?” His hand turned to a fist.
And the sword sliced across Oro’s throat.
Isla gasped. The blade had not cut deeply. But blood streamed down his neck, staining his shirt. They had to get him to water so he could close the wound before he lost too much.
Even with the gash across his throat, the king’s face did not change. He did not wince.
They needed to abandon her plan. He had been right—
It had only taken a few seconds of the winged man speaking to his people for Isla to retrieve her dagger. A few more to cut through the rope. She felt cool metal in her fingers.
And then her arm flung through the air.
The blade flew true, aimed perfectly, right at the winged man’s heart. It whizzed fast as an arrow, blade glimmering in the light.
An inch before hitting its mark, the dagger froze.
Isla stilled, preparing for the winged man to send it back through her chest.
But he had not frozen the blade. His eyes were wide; he looked as shocked as anyone to see the tip pointed at his heart.
It wasn’t alone. The sword that had been at Oro’s throat was now at the man’s neck.
Orohad stopped Isla’s blade.
Everyone stilled. Not by their will, but by Oro’s. His nostrils flared. “Perhapsyouare the fool for believing you could immobilize a Wildling with a bit of rope.” He stepped forward. Blood still flowed steadily from his wound. He did not reach up to wipe it away. Oro grinned meanly. “Yes, she knew she would pique your curiosity enough to get us into your hive. And I knew you would be prideful enough to believe you could capture us so easily.” He reached the platform the winged man stood upon. His voice became almost a growl. “Now, tell us where we can find the island’s heart.”
The winged man was silent for a moment. Then he smiled. “How I love a surprise ... andshe”—he looked curiously at Isla—“shecertainly is a surprise. More than you know ...” Isla froze. She could hear it in the edge to his voice—he knew. Somehow, he knew she was a Wildling ruler born without powers. She braced herself, waiting for him to say it.Waiting for what Oro would do with that information. But the winged man simply laughed. “Curious, socurious, Wildling.Born so strangely.”
He turned to Oro, still smiling joyfully. As if he had not just sliced the throat of the king of Lightlark.
