My mother jerked from the sudden sound. She wrapped her arms around herself as the chill of death lingered in the air. She cupped her hands around her face as she cried, and my father’s features softened.
“Ivy,” my father whispered as he approached, gently wrapping her in his strong arms. “It’ll be alright, love.” He tightened his embrace but we could all feel the tension in the room. Nothing was okay. Women and children, Sky Elves and fae were here onemoment and gone the next. Letting that thought sink into my mind and claw at the depths of my heart made tears swell and stream down my face. What being could close their eyes every night knowing what they had done to those innocent women and children and feel any kind of peace?
From the rumors over the years, we had heard about the Princess of Ember being a villainous creature. But this was beyond that. She was the type of person our people told scary stories about around the campfire. The ones that stuck with you in your nightmares. The type of person who had no regard for the pain of others. She took pleasure in every wound she inflicted.
“I’m scared,” my mother finally said, “for all of us.” She peered over the three of us in the room with cloudy eyes.
I walked over to them and my father welcomed me into their embrace. He held us for what felt like an eternity, and I did everything in my power to memorize the moment, burning it into my mind and engraving it into my heart and soul. What lay ahead was unknown. The only thing I knew for certain was that whatever we faced, we would do it together.
Chapter Six
My father and Hallan prepared. Seeing them work together under the stresses of war and grief highlighted why they were leaders for their people. Dark clouds loomed over everyone, from the fae of the villages of Esora to the elves dwelling on the tallest peak of Heavensreach. The men gathered, their faces focused. No man or woman would grieve until the battle was over. Unfathomable numbers of fae and elves lined up together. Swords glinted as wings splayed through the crowds.
Some practiced their battle routines on the sidelines, while others sharpened their weapons. I peered over the faces, looking for someone in particular, but came up empty. That was when I remembered our call to each other. I gathered the air in my lungs and pushed a birdsong whistle through my hands, echoing it through the trees, but nothing answered me. Seeing Hallan with my father, I walked over to him as he fastened freshly-edged daggers across his chest.
“Hallan, I haven’t seen Ace. Do you know where he is? I’m beginning to worry.”
He dropped his eyes from mine, exhaling deeply.
“He’s probably on one of Heavensreach’s cliffs. His mother always loved the views.” His voice was gruff as he cleared the emotion from his throat.
“I’ll find him, thank you,” I said as I turned to walk in the direction of the cliff we were on only yesterday. The things that could happen within a day would never cease to amaze me. Happy memories had gone sad. I never knew I could feel cold and empty in the middle of summer.
“Eme,” my father called to me, “I don’t want you to be alone. Take someone with you.”
“I’ll be fine, Pada, and I won’t be alone. I’ll be with Ace.”
“Eme.” My father’s voice was demanding. His eyes were filled with so much love, concern, and fear.
“Pada, I know. You have taught me everything I know. I’ll be alright.” I gave him a small smile, hoping to give him some reassurance, but it didn’t diminish the worry in his features.
“Hurry back,” he commanded with a nod in the direction I was heading, and I darted through the trees in a sprint.
Within minutes of running through the plethora of trees and foliage, I peered up through the canopy to see the cliff I had trained on with Ace. I couldn’t see anything at first, but upon closer inspection, I saw two leathered boots dangling from the large jutted-out piece of land.
“Ace,” I yelled, getting no response or movement from his hands. I gathered the breath in my lungs to let out a whistle. Stillnothing. I sighed under my breath as I approached the rough stone surface of the mountain and found a good place to put my hands and feet and started scaling it. The stone was cool under my calloused grip. I had rock climbed before, but never as high as he was. I used all my strength and climbed one reach at a time, every movement getting me closer to him.
My blood pumped faster through my veins the higher I got.
Don’t look down.
I repeated that mantra over and over in my head as I kept my eyes focused on where I placed my hands and feet. Sweat beaded my brow as my hair whipped and clung around my damp face. The growing altitude made the wind whirl and gust harder against me.
“Ace,” I panted, glancing up at him, “the least you could do is—” My foot slipped from the rock it had found purchase on. It crumbled under my weight as I held on for dear life. My other hand slipped and my body jerked from the sudden stop. I heard my shoulder pop as I gripped the mountainside with one arm. Throbbing pain shot through my body. The skin across my palm tore open from the rough stone. With a pained grunt, I tried to pull myself back to the mountainside, but the stone gave way, falling out from under my grip.
I went weightless. Fear slithered through the pit of my gut as I fell. A scream worked its way up my throat before the sound of wings and powerful arms encompassed me. My heartbeat pounded in my ears and my adrenaline subsided as Ace sat me down where he was sitting moments ago. He landed, but his gaze never met mine.
“I didn’t ask for you to come here.” His features were hard. Every muscle in his body was taut.
“Well, you’re stuck with me now because I will not be doing that again.” I glanced down the mountain, trying to ease thetension. His jaw ticked. He definitely didn’t find my words to be easing anything.
“Leave me alone,” he signed with a growl radiating from his chest. “Go home while you still can.”
“No.” I spoke calmly. He would not scare me off in his time of grief when he didn’t want to admit he needed someone the most.
“Leave.” He crowded me against the stone. His signing was direct, his facial expression letting me know that if he spoke, his voice would be filled with guttural venom.
“I won’t.” My voice was barely above a whisper as I looked up at his pained face. His chest heaved as he turned away from me in anger and released a roar that echoed through the mountains and a gust of wind that tore down the surrounding treetops. I watched his back as his shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breaths and his wings sagged. A few moments of tense silence passed before I made my way to him.
