Wings of Exile

by JD Monroe

  “I have to make a call,” Erevan said.

  As he took out his phone, Natalie took a step toward Beale. “How long will they live? After you take them?”

  “About a week with us,” Beale said. “Dornan can keep them alive longer. He has better containment equipment in place.”

  Natalie lunged. Erevan balled his fist into her shirt and hauled her back. Her outstretched hand crackled with lightning, sparks dancing between her graceful fingers. He wrapped his arms around her to restrain her. Despite the situation, there was something pleasant about the firm feel of her against his chest. Her newly discovered lightning crackled against his skin, and he worried that she might short-circuit his brain if she unleashed the gathering power.

  “Calm down,” he told her, leaning on her with the gentle push of compulsion. “He’s not worth anything if you kill him. We may need more information.”

  The connection was quick and instinctive this time. He sensed a dangerous swirling energy in her, something turbulent and violent. Calm down, he thought, trying to push the sense of calm and peace into her.

  The mad current seemed to slow, and she relaxed. “I’m fine. You can let go.”

  Erevan lifted her gently, turned around, and released her so that his body was between her and Beale, giving her the option of going out the door or ramming into him. “Let’s step outside,” he said. When they were safely out the door, he said, “I’m sorry, it was just—"

  “I know.” Acid dripped from her clipped words. “I lost my composure. It won’t happen again. Let me have a minute.”

  He left her pacing in tense silence as he called Lilya. When she didn’t respond, he called Thosrin’s receptionist. “Hi, this is Erevan Skyblaze. I’m following up for the reports from the Flock.”

  “Oh, hi,” she said cheerfully. “I was about to call you. Mr. el-Kamin wanted to speak to you.”

  “Mr…”

  “Aktil,” she said. “Just one moment.”

  A few moments later, the line was transferred. Aktil picked up. “I have initial reports for you. We’ve located Mr. Beale’s home address, as well as what appeared to be another healing facility. There was one deceased human inside, but the facility had been swept clean and burned on the inside. No indication of Kadirai being held. We also tracked two other strong trails to nearby neighborhoods. Two humans in houses approximately a mile apart, both burned to the ground.”

  The two humans had likely been Beale’s assistants. Tahin was cleaning up after himself. The fact that another dragon was a part of this disgusted Erevan more than he thought possible. “Can you send me all the reports?”

  “Already done,” Aktil said. “I sent it to the email Thosrin has on file for you. Was there anything else?”

  “Did Herilah come back?”

  “Yes, about two hours ago,” Aktil said. “Her report led us to a junkyard. We believe they may have used a vehicle for transport and abandoned it there. Why?”

  “Nothing of substance,” Erevan said. “I need you to keep her there so I can speak to her. Tell Thosrin to prepare to restrain her.”

  “I cannot—"

  “Let me rephrase this,” Erevan said. “Tell Thosrin that if she doesn’t want to bear the blame for Beale, she will prepare to restrain Herilah and turn her over.”

  Aktil was quiet. “I will tell the queen.”

  “And make me an appointment.”

  “I’ll clear her morning.”

  “I’m going with you and that’s it,” Natalie said. How many times did she have to beat it into his stubborn head? The healer had reached the end of her patience and told Ruana to leave. Now they stood in the empty stone hall outside the infirmary, debating how to move forward.

  Erevan pinched the bridge of his nose. “This could complicate things.”

  “If one of her people is working for Dornan, there could be others.”

  “So?”

  “What if they have the Elegy, too? What if you walk in the door and they slam you with it? I can protect you,” she said.

  Ruana gave him an appraising look. “She’s right. We have a good relationship with Thosrin, but that doesn’t mean everyone in her circle cares for us. Herilah may not be the only one.”

  He scowled at Ruana and unleashed a diatribe in Kadirai. Ruana just raised her eyebrows and waited for him to finish. “Do you feel better now?”

  “No.”

  His partner shrugged and turned to Natalie. “He’s seen reason. You’re coming.” She bit her lip. “What about Rosak?”

  “This involves Thosrin,” Erevan said. He shook his head. “He won’t like it, but if we send him in knowing that one of her people was involved, he’ll ruin it. We could end up with an even bigger issue.”

  “Erevan…” Ruana said.

  “I’ll take the blame,” he said. “It’s fine.”

  They walked out of the infirmary and across the compound to an underground parking structure. A row of gleaming black cars and SUVs were parked on the first level, with a number of mundane vehicles scattered through the other spots. The familiar sight was a stark contrast to the stone palace above. Ruana unlocked one of the SUVs and climbed into the driver’s seat. Erevan sat in the back, folding his arms over his chest. Natalie took the front seat with Ruana.

  They hadn’t really spoken since the previous evening when she’d broken away from the passionate kiss and left them both high and dry. He’d seemed a little distant and cold that morning; not that she could blame him. Still, it had been a strangely touching surprise to walk into the infirmary to an outstretched cup of coffee with cream and sugar already added; a little more sugar than she would have added, but perfect because he had thought enough to do it for her. The man who’d made a genuine effort to prepare her coffee was gone now, replaced by a stoic statue in the back seat, not speaking to either of them. Under different circumstances, she might talk to him about last night and apologize, but their personal friction—or lack thereof—had to take a backseat.

  Ruana spent most of the drive back into the city on her phone, speaking rapidly in Kadirai with a handful of English thrown in. Every so often, she would look over to Natalie and mouth sorry, but Natalie didn’t mind.

  With traffic, it took almost forty-five tense minutes to get into downtown Asheville. “Let me talk to her,” Erevan said as they got out in front of Loft 19.

  “Of course. She likes you better anyway,” Ruana replied. She handed the keys to the valet and waited for Erevan and Natalie to join her. Erevan walked between them.

  The glass doors slid open, releasing a burst of cool air. Aktil, the man who’d greeted them the other day, waited in the lobby. He wore another impeccable suit in dark gray with a lavender tie. Working for Thosrin had to come with a serious clothing budget. Instead of the haughty expression he’d worn the other day, his brow was furrowed with worry. He spoke quietly. “Herilah is upstairs, waiting to see the queen. She’ll call her in when you arrive.”

  The man hurried toward the elevator, using his keycard to grant them access to the fifth floor. Natalie’s heart thumped as the doors closed them in. Ruana had a point. What if someone else within Thosrin’s circle was a traitor? Natalie wanted to believe she could back up her promise to protect Erevan, but the reality was that she’d managed to make a connection at Sohan’s order one time. They didn’t know if she could do it again, or even if she could maintain it well enough to protect Erevan from the Elegy.

  Well, they were going to find out eventually. Either way, he was better off with her than without her, and she didn’t want to be stuck in Skyward Rest wondering what was going on and if anyone was going to help Thea.

  The elevator eased to a halt, opening onto a dark-carpeted hallway. Lined in offices, the hall ended in a brightly lit open area. Two large men stood a few feet from the elevator, blocking their path. Erevan raised his arms as he approached, and one of the men immediately began to frisk him. Anger simmered in his amber eyes as they checked him. They checked Ruana, then ge
stured for Natalie to approach. The large man sniffed the air, tilting his head in confusion. “Human?”

  “Not quite,” she said. He shrugged and patted her down. Once he was satisfied that she was unarmed, he stepped aside to let her join the two Kadirai. As they proceeded down the hallway, the two large men followed.

  A pretty blonde woman sat in the waiting area outside an office. She looked bored, swiping aimlessly through her phone. “Herilah,” Aktil said, gesturing to her. “Come on in.”

  The woman looked up, eyebrows perked. Her gaze swept over Erevan and Ruana. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she stood and followed Aktil into the office.

  Thosrin sat behind a large desk, her glossy black hair styled into a tight twist on the back of her head. Her heavy red necklace looked like blood drops against her pale skin. It didn’t take much to imagine a crown on her head. The Crow Queen listened intently as a young man with glasses read from a tablet. As the entourage entered her office, she gestured to the young man and looked up. “We can continue this later,” she said. “Herilah, come in and have a seat.”

  “Yes, my queen,” Herilah said politely. She sat in the chair in front of Thosrin, folding her hands neatly in her lap. Either she didn’t suspect that she’d been discovered, or she had a killer poker face.

  The door closed quietly behind them, and the two large men flanked it. Thosrin stood, staring down at Herilah. “How did your search go last night?”

  “I tracked the scent of the magic to a scrap yard,” Herilah said. “It ended at a van that had been left there. I think it may have been used for transporting, but they were trying to get rid of evidence.”

  Thosrin nodded. “And that’s it?”

  “Yes, my queen.” Herilah gave the queen a tentative smile. “It was all in my report. Did you receive it?”

  “Of course.”

  Erevan stepped next to Thosrin, glaring down at Herilah. He dwarfed both of them, and Natalie was glad to not be in Herilah’s seat. “We know.”

  Herilah’s eyebrows lifted. She still revealed no sign of distress. “You know what?”

  “About your connection to Beale,” he said. For a moment, she betrayed no reaction, her face in a perfect, serene mask. Then she broke.

  Quick as lightning, she lunged for Thosrin’s desk and grabbed a heavy glass paperweight. She hurled it at the window, shattering the glass. Bright light poured in, illuminating her escape route against the tinted glass.

  “Hey!” Erevan shouted.

  Shimmering light surrounded Herilah, and her form began to shrink. A flash of silver streaked past Natalie, and a screech filled the room. A silver cable snapped taut across the room, and the shimmering form solidified into a woman once more. The cable was attached to a small gun clutched by one of Thosrin’s security guards. The other held a similar gun.

  A burst of light surrounded Herilah as she tried to transform. A second dart slammed into her, criss-crossing cables with the first. Blood spread on the back of her right shoulder, where a thin cable protruded. She let out a quiet whimper as the two guards tightened the cables, forcing her to retreat from the shattered window.

  Thosrin walked around the desk and leaned against the edge. “Sit down.” Traffic noise from the city below filled the tense silence after her command.

  Carefully coiling up the cables, the two guards flanked Herilah and pushed down on her shoulders to make her sit. She stared up in fear at Thosrin. “This is a misunderstanding. I didn’t—"

  “Be quiet,” Thosrin said. “I’m giving you an opportunity to explain. Do not lie to me. Not again.”

  Herilah’s face dissolved into an expression of despair. She let out a heaving sob. Sliding out of the chair, she crumpled to her knees in front of Thosrin. “I’m sorry. Please—"

  “Stop your sniveling,” Thosrin said. The guards grabbed Herilah’s arms and hauled her back into the chair. “I don’t want your tears or your apologies. I want to know what you did. Everything.”

  Natalie approached, standing close to Erevan. Though she was an outsider, this debacle felt personal to her, with Thea tangled in its rotten core. Thosrin barely seemed to notice her presence.

  Dark stains spread on Herilah’s blouse. Wickedly sharp barbed darts protruded from either shoulder, gleaming silver through a spattering of crimson. Mascara smeared under her eyes.

  “We know you have a connection to Beale and Dornan,” Erevan said. “Help yourself by telling us what you know about them.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Listen, little bird, they’re not going to help you,” Ruana said. “Your friend Tahin roasted Beale like a pig on a spit, along with his two partners. If you think he’s going to protect you, you’re not so bright. Answer us, and maybe our queen will have mercy on you.”

  Thosrin shot Ruana a dark look. “This is Edra business. You are not in a position to hand down judgment. If you cannot hold your tongue, then get out.”

  “This is a discussion that can wait,” Erevan interjected as Ruana began to protest. “Where do they take them?”

  “I don’t know,” Herilah said. Thosrin waved without looking away. One of the guards yanked on his cable. Herilah whimpered and twisted to grasp her right shoulder. “I don’t know, I swear.”

  “What did you do for them?”

  “I helped them find targets. I work as a waitress at the clubs, so I talk to a lot of people.”

  “What kind of targets?” Ruana asked.

  She sighed. “I…Your Eminence, please.”

  “The damage is done,” Thosrin said. “Don’t be shy about your handiwork now.”

  Herilah stared at the queen for a moment, her expression sad. “Kadirai. Ones who didn’t have a lot of ties. Wanderers who were close to the end of their time. People without family. Some hybrids. People who wouldn’t be missed, necessarily.”

  White-hot anger flushed through Natalie as her fingers began to tingle. “People who wouldn’t be missed?”

  Erevan grasped her arm. His touch was firm enough to send the message. She couldn’t afford a repeat of her angry outburst with Beale. “Why?”

  “Less questions,” Herilah said.

  “Did you know what they were doing?” Natalie asked.

  Herilah gave her a disdainful look and sniffed the air. “Who are you?” The imperious look sparked Natalie’s temper again.

  “She asked you a question,” Thosrin replied. “Did you know what Beale was doing to them?”

  “Yes,” Herilah said.

  She tried to continue the conversation in another language, but Thosrin shook her head and pointed to Erevan. “Speak English. I’m not helping you hide from them.”

  Herilah’s eyes were defiant. “I made a deal for our people,” she protested in English.

  “What kind of deal?” Thosrin asked.

  “They promised that they wouldn’t take the Edra,” Herilah said. “Only the dragons.”

  Thosrin’s eyes narrowed, and Erevan tensed at the word. “You mean to say that you knowingly sent Kadirai to be killed?”

  “It was them or us,” Herilah said.

  “It didn’t have to be either,” Erevan replied.

  “How naïve are you?” Herilah asked. “It’s been going on for years under your nose. They’re smarter than you. This was going to happen whether I helped them or not. This way at least my queen and her people are safe.”

  “At the risk of mine.” A wave of hot, dry air burst from Erevan, tightening Natalie’s skin.

  Herilah shook her head. “And would you have endangered your people to protect mine? I very much doubt it.”

  “Did you send them Thea Leska? Sometime in the last few weeks?” Erevan said.

  “No,” Herilah said.

  “Do you have a list somewhere?” Ruana said.

  “No,” Herilah said. “I don’t keep any records. I’d come up with a name, invite them to the VIP area at Hideaway, and Tahin or Beale would track them from there.”

  “You used my place of business?�
�� Thosrin said in horror.

  “And how much were they paying you?” Ruana said.

  “Ten thousand dollars apiece,” Herilah said.

  Natalie gaped. This woman would sell Thea, or Erevan, for five figures. Her friend was worth a used car. No more.

  “Did you ever have contact with someone named Dornan?” Erevan asked.

  The pinioned woman shook her head. “I reported directly to Tahin. Sometimes to Beale, but mostly Tahin.”

  “I want you to contact him,” Thosrin said. “Tell him you need to meet.”

  Herilah stared at him, tears still running down her face. “He’ll know.”

  Thosrin narrowed her eyes. “Tell him that you don’t think it’s safe to talk on the phone with my people around. He’ll meet with you.”

  “He may use the opportunity to clean her up like he tried with Beale,” Erevan said.

  The memory of the man’s seared flesh sprang into Natalie’s mind, far too detailed for her liking. Herilah’s eyes widened.

  “That’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Thosrin replied. Herilah started to speak, but she remained quiet as she caught Thosrin’s narrowed gaze. “You were willing to sacrifice countless Kadirai lives and profit from it.”

  “For our—"

  “If you say it was for the good of my people again, I will tear your head from your shoulders right now,” Thosrin said. “That was not your decision to make. I am responsible for my people. Not you. Had you told me about this despicable offer, I could have dealt with it. Your lack of faith wounds me even more than your betrayal.”

  Herilah just shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

  “Make the call,” Thosrin ordered. She actually looked hurt; betrayal and pain cast a shadow over her sharp features. “And pray that the spirits will forgive you, because I’m not sure I can.”

  Herilah reached down but cringed as the cables pulled taut. “My purse.”

  Ruana bent down and fished through the oversized leather bag. She produced a phone and handed it to Herilah. With shaking hands, the blonde woman swiped through the screens, then placed the phone to her ear.