His gold eyes turned on me, a calculating look in them. “Our people's beliefs differ vastly from yours. According to our history, Eva, Adym’s second wife, wanted to protect their children—humans—from the demonic children of his first wife, Lilitha.” I leaned in, analyzing every word that differed from the one’s I’d grown up believing.
“After Adym’s death, Eva married Uriel, the archangel you speak of, who was left to guard the Tree of Life. The result of their union was nephilim—half-human, half-angel children—creatures strong enough to defeat a demon. Their children were blessed with great power, and they used it to hide the Trees of Life and Knowledge from those who sought their powers. This done, Uriel no longer needed to stay in the First Garden, so when Eva died, he escorted her back to the Great Beyonds himself, leaving the Garden unguarded but well hidden.”
“Well, aren’t you a walking textbook now that you can talk?” Cassie laughed in front of us.
Ryker didn’t respond, but my curiosity wouldn’t die. “That story varies a lot from the one I shared with you. How do you know it’s true?”
He shrugged, playing with the leather reins in his hands. “I don’t mean to sound callused but your people—you—are grossly misinformed and brainwashed by Lilitha to believe that she’s this perfect, caring goddess when she’s really just a selfish, demon determined to rule over Empyria. Also, what I just shared with you is not a story, it’s the truth that has been passed down from one generation to another by my people.”
His people. The Outlanders—descendants of angels according to him, and apparently they believed we were demons. No wonder he’d hated me. But he was wrong. They were the ones who were misinformed.
I opened my mouth to convey this but came up short as the fog parted, revealing a breathtaking view. We stood at the edge of a huge, half-circle ravine. Hundreds of waterfalls poured into the lush green valley below split by the massive twisting river the converging water created. Tall trees hugged the cliffs, some of their tops a hand breadth from my feet. They were unlike anything I’d ever seen before—pale white bark, with shimmering green leaves, their branches heavy with strange fruit and flowers I had no name for.
“You can all thank me later for picking the most beautiful place in the world to live out the rest of our days,” Cassie trilled, flicking her gold hair over her shoulder with a smirk. “But I’m starving, so let’s go set up camp!”
Alex took Coal’s reins from Ryker, and after helping Cassie back into the saddle and fastening her legs, he hopped up behind her. With an encouraging click of Alex’s tongue, Coal leapt into the air and they plunged into the valley below, Cassie whooping at the top of her lungs.
I couldn’t help but laugh, and letting the fear of the unknown fade, excitement rose within me. I grabbed Ryker’s hand, tugging him toward Arrow. “Let’s go!”
His eyes widened, but a moment later he nodded, a shy smile lighting his face. Rushing forward, he grabbed me around the waist, and I squeaked as he hoisted me upward like I weighed nothing, placing me into the saddle. Heart hammering, my face burned, and I kept my gaze on Arrow as she threw her head back and forth, prancing beneath me in anticipation. Ryker launched up behind me, tying just the top binds on our legs. He leaned forward, his chest pressing against my back as he reached for the reins, his arms encompassing me.
“Ready?” His breath brushed along my neck, making the hair there stand on end, but I swallowed and nodded.
Anticipation danced like feathers in my stomach, and I leaned low over Arrow’s neck, gripping the edge of the saddle. It was the only encouragement she needed, and tucking her wings close, the griffin vaulted from the embankment with a victorious screech. We plummeted toward the earth, and an unbidden scream ripped from my throat, not of fear, but exhilaration. Since I knew what to expect, I wasn’t scared. Arrow wouldn’t let us fall to our death. Wind ripped at my hair and clothes, filled with the fresh scent of the forest and earth. Not as secure as before, I lifted slightly from the saddle as we continued to spiral through the trees toward the ground—how we didn’t hit anything was beyond me. Ryker swapped the reins to one hand, his free arm circling my waist, holding me firmly into the saddle.
At the last second, Arrow snapped her wings open with a screech, and my stomach dropped as we shot upward, the ground disappearing beneath us. Despite her large size, and the closeness of the trees, the griffin seemed to have some internal navigation guiding her. She twisted back and forth, swooping under limbs and around trunks, never hitting a single object. We rose higher into the morning sky and joined Cassie and Alex in their flight over the valley. Below us, beneath the evaporating mist, the large river coiled through the valley, branching off into smaller streams that disappeared into the forest surrounding it, only to reappear later and rejoin the mother waters.
Cassie waved her arms frantically through the air, while Alex held onto her and the reins, an exasperated look on his face. She pointed down. Following her directions, I glanced at a copse of the strange white trees, where they conformed in a near perfect circle not far from the river’s edge. I gave her a wave and nodded. Under Alex’s direction, Coal folded his wings, diving for the place my sister had chosen for our new temporary home. Ryker started tightening the reins in his hand to ask Arrow to follow, but I reached out to stop him and shook my head.
“Not yet,” I murmured, glancing over my shoulder. There was no need to rush. No deadlines to meet or expectations to satisfy. Right now, there was nowhere else I wanted to be than up in the sky, the furthest from home I’d ever been, with the man I no longer had to be with, yet now more than ever, I wanted to know.
He stared for a second, then a genuine smile changed his features into something ethereal, making my heart stutter. I faced forward again in an attempt to hide the blush burning my skin, and taking a deep breath, the pure crisp air filled my lungs. Emboldened, I stretched my arms to either side of me, the air currents tugging and playing with the sleeves of my shirt. I grinned.So this is what freedom feels like.
Familiardarknessandnothingnesssurrounded me. The harsh laughter and pained screams filling the air were barely discernible through the cacophonic sound of roaring water. Pressing my hands over my ears, I stepped forward, shock racing up my body as my bare foot landed in freezing liquid. I tried to step back but the water lapped around my feet, greedily rising higher.
I stumbled backward, tripping over something hard and falling into the iciness. The water churned, sweeping me downward as I struggled to resurface. Kicking and flailing with all my might, I still didn’t break the surface. My lungs burning for air, my lips burst open in a last effort to save me. Metallic, copper tasting liquid filled my mouth, and I gagged, choking on the thick substance.
It wasn’t water I was drowning in but blood.
I jolted awake, gasping as tremors racked my body and my gaze darted around the dimly lit tent. Four cots took up most of the space, all layered with thick, fur-lined blankets. Only two were occupied.
“Another nightmare?”
Cassie sat across from me on her cot, wrapped in a fur cloak, her forehead creased. I took a shuddering breath and nodded. Pushing myself into a sitting position on the small bed, I brushed the sweaty silver strands from my face—I really needed a bath.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” Shadows danced across the tent from the flames flickering beyond the half-open tent doors where Ryker and Alex sat on either side. “How long was I out?”
After we’d made camp in the middle of the grove of trees, setting up the supplies Cassie and Alex had been stashing for the better half of a year right under my nose without anyone the wiser, I’d crashed on the nearest cot.
“Most of the day.” Cassie shifted from her cot to mine, seating herself beside me. “I’m glad you were able to get some rest, though.”
“What about you? You’re the one who’s pregnant.” I fiddled with the edge of my warm blanket, flinching as a log popped in the fire, sending sparks fluttering into the sky. My eyes darted from her stomach to her face.
“I feel fine. Mornings are usually the worst, or if I go long periods without eating, which Alex makes sure never happens.” She chuckled and I yawned, stretching my arms over my head. A wicked grin crossed my sister’s face. “So, you and Ryker seem to be a lot more comfortable around each other.” She bumped me with her shoulder.
Heat crawled across my face, and I threw off the blanket, surprised at how fast the cold seeped through my clothes. I was grateful for the thigh length tunic and warm pants Cassie had packed for me. I couldn’t imagine being here dressed as I normally was.