Windburn (The Elemental Series #4)(51)

“This is not your fight, Samara.” I grabbed my boots and yanked them on. Cactus dressed beside me, not saying a word.

Blackbird had Peta . . . he knew I would come for her, which meant it was a trap I was about to walk into. There was no way I was taking more people into a trap meant for me. The bond between my familiar and me was strong. When I focused on it, I felt the direction she was in. Straight west, toward the Rim.

I wasn’t surprised.

“I wasn’t asking your permission, Lark,” Samara said, her words cool. “I have every right to pursue an invader of our home.”

Damn it, she was right. “Fine, good luck finding him.”

“He took your familiar, and you can find her. I will follow you.”

Cactus touched my arm. “Lark, wait. Your father is here somewhere. You know that. You know Blackbird is trying to take you away so you don’t find him.”

I nodded. “Yes. Peta means more to me than my father.”

Samara sucked in a sharp breath. “The Terraling king is your father? And you would choose your familiar over him?”

“Do not judge me, Samara,” I snapped. “Peta is my heart mate and has been more a part of healing my soul in the short while she has been with me than any other. My father is barely a sperm donor, as far as I’m concerned.”

Her face softened. “Believe it or not, I understand.” She lifted her hand and from over our heads in the clouds came the shriek of an eagle, the high pitch resonating through the room. The large bird dove out of the sky, banking with his wings so he could land on Samara’s shoulder. He preened a moment, but said nothing.

I held my hand out to Samara and she took it. “Then we hunt together, as our families did once.”

Her eyes glittered. “I always enjoyed roasted game bird.”

Cactus laughed, but I didn’t. With Peta’s life on the line, nothing was funny to me.

Samara touched my arm. “You have a Traveling band?”

I nodded. “It will take us to the Rim.”

Cactus cleared his throat. “You have to say goodbye to the queen, Lark. You can’t leave without taking note of the—”

“Do it for me.” I took his face in my hands and kissed him. “Get Shazer and fly home as fast as you can, as soon as you can.”

His eyes widened as I stepped away from him. Samara nodded and put a hand on my arm. Cactus finally nodded. “I love you, Lark. Don’t forget it.”

I kept my eyes on his as I reached up and twisted the armband counterclockwise. The world around us sucked us down and I braced myself for the memory I would gain from Samara.

The images were dull, and flickered, unlike the other times I’d Traveled with another.

Samara as a child, beaten and hurt. Her desire to protect others. Her Ender training. The ridicule she endured. How much she loved the queen and how she wanted to protect her family.

So much like me it hurt to see and feel the past played out, even in those flickers and bits. We jerked to a stop, and she let me go. This time, the guards were waiting for us inside the Traveling room.

“You are under arrest—”

I launched myself at the guard who spoke. I didn’t know who it was with his visor pulled up, and I didn’t care. I slammed the butt of my spear into his head, dropping him before he could finish his sentence. Samara took on a guard while the remaining two surrounded me.

“Lark, don’t make us hurt you,” Blossom said, her voice distinct even behind the visor.

“It’s not me you have to worry about,” I snarled.

“Cassava is back,” she said.

The guard beside her snapped a fist sideways, catching her in the head. “Shut the hell up, woman.”

His distraction was all I needed. I swept his feet, leapt into the air and came down with my fist, driving it into his chest. Ribs cracked under my blow, at least three by the way his body gave under me.

To the side, Samara drove both fists into her opponent’s gut, throwing him hard into the wall. He slid down as his eyes rolled upward and he passed out.

I stood and stared at Blossom. “Cassava? Are you sure?”

She slipped off her visor and threw it to the floor. “Yes. As soon as you were gone she showed up, took Vetch under her wing and took the throne. She said . . . she was going to send someone to bring Bella home and deal with her condition.” Her voice caught and I put a hand on her shoulder. “She means to kill Bella’s baby, doesn’t she?”

Just like Bramley. “Has she done it? Has she sent anyone?”

Blossom shook her head. “Not that I know.”

I slipped off the Traveling band and put it on Blossom’s arm. “Go, protect Bella. You know she is the one who should rule here. She can’t be hurt. Tell her to fight for all she’s worth and to never forget she holds the necklace. She’ll know what I mean.”

Slowly Blossom nodded. “What about you, Lark?”

I looked at Samara. “I’m going to kill Cassava. I’ll send a message when it’s safe to bring Bella home.”

Blossom brought the globe around and settled it on the Deep. With a twist of the armband she was gone.

“You should go too.” I bent and trussed up the guards, glancing at Samara.

“No. This will affect us too. We know Cassava is a loose cannon. She stole Wicker from us.” She helped me tie up the guards. “How do you want to do this?”