Let The Wind Rise (Sky Fall, #3)(28)

“Be careful,” I call as Solana uses a Southerly to slow their fall.

“You do realize you just left your fiancée with your girlfriend’s rather violent mother?” Aston asks as we get moving again, just in time to dodge another explosion.

“Solana can handle herself—and she’s my ex-fiancée.”

“It’s adorable that you believe that. Though honestly, we should probably be more worried about your future mother-in-law. Our princess is quite a natural with the power of pain.”

The words make my stomach squirm worse than the Westerlies’ next evasive maneuver.

It’s not a good time for this conversation, but I have to ask, “Is there seriously no way to heal after using that power?”

“So you do care,” he says, and I really regret asking. “Hm . . . the look on your face tells me you won’t like this answer. She’s in early stages still, so it’s possible she could reverse the effect. But it would take something . . . dramatic.”

“Like what?”

“You can’t guess?”

“Little busy here controlling a dozen Westerlies!”

“You’d think that would help you figure it out. Think about it, Vane. What do you replace violence with?”

The word pops into my head and my heart drops, even though our wind bubble is holding steady.

You replace violence with peace.

“So you’re saying . . .”

“Bonding with a Westerly should give her the balance she needs,” Aston finishes. “If only she knew someone who was up to the task . . .”

His laughter makes me want to shove him out of the bubble.

“You don’t even know if that’s true,” I argue. “You said should, not would.”

“Ah, so you can use that brain of yours. Very good. This is all just a theory. A very well reasoned theory though, don’t you think?”

It is, but . . .

No.

Uh-uh.

So not happening.

Solana was the one who decided to try Os’s command—not me.

But she did it to help Audra, my conscience reminds me.

Aston smirks. “Suddenly being noble isn’t quite so easy is it?”

No, it definitely isn’t.

But I don’t want to think about it anymore.

“This is taking forever,” I say. “How much longer do you think we can hold out?”

“Not much. I’d wager they’re readying the Shredder. It’s basically like Raiden having a mile-long windslicer to slash at us from the safety of his fortress.”

“Awesome.”

I get my first glimpse of the Shredder in action when a dozen trees get sawed in half.

The next slice clips the top of our wind bubble, and we almost go splat! But I manage to regroup after a few seconds.

I ask the Westerlies to take us higher, but the winds resist my command and keep ducking back down toward the forest.

“More proof of the folly in trusting the wind,” Aston says as an entire row of trees gets sliced and diced right beside us.

“We’re still alive,” I argue.

But it’s not looking good.

We crash into something a few seconds later, and I’m sure it’s all over.

“Would you stop screaming?” Aston shouts, and I realize my mouth is wide open and something that sounds like a dying hyena is blaring out of it.

“You hit a bird—see?” Aston points to the owl soaring beside us. “I guess that means the mythical tunnel is actually real.”

We follow the owl into the forest—the swervy little bugger is not easy to keep up with—and touch down in front of an old water tower. There’s no sign of Arella or Solana. Just a two-foot wide hole in the ground that drops down so deep, I can’t see the bottom.

“Jump,” Solana calls from the abyss below—which does not sound like something I want to do.

But . . . she’s alive—and we definitely won’t be if the Stormers find us—so one at a time, Aston and I drop into the darkness.





CHAPTER 14


AUDRA


Raiden doesn’t believe me.

The doubt and fury practically drip off him as he paces back and forth in front of the door to our tower cell.

But he can’t ignore me either—not when there’s a chance I’m telling the truth about Gus.

So he lets us remain where we are.

He even calls down unbroken Northerlies to strengthen Gus.

They swirl around the cell, making me shiver—but I don’t mind the cold.

Gus is almost breathing normally again, and his cheeks have more color. He’s still far from recovered, but it gives me enough hope he might actually pull through this.

I just need him strong enough to follow me through the Shredder.

And enough time alone for us to slip away.

And wind.

I can feel the whisper of breezes in the cracks, but they haven’t crept in yet.

They’re biding their time.

Waiting on me.

I’ve always known the wind has a will of its own—but I never realized it could be so deliberate. It’s as if all of Raiden’s years of ruining drafts have taught them how to survive.

“I must say, this could be a record for the fastest change of heart I’ve ever seen,” Raiden says slowly. “After such blatant defiance, you’re suddenly eager to spill all your secrets.”