On Wings of Evil by Cora Taylor

Author:Cora Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV037000, book
Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Published: 2005-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Kour’el was the first to waken. To her surprise the sun was setting. Already she could hear soft “ooms” and “oods” from some airborne night creature. Perhaps that was what had wakened her. Or perhaps it was the cooling air.

Beside her Api’Naga still slept. She decided she would fly up and look around while there was still enough light to do so. Already the shadows were creeping in and the tower loomed dark and still above them. She would waken Api’Naga once she had something to report.

Silently she lifted through the fresh night air. Flying would ease the ache in her body. She breathed deeply, refreshed by the flight. Then as she neared the broken roof of the tower the air changed. It was no longer fresh or refreshing, but filled with something unpleasant. It nearly gagged her but she forced herself to fly closer. The shadows inside the tower were already too thick to make out individual shapes, but there was something there. The stench was unbearable, and one shadow seemed to move.

Kour’el flapped her wings and sped upwards. She wasn’t sure if this was wise, as she would be clearly visible in the fading light against the pale sky. But she had to escape the horrible odor that took her breath away, threatening to choke her.

Could she have been mistaken about the movement? Beneath her all was still now. The tower stood as it had before. Nothing moved, though she stared down for a long time. Some creature must have crawled in there to die—a large creature if the powerful odor was anything to go by. She must have imagined the movement; perhaps the cooling breeze had stirred some cobwebs inside. She caught an updraft and drifted higher.

Now she could see something of the countryside beneath. In the distance the Amethyst Palace glimmered faintly in the fading light. But she was more interested in the forest below the cliff. Smoke was rising from amongst the trees. That had not been there when they’d landed earlier in the day. Both she and Api’Naga had checked and Api’Naga’s sight was even better than hers.

There wasn’t time to fly down and report before she checked. Already the forest would be filled with shadows. From this height she would be safe. She folded her wings and dove away from the tower to the forest below her, slowing her flight only when she neared the puff of smoke.

One man sat by a small fire in a clearing. The smell of roasting meat rose appetizingly from a spit nearby reminding Kour’el that she had not eaten since their trip began. Just a lone hunter camped here for the night—no danger there. She flew closer, savoring the wonderful smell of food, expecting the man’s attention to be entirely focused on his meal. Just as she was about to swerve and fly back to Api’Naga he looked up.

She fluttered backwards, seeing the look of surprise and alarm on his face. But then there was recognition, and the weathered face broke into a smile and a nod.

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