Wingless by Heather Trim

Author:Heather Trim
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TrimVentures
Published: 2018-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Together

LEDGER

My stomach lurches into my throat as we slice through the air in a nauseating nose dive. Hollis scrunches forward, and Kava leans into her back, face to the wind. I gasp for air as we pick up speed. Alouette tumbles through the air, and I fear we won’t reach her before she penetrates the dark, roiling clouds.

Dayson joins our descent. As we speed past him, I avoid his eyes.

As Alouette’s crumpled wings and unconscious body are consumed by the storm, Tristeh’s wings flap harder and harder. Lightning crashes all around us as we careen into the darkness.

My eyes adjust poorly to the lack of light, and all I can see is the three of us on the dragon and half way down the wingspan. The rest is concealed by the storm cloud that rubs against my skin like a soft blanket, making my hair stand up and my clothes rise off me. A loud crack rattles my ears and zaps through every inch of my body.

With no time to consider we might have been struck by lightning, we dart from the first layer. Alouette is conscious and flailing about. She pushes her wings straight out, in an attempt to slow her descent, but she’s gaining too much speed.

“Alouette!” I yell, even though she can’t hear me. I barely hear myself over the loud ringing in my ears.

Lightning crackles from cloud to cloud as we fall through another that feels damp and heavy. We’ve almost reached her when she vanishes into another dark mass. The consuming sound of rain gets louder as we follow her downward. Moments later, we burst through the bottom of a rain cloud. Alouette’s wings light up in the blink of lightning.

Tristeh pumps her wings once more, and Alouette is within reach. The dragon dives underneath her as Kava and I reach through the pouring rain to catch her flailing body. Alouette’s eyes are wide with terror and I grab her hand. Kava pulls a leg close, and I wrap my arms around Alouette’s shoulders. Her wings go limp as she gasps for breath in my arms.

Tristeh spreads her wings, and my stomach lurches as she slows our descent. Hollis directs Tristeh to the ground. I don’t know where we are or what direction we are facing. She dives for the nearest mountain, toward a grouping of trees.

Another bolt cracks through the sky, and a hair-raising zap makes my teeth chatter together. Tristeh can’t slow down fast enough and plows between spindly pine trees. Branches whack me all over as the ground comes up to meet us, and we skid to a stop in the mud and underbrush. A loud whine emerges from the dragon.

I hurry to unlatch my belt as Alouette sits up. Her wings are drenched, and her face is contorted. Eyebrows low and jaw jutting forward. Her breathing is fast and shallow.

Dayson lands beside us and reaches to help her off the dragon’s back. “No!” she screams above the thunder and splattering of rain.

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