“Probably? Yeah—that’s a problem. I don’t want to go splat.” I slam my fist into my palm for emphasis. Lachlan rolls his eyes.
“I think it’ll be fine.” Mina looks me up and down. “You don’t weigh any more than Harald. And I need to work more with my power to strengthen it.”
“You dropped Harald yesterday!” My words come out high and squeaky.
“I slammed him on purpose!” she argues back. Her hands settle on her hips and she gives me a flat look, daring me to argue with her logic.
“Alright, so we don’t slam our queen to the ground,” Lachlan adds, nodding and tucking me into his side.
I can’t believe they’re ganging up on me like this.
“We’re not ganging up on ye.” Lachlan’s words echo my thoughts. “But this is important. Ye dinna ken how invaluable this could be in combat.”
He’s not wrong. Flying could shave off valuable seconds of time that running could not. Meaning life or death for me, or someone I love. My gaze hovers over Mina and then Lachlan. I would do anything to save them. Even if it means nearly dying to learn how.
I give the barest dip of my head, signaling my agreement.
“Let’s try it again before the others get here. Tane is trying to track down Piominko, so we have some time.” Mina offers.
“Alright fine,” I huff, steeling my muscles for the lack of gravity. “But the moment you get tired, we stop.”
Lachlan takes a step back, giving us space, and raises his wings out.
“Mina is going to raise ye into the current. Ye should be able to feel it. As soon as ye get close to it, begin opening your wings.”
Mina’s body stiffens as she concentrates. A small divot in between her brows forms as my feet leave the ground. The food in my stomach tilts side to side, and I spread my arms out tryingto balance myself in mid-air. I’m reluctantly grateful that I didn’t consume my normally large breakfast.
Higher and higher I climb.
The tops of the trees rise into my view. The wind changes up here, becomes thicker, more tangible in a way I hadn’t realized before.
“Open your wings!” Lachlan shouts. “Listen to the wind!”
I unfurl my wings from my body. The feathers catch and hold the air. My back tenses and loosens as I work to hold my wings open.
My body pitches forward as more feathers catch the current, and instinctively my arms pinwheel as if I were falling.
Mina’s invisible hands tighten their grip, giving me the steadiness I need to regain my balance.
“Lean forward,” she yells. “I’m going to let go!”
They both look so small from up here. Trees sway in the breeze below me, and I look out across the capital. A sparkling sea beyond it. The sound of waves can’t be heard, but somehow I can still hear it whisper my name. Mountains glitter behind me and the rainbows from far away waterfalls cast brilliant beams into the sky.
I lean forward, and feel the hands slip away.
My wings snap open even wider, the tendons stretching and pulling as they grasp the current and hold me aloft.
A breath slips from my lips as I glide and not plummet back down to the earth.
“Stay in the current!” Lachlan orders, shielding his eyes from the sun as he stares up at me.
His words barely make it to my ears over the sound of the wind. It’s like a song that weaves through my blood. The melody and notes are foreign, yet familiar.
I tighten my back to raise my wings, but I rise too far and rise above the current.
The air propelling me is gone, and I drop.
My wings catch the current when I dip and I’m launched back up, but the quick motions have my abs tensing, tilting me too far forward and down.
