“Ye clever, clever woman,” Lach breathes.
I smile, but focus on the task at hand, careful not to spill any of the priceless black dust. The specks of raven stone sizzle all the way down before settling onto the bottom, where they continue to cause the venom to bubble up.
“It’s working.”
I siphon more and more dust into the moonstone until I’ve used almost an entire handful. With each sprinkle, the green light fades away. Soon, the crystal is filled with nothing but black sand. The breeze stops, the birds quiet, and a hush falls over the people still gathered.
Sunlight blazes around us.
No. Not the sun.Me.
My skin shimmers like the sun’s rays and the light reflects off Lachlan’s startled face.
“Here we go again,” he murmurs, before dropping to one knee.
Ashur sweeps up the bottom of his robe into a fist before he, too, drops to one knee. The other men rapidly follow suit.
My skin tingles and my chest swells with pride.
I did it. Magic is restored.
My wings appear, the weight familiar and comforting.
I’m one step closer, and Odin is confirming my path.
Things are looking up.
With another island freed from the venom’s corruption, the pressure on my chest lightens, and my breathing becomes easier. Ashur escorts us back to the palace for a celebratory lunch. His robes flutter behind him as he walks with a much bouncier step.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that our beloved moonstone was not destroyed,” he says.
I smile and nod, but my mind is whirling. I’ve taken Lachlan’s advice and not rushed things in the name of time, and they’ve paid off. The venom nullified without any injuries or a riot.
But a kernel of worry lingers, and I need some space to blow off some steam. Maybe…check out the dunes.
Although Lachlan is itching to leave.
“Are you alright?” I whisper to him, as I smile and wave to the crowds still loitering in our path.
A gust of wind rips through the street and the canopies ofthe tent’s flap vigorously. Lachlan and I shield our eyes from the flying sand, and I have the sudden urge to bring my wings back out.
“Aye, I’m just eager to return home.” He grumbles, spitting sand out of his mouth.
I tense the muscles in my back, checking them for any knots or tenderness.
“Do you mind if we stay a bit longer?”
Lachlan assesses me. His face gives nothing away. “Why?”
I grimace, not knowing how he will respond to my request, and fidget with my fingers. “Well—I, I wanted to know if you could teach me to fly while we are here?”
His eyes flare. “Ye want me to teach ye?” His ears redden, as he points to himself. I can’t help but want to kiss them. But his question throws me off guard.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”
Lachlan shakes his head and interlocks our fingers together, squeezing them briefly before letting them go. “I would be honored. Let’s ask Ashur where the best place on the dunes would be. It’ll make for a softer landing.”
We pack up our celebratory lunch and borrow some horses from Ashur, who was definitely bewildered we didn’t want to stay and attend the celebration. Setting out we follow the trail, he explained, would lead us out of Eridu and into the area of the dunes where there are towering steeples of red rocks that the young ones used to learn to fly. The sand supposedly makes for a much softer landing pad when you fall.
