Eerie shrieks and screams pierced through the dark as I waited, praying the light would appear. The shrieks sounded closer, my hand tightening on the gun holstered to my thigh, as I tensed in anticipation of an attack. A deep chill sank into my flesh, and even my wings grew heavy. Another shriek sounded,this one from the left of me, closer still. And then, in the far distance, high above my head, a dim light shone.
I pushed up, my wings flapping steadily as I shot toward the light, praying I could close the distance before I became lost to the darkness of The Rift. I fought my way to the other side, following the light even though I could no longer feel the presence of my aerial flight quadrant.
I was alone, fighting my way to land as the darkness sought to swallow me into its depths. I didn’t stop flying, refusing to take my eyes off the subtle glowing golden blur always just on the edge of the horizon as I flew toward what I prayed to be Solis Quarter.
Axel stoodby my side as we exited Commander Drachen’s war tent, having discussed the plans for tomorrow’s flights with the lead for each cohort flying around The Wall. It had only taken one order from the Commander for every angel in the stars-damned war tent to have the same concern . . .
Why weren’t we attacking?
Tensions were high as we exited, walking through the war camp back toward our own tent.
“Tomorrow is going to be a shit show,” Axel confessed at my side.
“At least tomorrow we have the advantage that they aren’t expecting us,” I replied, my eyes actively scanning the camp as tents continued to be set up throughout the desert.
“Sure,” he joked. “But the second we begin circling The Wall, and they realize they aren’t under fire,wewill find ourselves under fire.”
I sighed, a heavy weight settling over me as we made our way to the middle of the camp. The sun’s light was slowly setting over the camp, casting a golden glow across the desert as dusk approached. “Well, unless you’d prefer to tell Elion you aren’t following through with orders . . . then I fail to see what other options we have.”
“Every single angel in that tent wanted to contradict the commander’s orders.”
“Us included,” I stated as we stopped in front of our tent, Eleana stepping out to join us.
“We’ve never not had faith in the Eternal during a mission,” Eleana added as she looked between the two of us. “So don’t tell me the two of you are doubting Aeternus now.”
I rubbed at the back of my neck as I looked at her, eyes sharpening. “Doubting, no. Questioning why we are flying around that stars-damned wall once a day for six dayswithoutadvancing, attacking, or fighting back . . .yes.”
“Well, stop questioning it,” Eleana replied. “It’s not going to change the outcome of the mission.”
Axel sighed, shaking his head as he entered the tent. “Wake me up when it’s time to leave.”
We leftthe war camp under the cover of night, sneaking through the tents. The three of us—the Shade of the Aurelian Guild—snuck out of the camp on foot, keeping from the tent lights as we left through the back of the war camp undetected.
Thanks to our time escaping from Raelyna’s apartment, we were far too familiar with the desert dunes on the far side of Solis. I could feel the heat of the sand radiating even as the desert air cooled it. The dunes provided the perfect amount of cover if we kept low to the ground as we walked through thesands until we were far enough from the war camp that it was barely visible behind us.
“We’re clear,” Axel said into the night, and the three of us collectively tugged our wings to the surface. My feathers rippled as I stretched them wide, enjoying the feel of the desert wind brushing against them as I moved, catching a gust and lifting into the air.
I felt the moment Axel’s illustratio affinity circled around the three of us, his affinity providing a protective shield that also helped keep us hidden in the shadows.
“Stay close to me and low to the dunes,” Axel bit out through clenched teeth as we hovered in the air. “I’ll make sure we blend into the surroundings as best I can, but don’t stray too far.”
“Understood,” Eleana and I replied as we scanned the perimeter. From our current position, we could just make out the outline of The Wall in the distance, the cement slabs appearing more like a speck on the horizon than a barricade.
Soon, we were moving silently through the night, gliding along the currents as we flew toward the one window we knew would allow us easy entrance into Solis Quarter. We kept to the dunes, allowing the fog from the night air to provide us with cover as we darted through the night, knowing the RSG couldn’t see this far in the dark of the night.
The desert winds howled as we tore through the sky at a rapid pace, and I thanked Aeternus that the sand winds weren’t blowing tonight. After our journey back from the desert, it had taken two days of speciality treatments for the sand granules to be fully removed from my wings—a perk of being in the Guild.
But I didnotwant to have to endure that painstaking process again so soon.
“You’re sure about this?” Eleana questioned as we cut through the air, getting closer to the spot where Raelyna’s apartment should be located.
“Yes,” I replied. “I won’t be there long. Just enough time toensure she has what she needs to free her sister from the temple, understands our plans, then I’ll be back.”
The plan had been simple enough . . . with the most difficult aspect being sneaking in and out of both the camp and Raelyna’s apartment without detection. However, thanks to Axel’s illustratio affinity and the fact that we knew the weak points in the guard’s watch schedules, we were fairly confident we could sneak in and out undetected.
Seeing as we’d already done it twice in the past month without being caught.
“The RSG are more concerned with keeping their own citizens in then they will be with watching for outsiders sneaking in,” Axel stated as we began to fly closer to The Wall.
