Page 60 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

I resolve to find the old Sorceress, even more so after seeing her in my memories with my father. I need to unlock the bridge to Zomea by the blood moon…or face my death.

As I rub my chest, trying to alleviate the pressure, I finish getting dressed in layers, donning fur-lined leggings, a black tunic, gray sweater, and jacket. Chepi remains tucked deep under the covers, and I gather him in my arms, feeling the warmth of his little body against mine.

“Come on, squish. It’s time to go.” I kiss the top of his head, and he nestles in close to my chest, still sleepy. I grab my pack and head for the kitchen to meet Nyx.

The manor is dark and quiet with no sign of Bim or Flora anywhere.

“I made some eggs and toast. You should try to eat something before we leave.” Nyx brings me a plate.

“You cooked for me?” I’m more shocked that he can actually cook something.

“Don’t get too excited. It's just eggs and bread.” He laughs, shoveling down a piece of toast himself.

“Where’s Bim and Flora?” I ask between bites of egg.

“They’re not coming with us to Cloudrum,” he says, and a piece of egg falls out of my mouth.

“What? Why not?”

“Well, for one, they both hate leaving Nighthold. But I have things I need them to do here while we are away. I don’t know how long we will be gone, and I need them to hold things together here. That’s why Bim and I met with the commanders yesterday to make sure things run smoothly while we’re gone.”

I nod in understanding, although I would’ve felt better if they were coming with us.

“Ready?” he asks me while coming to stand next to my chair.

I take a drink of water and let Chepi finish the rest of my eggs then slide off the chair. I kind of wish I had something stronger to drink.

“Ready.” I pick up Chepi and take Nyx’s hand.

Darkness slowly falls over us as the wind picks up and we channel. I find us standing atop what I think is a rocky cliff. “Where are we?”

“These are the Ebony Cliffs on the coast of Onyx land. It's a haven for sea birds and is where Quazie lives.”

It’s gorgeous. The sun hasn’t risen yet, and the light-blue hue illuminates the landscape. As far as I can see, steep rocky cliffs extend into the mist and drop into the Feral Sea below. The salty breeze sticks to my face and collects in my hair. Nyx throws his arms up in the air, and at first I don’t know what he’s doing, but then I realize he’s using magic to call Quazie to us.

A few minutes pass, and I start to wonder what we’ll do if he doesn’t come, then I hear a loud screech in the distance. A huge head with a long beak breaks through the mist. He soars high above us, circling, then lands next to Nyx, practically shaking the ground. My gods, his beak alone is longer than I’m tall. I swallow hard, imagining that beak devouring me whole. Nyx pats him on the side.

“Lyra, meet Quazie. Good boy,” he says, stroking his neck.

“Hello . . . Quazie,” I stutter, causing Nyx to glance back at me, a broad smile spreading across his face.

“Remind me again why we can’t just channel to Cloudrum?” I ask, my voice stuttering.

“I know he looks terrifying, but he’s just a big softy. Cloudrum is too far for me to channel with you, and once we reach Cloudrum I can’t use my magic. I’m sure Samael will be tracking any large traces of magic in his territories. We need to stay hidden from him for as long as possible . . . Come and give Quazie a pat.”

I slowly creep toward him, cowering down a bit, afraid I’m going to spook the creature and cause his beak to impale me. Nyx just laughs, and once I’m close enough he grabs me, pulling me close to him and Quazie. I hold my hand out and let him guide me to the large bird. He feels softer than I expected and makes a low cooing sound as I run my fingers down the side of his neck.

“See, he likes you.” Nyx nudges my shoulder with his elbow. “Are you ready for this?”

I take a slow breath in. Stay calm.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I pinch my eyes closed as Nyx places his hands on my waist, and we move with his magic, landing softly on Quazie’s back. Nyx waves his arm, and reins appear around Quazie’s neck. Nyx grabs hold of them, and I wrap both my arms around Chepi, squeezing him tight to my chest, even though he doesn’t seem fazed at all by this.

“Let's go, boy,” Nyx says, tapping his legs on Quazie’s sides.

We shoot into the air, and my body falls back between Nyx’s legs. I let my back burrow into his chest. He wraps one arm around my waist, and I close my eyes tight. The cold wind causes tears to stream down my face as we whip through the clouds. It feels like we’re going straight up for far too long, and if Nyx wasn’t behind me I’d surely have flown right off the back of Quazie by now. Finally, we level out, and I feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I slowly open my eyes to find we’re high above the clouds, and it’s lighter up here. We fly through the first part of the sky to be touched by the morning sun. I can see Quazie more clearly. He really is magnificent, and his wingspan is enormous. His feathers are different shades of blue and purple while his beak is bright orange. His beak is terrifying, but still he’s a jaw-droppingly beautiful creature.

“Doing okay?” Nyx asks, squeezing me tighter around the waist.