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"I hope so," I said under my breath as Sif returned, her feathers and fur already dry.
I thought about my friends. Ruby and Axel were still asleep, but at least I knew they were okay. And I shouldn't be so surprised that they were taking so long to wake up. They were equally stubborn.
“Are you coming?” I was shaken from my thoughts and found Lucian standing beside Sif. She was kneeling down on her front legs, her wings down to the ground. "Come on."
"I've never flown before. In a plane, yes, but not like this."
Lucian took my hand. He wasn't smiling but his eyes were as he kissed the back of my hand. The moment his lips touched my skin, the nervousness I'd been feeling disappeared. I stepped forward, ready to experience all this realm had to offer.
“There are no planes here. But you don't need to worry, Natalie. I won’t let you fall.”
He helped me to climb onto Sif’s back before he took his place behind me. After being reassured that holding onto her fur wouldn't hurt her, I grabbed a handful and held on. I was ready for this, ready to try something new.But when she leaped into the sky, I found myself clutching her fur for dear life, even though she ascended slowly, as if aware of my trepidation.
"That's it, Sif," Lucian commended her, and she shook her head in response.
Soon we were gliding over the forest, and I was stunned at how great it felt. The wind against my face was gentle, and the forest below seemed so far away, it was as if it belonged in a fairytale. I could even see the city in the distance.
We flew over a herd of Vernim, the kangaroo-like creatures that had first appeared at the festival. A few of them ran for cover, but most only stared up at us. The adorable youngest ones clung to the side of their parents, and I waved as we flew by.
Behind me, Lucian chuckled.
“I love animals,” I told him. “The ones here are just going to take some getting used to. It’s hard to tell which ones are friendly and which ones I should avoid.”
"Vernims have horns on their backs that help them fight off predators, but generally, they are very timid.” He gave me a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry. You'll know every inch of this realm soon enough."
“Wait, what is that?” I pointed ahead.
“Sif, take us down a little,” Lucian said.
She stretched out her neck and dropped us lower. My heart skipped a beat at what I saw on the ground below us. Sif made a guttural sound, and her tails slapped at the air. Like her, I felt on edge, my wolf howling as a sense of danger crawled over my skin.
"Are those what I think they are?" I looked behind me at Lucian, whose eyes had turned black.
“Yes,” he growled. “Those are more spots like the one the florkin left behind.”
Goddess, it’s spreading.
I swallowed hard as Sif suddenly rose higher, obviously not wanting to get any closer to the patches of red earth. Like in the field where the florkin had died, there was a red mist rising from the sickened ground.
We had no idea what was causing this or how it was spreading. But it was.
“This is bad," I whispered.
Lucian nodded. “I’m taking you home." He clicked his tongue, and Sif flew away. “There’s a good chance the gods don't know about this yet. I need to report it. Today, before anyone gets too close.”
* * *
Natalie
Itapped my bracelet, denying a call waiting to come through, but the moment I did, my bracelet started ringing again.
I could smell Rumir and knew he was outside, which was the reason he was calling me. But I didn't want to talk. Yesterday, after Lucian had brought me home so he could report the issue in the forest, Rumir had stopped by. And then, like now, I'd ignored his calls.
When he'd finally left, I'd felt bad that I was drawing things out. But the part of me that could still remember the weight of his dominance didn't want to see him. It hadn't been painful, but the sheer weight that had pushed me to my knees had felt dreadful.
After about the hundredth time he called, I finally relented. It was clear he wasn’t going to go away.
Bracing myself, I accepted the call. "I'm unable to take your call right now. Leave a message, and I'll get back—”
