Wings of Shadow

by Nicki Pau Preto

  William had already returned to his position in the empire, but he’d stayed with them for two weeks, spending as much time with his children as possible. Elliot still harbored some resentment toward him for what had happened to their family, but they were all here, alive and happy, and he found it harder and harder to hang on to the grudge. His father had made plans to visit for the winter solstice festival, and Elliot was actually looking forward to it.

  “Come on, Elliot, we’re gonna be late!”

  He turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Sparrow was coming toward him, a huge smile on her face and a bird on each shoulder, like some kind of spear-wielding, phoenix-riding riverboat pirate.

  Fife squawked his usual indifferent greeting, and Ignix gave him a close once-over. She might be newly reborn, but she’d lost none of her solemnity or self-importance since coming out of the flames.

  Elliot recalled their hours-long vigil at the old phoenix’s pyre.

  There were dozens of people around them at first: mourning loved ones, paying respects, and some just soaking up a bit of living history. But eventually they dwindled until it was just the four of them: Sparrow, Elliot, Jax, and Fife.

  His joints had ached and his eyes had itched with tiredness before he finally spoke. “Maybe we should—”

  “A few more minutes.”

  “I think it’s time we—”

  “A few more minutes.”

  Elliot would have stayed with Sparrow however long she wanted—he’d promised, hadn’t he?—but it was concern for her that made him want to leave in the first place. He didn’t know how to tell her that not all phoenixes came back.

  He didn’t want to break her heart all over again.

  But then out of nowhere she’d dropped to her knees, plunging her hands into the ashes and lifting up the tiny newborn firebird.

  Holding the phoenix close to her face, she’d stared with eyes that couldn’t see—but she did see. She saw and felt and wept with unreserved joy.

  Elliot had knelt down beside her, watching with awe as she placed the hatchling on the ground and it pecked its way through the ashes. Then out of nowhere she’d turned and flung her arms around him.

  It had been a very good end to a very bad day.

  “Where’s Riella?” Sparrow asked him now.

  To his immense surprise, he didn’t know.

  He’d managed to let go in recent weeks, so busy with his work that he barely had time for meals, let alone following around his sister. He figured that was probably a good thing. He knew she was safe, that she had a life and friends here, and that was all that mattered.

  “She’s already gone up,” said Ersken, moving toward the stairwell. “No doubt she’s lookin’ for the two of you. Best hurry. I doubt they’ll delay much longer—even for a Lightbringer.” His eyes twinkled.

  After the battle, Veronyka had told Sparrow that she was, apparently, descended from Callysta Lightbringer. That was what Ignix had said, anyway, and so the two had done some investigating. They found an old Lightbringer family tree, noting a branch that deviated from the main family after Cordelia Lightbringer ran off with a stable boy. Veronyka had put in some requests for census records, and they hoped to use them to track down Sparrow’s surviving relatives.

  “That’s Lady Lightbringer to you,” Sparrow said, grinning, and Fife squawked.

  “I’ll call you Lady Lightbringer the day you call me Lord Ersken,” he called back, and Sparrow laughed.

  Jax fluttered over, still saddled from the day, and Elliot took Sparrow’s hand.

  She flushed, squeezing tightly, and Fife cocked his head, giving Elliot a threatening sort of look. He still bore scars on his ears from Fife’s previous reprimands, and he reassured the bird that he would never hurt Sparrow again.

  Never again.

  Jax took them in wide, soaring arcs up to the stronghold, and Sparrow clung to Elliot’s middle, her head resting against his back.

  Riella was, indeed, waiting for them—surrounded by a cavalcade of animals, including some familiar characters, like Ruff the sheepdog and Carrot the cat. The courtyard was crowded with people standing along the stronghold walls or huddled together on barrels and crates or seated on the cold cobblestones.

  Much to Jax’s delight, Riella and the animals clambered on top of him, treating the phoenix like a ferry on a river crossing as they crawled across his saddle or dug their claws into his reins. Once everyone was settled, he carefully leapt into the air and found them the perfect spot on the roof of the administrative building, the very same roof where Elliot and Sparrow had spied on the commander’s private meeting months previously.

  Riella had come prepared, unfurling a thick blanket across the tiles for them to sit on. It was massive, and Elliot was about to point out its needlessly large size when another phoenix soared over the lip of the roof—Jinx, carrying Kade and Sev and Sev’s new bondmate, Felix.

  Everyone found a seat on the blanket, Riella cuddling with the animals while Sev leaned against Kade, who draped his arm across his back.

  Riella glanced over at Elliot, nodding at them pointedly.

  Yes, Elliot understood—clearly, his talk with Kade had been wholly unnecessary.

  Next to him, Fife and Ignix jostled for position on Sparrow’s narrow shoulders.

  Fife was bigger than Ignix—for now—but the tables would turn before long. Still, he spread his wings wide, causing Ignix to squawk and lose her balance. Fife puffed out his chest smugly. “Don’t get used to it,” Sparrow warned, before reaching for her bondmate. “Come ’ere then, Iggy.”

  Ignix gave Sparrow a flat stare, and Elliot laughed. Ignix hated that nickname almost as much as Elliot hated being called Elly, and refused to respond to it, but Sparrow insisted she’d come around.

  Before they could get resettled, Riella withdrew a bag of candied ginger and pitted dates. Every creature on the roof scuttled toward her, and even Sev held out his hand.

  Sparrow was abruptly alone, and she shifted self-consciously. Her hands kept opening and closing—her spear was still tucked in Jax’s saddle—and wind whipped across the rooftop, stirring her dirty-blond hair. Elliot took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She brightened at the touch, but when he moved back again, she seemed to deflate.

  Jax, who had a beakful of ginger, rolled his eyes at Elliot so thoroughly his head lolled on his neck.

  Mind your business, Elliot muttered, waving him off. He took a deep breath and slid closer to her. Another breath, another slide.

  She sat up straighter, sensing him there, and then he screwed up his courage and lowered his arm around her shoulders, taking his cue from Kade. Sparrow leaned into him, a rare, soft smile on her face.

  The crowd below quieted as Veronyka and Tristan mounted the ladder to the top of the temple. Their phoenixes were perched on the railings, and on Tristan’s insistence, Veronyka held a torch to the statue and set the beacon ablaze.

  The flames crackled and hissed, lighting the sky, and everyone cheered.

  Starting with Rex and Xephyra, the other phoenixes in attendance—perched on rooftops or scattered across the courtyard—also burst into flame. Small and large, clustered together or perched in solitary brightness, they warmed the cold night and surrounded the Eyrie in a circle of light.

  Elliot rested his cheek atop Sparrow’s head and stared once more into the flames.

  I will let go of the past and start this journey anew.

  - CHAPTER 73 - VERONYKA

  VERONYKA AND TRISTAN STAYED out long after everyone else.

  First they moved among their friends—and in Veronyka’s case, family—sharing a drink and a laugh as they celebrated coming together and reclaiming the Eyrie.

  It was truly a joy to have Agneta there, taking Morra’s place in the kitchens, and her father to help with combat training. He’d initially been worried about abandoning Haven, but then Jonny had offered to take control of things and to help transform the small community into their fir
st Arborian outpost. That, plus Agneta’s vehement insistence that he come with her was all it took to convince him. There were others from Haven as well, including Gus, who helped Old Ana in the vegetable gardens when he wasn’t following Agneta around like a puppy dog. Veronyka knew her grandmother enjoyed the attention and had even allowed Gus to escort her to the festivities this evening. She wore a Fire Blossom in her hair, gifted to her by Gus, who glowed proudly with her on his arm.

  While Alexiya continued to bicker with both her mother and her brother with typical frequency, her relationship with Doriyan had reached a surprising cease-fire. He’d survived his run-in with Sidra on the battlefield, and despite the fact that she’d slit his throat and attempted to kill him—leaving a nasty scar—Doriyan had begged Veronyka to bring Sidra here for imprisonment.

  It was true that the empire was not yet equipped to handle such a thing—especially when a phoenix was involved—and so she had agreed to give Sidra and Oxana a joint cell inside the Eyrie. Doriyan visited them daily, usually with Alexiya in tow, and Veronyka got the distinct impression her aunt was there to protect him. A bizarre thought, but her instincts were better than most—she was a shadowmage, after all.

  While Veronyka and Xephyra were still technically the apex pair, the magic that bound their flock together was looser than before. Like Veronyka’s crown, it was a mantle there for the taking when she was ready or when she needed it.

  Despite the increased power of that group bond, Veronyka had lost a bondmate, which meant she’d lost some magic, too, even if Val had been a constant threat while alive. That was their relationship in a nutshell, giving and taking and loving and hating, and Veronyka didn’t know if she’d ever fully understand what they’d had.

  When the beacon had burned low, the phoenixes and their human counterparts slowly drifting off to bed, Veronyka found Tristan across the cobblestones.

  He’d been with his patrol, laughing and talking with the kind of ease she rarely saw in him. The position of commander suited him, and he finally seemed confident in himself and his role at the Eyrie. Lysandro was no longer here, preferring to work with Cassian in Ferro after his bondmate died in the battle. Hestia was also there with the former commander, nursing him back to health and making sure he didn’t work himself to the bone, as was his nature.

  Ronyn chatted with his sister, who was visiting from Petratec, and Latham and Anders remained attached at the hip—as they had been since the end of the war. Anders’s arm was in a sling, his shoulder still bandaged, and Latham was currently helping him eat. Anders beamed at the indulgent care he was receiving and planted an impulsive kiss on Latham’s cheek. Latham’s face burned red, but he didn’t move away or tell Anders off. In fact, Veronyka thought he was smiling underneath the flush.

  Spotting her, Tristan reached for her hand, and their fingers knitted neatly together.

  Without a word, they strolled out the gates and through the village. Tristan trailed his fingertips over the buildings and through the bushes at the edge of Ana’s garden, as if savoring the feeling of home.

  They wound up in the open field in front of the village. The grass was cold and crisp underfoot, but Rex and Xephyra—who had followed in the air—landed before them and warmed the ground beneath their feet like a pair of cats patting down their bed.

  Veronyka and Tristan flopped onto the grass together, still hand in hand, and as Veronyka stared up at the stars, Tristan leaned over her, a flower in hand.

  “What’s this?” she asked, recognizing the Fire Blossom. “Gus give you an idea?”

  “The man’s got moves,” Tristan said with a grin, tucking the flower behind her ear.

  Next to them, Rex spat a crumpled Fire Blossom at Xephyra’s feet. She cocked her head at it, nosing around the grass with her beak, before eating the flower whole.

  Veronyka snorted, and Tristan groaned. Rex puffed out his chest in pleasure.

  “So, how are you enjoying your new office, Commander Tristan?” Veronyka asked. The words felt strange in her mouth—and strange to Tristan’s ears too, but she knew he liked them as well. She felt it.

  He had recently taken over his father’s office, which had acted as temporary storage while they’d cleaned out the rest of the building. It had been officially reinstated to its original purpose just this morning.

  “Not at all, actually,” he said, laughing. “I had a letter from my father waiting for me before I even sat down. You just had to make him outrank me, didn’t you?”

  Veronyka laughed. She had indeed named Cassian her new general, which made Tristan his subordinate. Again. “It’s a temporary position.”

  “And so is yours, isn’t it?” he asked softly. Meaning her time here, with him.

  “No. Whatever happens, this will always be my home. And my home will always be with you.”

  “I’m not sure that’s how it works,” he said. “Your throne is inside the Nest in Aura Nova—the empire’s capital.”

  “Haven’t you heard?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look down at him. “I’m rewriting the rules.”

  His arm snaked around her back, and he pulled her in for a kiss. “As a matter of fact, I have. You’ve been doing that since I met you.”

  “And I’ll do it again. I’ll find a way to be a Phoenix Rider and a queen. I’ll find a way to be exactly who I want to be. I’ve sacrificed a lot,” she said, “but I won’t sacrifice who I am.”

  He stared up at her, his golden eyes thoughtful. He smiled. “I never thought you would.”

  Veronyka kissed him again, lingering, before lying back down.

  “Do you miss her?” Tristan asked.

  “Yes,” Veronyka answered simply. “I just… I hope she’s finally at peace.”

  He tilted his head to the side, nudging against hers. “I think she is,” he said, staring up at the sky.

  Life had not been peaceful for Avalkyra Ashfire. Veronyka had once thought she did not want peace, but now she thought that maybe Val just didn’t know how to achieve it. Not while she lived, at any rate. Veronyka thought of those moments in the flames, when the stars had descended all around her.

  She nodded. “Me too.”

  They sat in silence for a while, Rex and Xephyra nearby, the world asleep around them.

  “Are you tired?” Tristan asked eventually. There was anticipation in his voice.

  She sat up again, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Not even a little bit.”

  He stood, reaching out a hand. “Fancy a proper ride, side by side?” He spoke the words as if from memory—and that’s when Veronyka realized they were.

  He’d spoken them the night of their first flight together on their own phoenixes. Then, the words had promised an impossible dream—a life of sun and wind and the sky all around.

  Now, Veronyka was living it.

  She beamed at him, just as she had done before. “Yes.”

  Many say the tale of the three sisters—Axura and Nox and Xenith, or sun and moon and stars—is a sad one. But those people simply do not know how the story ends.

  For what is day without night, or darkness without light?

  And what is a sky without stars?

  Even when they are apart, they are together—bound for eternity—for they are nothing without each other.

  —“Sun and Moon and Stars,” from The Pyraean Epics, Volume 2, circa 460 BE

  TIME LINE

  NOTABLE RULERS FROM THE REIGN OF QUEENS (BEFORE THE EMPIRE, BE)

  First Era, before dates and events were meticulously recorded (c. 1000–701 BE)

  1000 BE – 800 BE  Queen Nefyra1, the First Rider Queen: Chosen by Axura to be the first animage and the First Rider Queen. Ignix, the first phoenix, was her bondmate.

  775 BE – 725 BE  Queen Otiya, the Queen of Bones: Defeated a rival Rider family that tried to usurp the throne.

  Second Era, the height of Pyraean culture (701–279 BE)

  701 BE – 645 BE  Queen Aurelya, the Golden
Queen: Began construction on the Golden City of Aura, from which she derives her name.

  412 BE – 335 BE  Queen Liyana, the Enduring Queen.

  335 BE – 317 BE  Queen Lyra the Defender: Mustered the Red Horde, the first-ever gathering of the entirety of Pyra’s Phoenix Riders. Successfully defended Pyra from the Lowland Invasion.

  Third Era, the decline of the queendom (279–1 BE)

  9 BE – 37 AE  Queen Elysia the Peacemaker: Her reign in the queendom was most notable for the loss of the Everlasting Flame and the mass evacuation of Aura. After leaving Aura, Elysia founded the empire and married the Ferronese King Damian.

  AFTER THE EMPIRE (AE)

  37 AE – 45 AE  Queen Ellody the Prosperous: Reign of Prosperity.

  45 AE – 56 AE  King Justyn the Pious: Reign of Piety. Transformed Azurec’s Eyrie from a training facility into a pilgrimage site. Built the Pilgrimage Road.

  56 AE – 95 AE  Queen Malka the Wise: Reign of Wisdom.

  95 AE – 121 AE  King Worrid the Learned: Reign of Learning. Born deaf, he designed a specialty saddle to accommodate his condition. Set up the Morian Archives, making sure the empire’s histories were recorded by the priests and acolytes of the god Mori.

  121 AE – 135 AE  King Hellund2 the Just: Reign of Justice.

  135 AE – 147 AE  Queen Bellonya the Brave: Reign of Bravery. Lost her arm as a child, became the fiercest spear thrower in the empire’s history.

  147 AE – 165 AE  King Aryk the Unlikely3: The Unlikely Reign.

  165 AE – 169 AE  Queen Regent Lania of Stel: Reign of the Regent.

  169 AE – 170 AE  Avalkyra4, the Feather-Crowned Queen. Pheronia4, the Council’s Queen.

  169 AE – Present  Reign of the Council.

  1 Despite having died soon after her love Callysta, Nefyra is the only queen mentioned in any stories, legends, or histories from Pyra during this period. Because these accounts were verbal, it is likely there were errors in dating, or perhaps Nefyra’s heirs were named for their mother and grandmother, suggesting that Nefyra II, Nefyra III, and even Nefyra IV were the likely queens mentioned in these accounts. There is also the possibility that the line between myth and history has been blurred here, and the songs and myths were intended to depict the First Rider Queen as having a divinely long reign.