Page 127 of Ruby
His jaw clenches. “This is reckless.”
She ignores him, stepping toward us. “Now.”
My heart is hammering but my body is already shifting into readiness. Kira swallows hard and moves to Ree’s left side. I take her right.
Thivoll steps in front of us, eyes blazing. “If she is injured—”
“We don’t have time for this,” Ree says, and there’s steel in every syllable. “Move, Thivoll.”
For a split second, I think he won’t. Then he steps aside with a growl that is more promise than surrender.
Kira and I hook our arms under Ree’s.
“On my count,” I say automatically, trying to ignore the fact that my palms are sweating. “One—two—”
We launch.
It is messy.
Ree is small, but dead weight shifts unpredictably in the air. Our first lift jerks sideways, wings colliding in uneven rhythm.
“Sorry!” Kira yells.
“Match me!” I shout back.
We wobble hard to the left. Ree’s grip tightens but she doesn’t panic.
Below us, Thivoll roars again, rage and fear tangled together.
“Stabilize!” Ree commands.
I force myself to breathe.
“Okay,” I snap. “Kira, shorten your downstroke. Watch my timing.”
“I am watching!”
“Then match it!”
Our eyes meet midair. No sarcasm. No bravado.
Just determination.
We adjust. Wingbeats thrum once, twice—
Then align.
Ree’s weight settles more evenly between us. I shift slightly to counter drag. Kira angles her shoulder to balance torque.
We are not graceful, but we are learning in real time.
Below, Thivoll’s furious, howling silhouette shrinks as we gain altitude.
“Hold steady,” Ree says.
Kira’s jaw is set. My teeth grind together in anxiety, but we figure it out mid-flight. Breath syncing, muscles adapting, instinct kicking in where fear wants to take over.
We keep ourselves aligned. We don’t drop her.
