Page 93 of Claim the Light
Well, that’s some good news.
There isn’t space for all of us to spread our wings at once, so we take off in turns.
Isaac goes first, soaring upward before landing on the edge of the rooftop far above. He takes a moment to check the surroundings up there before he gestures for us to come up.
Micah and I are last. He steps up to me and the darkness in his eyes seems inky in this enclosed space.
I immediately press my palm to his heart, willing the warmth to reach his skin through the soft, white material.
“Whatever you need. Whenever you need it,” he says, his voice husky. “Tell me and I’ll be there.”
“Fight,” I whisper, reaching up to press my lips to his, tasting the saltiness of my sudden tears. “Fight against the death that’s trying to claim you. Because I need you. I want you. And I want the chance to have a family with you.”
He lowers his head, his forehead pressing to mine, and we stay like that for another moment before I force myself to move back so I can release my wings.
Micah is close behind me as we soar upward.
I alight on the edge of the rooftop and quickly scan my surroundings. We’re standing at the center of a gently sloping roof, far enough back that there’s no chance we could be seen from the streets below.
We’re also very high up, which makes it easy to see far across the city. Tucking my wings away, I quickly scan for landmarks I might recognize. I’m relieved to discover that we’re close to the center of the city. We’re equidistant from Grudge territory and Callan’s last home—which is where I plan to go next.
But here, on this rooftop, is where we’ll part ways with Callan and Isaac.
Wanting to give Callan and Lana, and Beatrix and Isaac the space they need, I venture carefully toward the roof’s edge with Micah at my side.
We take quick peeks down to the street below. It’s darker than I was expecting at this time of day and the usual city sounds seem hushed. Above me, clouds cover the sun and the sky is gray. The chill that settled around me when we stepped into the alley is only growing worse.
Everywhere I look, there are shadows where the sunlight should be.
The strong beat of wings draws my attention back to the others. Callan rises into the air, his golden wings shrouded in heat waves, but he stays low to the rooftop.
Lana’s focus on her mate prevails until he’s a distant figure racing away through the shadows.
Isaac has hung back and now he hurries toward me, arresting my attention with his urgent voice. “It’s likely that theBook of Light Magicwill record your battle,” he says quietly. “If Callan sees that Lana’s in trouble, I won’t be able to stop him.”
“I understand,” I say, conscious of Lana’s gaze on me. She’s proven to have hearing nearly as sensitive as Micah’s and will be able to hear every word we’re saying.
I meet her eyes, even though my answer is for Isaac. “I trust Callan to choose the right path for himself and Lana. Isaac, please focus on keeping everyone in Grudge territory safe.”
With a nod to me, Isaac steps back, but he pauses beside Beatrix. He’s facing away from me now while Beatrix’s face is fully visible to me.
Her whisper is so quiet, she barely makes a sound. “Goodbye, pet.”
Isaac’s response is soft but determined. “Not goodbye.”
At that, he spreads his wings and rises upward, flying low over several rooftops before he also disappears into the shadows.
Now, it’s just the four of us. Me and three of the shifters I most care about, each of them fighting the darkness growing within their hearts.
I don’t mince words. “We’ll go to Callan’s home first, but we need to reach it quickly. The Scorn could be anywhere and I doubt they’ll hesitate to attack us if they intercept us.”
Micah’s shoulders are tense, his eyes narrowed at the cityscape around us. “I don’t like what I’m sensing out there. It’s the middle of the day. The city should be bustling. Noisy. Instead, there’s a friction in the air.” He inhales deeply. “It smells…wrong.”
“Death,” I say. “It smells like death.”
The city might look peaceful from up here, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ve entered a war zone.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
