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Back The Endless Skies
Chapters (57)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Also by Shannon Price
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. Newsletter Sign-up

He takes a short running start before making the jump, catching the edge of the air vent. Then, with a groan, he reaches up and clasps my forearm. I pull him through. Or at least, I try to.

“No,” I whisper, trying in vain to pull him again. Ox must find footing in the wall because his weight lifts more easily, but it’s not enough. The vent itself is too small. Ox adjusts, then discards his bow and tries again, but broad shouldered and nearly a head taller than I am, there’s no way he’s going to get through.

“Skies,” I say. “Come. On.”

Ox lets go of my hand, and for a moment, I think the humans have got him. Instead, he pushes his waterskin toward me. Pulling it forward, I throw it to the side, reaching for his hand again.

“Ox, you have to find another way out,” I say. “Go. Please. Find another way out.”

He has an expression on his face that’s beyond description—fear and peace at once. “Rowan, you have to go.”

“I won’t leave you.”

“You have to. Take the cure. Go to the city.”

I don’t move. I absolutely cannot, will not leave. I start digging at the sides of the vent, only succeeding in moving pebbles and dust. There is the sound of a sword unsheathing as Ox abandons his bow.

“I’ll hold them off,” he says. “Get going, Rowan An’Talla. You have a city to save.”

Then he moves back into the darkness, and I know I will never see him again. I want to shriek into the tunnels and have the sound of my heartbreak echo around the mine—but to make a sound would give me away.

Grabbing both of our shares of the cure, I stand up on unsteady legs and half run, half stumble down the side of the mines. Collapsing against the trunk of a sturdy pine tree, I press the waterskins to my chest and scream silently, rocking myself back and forth.

“Just get to the city. Just get home,” I tell to myself. Sunlight breaks through the trees, and I’m pulled toward it like the sun is pulled toward the horizon—steady and true. Something starts to awaken in my bones. Magic.

Warrior or not, I am Leonodai. And I’m going to save the city Ox loves.

Loved.

I wipe fresh tears with the back of my hand, my anger adding new weight to everything I am trying to process and understand.

I run, wild and untethered, toward the west.

43

SHIRENE

The bells sound—raucous and ready. Beside me, the queen jumps at the sound. She holds the prince close to her chest, rocking him back and forth. Prena, skies keep her, passed out from exhaustion not long ago. Her eyes flutter open.

“Aeroplanes?” she asks.