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Back The Endless Skies Save as PDF
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

Wind rushes by as the machine plummets, this time without any sign of recovery. I pull back, but only manage to tighten the ropes around my right wing and leg. My claws scratch feebly at the side of the machine, and I beat my free wing away.

But the human is strapped in, and the cords stuck with him—and me. The sea rushes toward us as my heart seizes, and I bat away furiously, sharp golden feathers splintering …

Desperately, I shift to my human form. My wings disappear in a burst of gold magic, and as they do, the cords loosen. I roll backward onto the wing of the machine, vision spinning in a rush of air and black smoke. Moments later, I’m in a free fall toward the sea.

I retake my lioness form, right wing throbbing with pain, and fall back as I watch three warriors slam into the machine’s left wing at once. The machine pitches angrily, the smoke spewing out in sputters. The droning intensifies, and the human screams as the warriors force the machine down into water.

Mindful of my strained wing, I fly in slow arcs as the machine sinks and gradually fades from my sight. Already, I see the sea-folk surrounding it, making sure it never sees the skies again. The other machines fly off in retreat, making wide U-turns until they’re headed back for Balmora. The warrior who aided me flies over, out of breath.

“Thank you for helping me,” I say. “Are you wounded?”

“No, Sentinel,” she replies with a quick dip of her head. “You?”

“I’m fine,” I reply. “I must go to the king.”

“I saw Sentinel Renna fly to the king’s rooms when we first heard them,” the warrior responds.

“And they would have gone to the Keep,” I reply. I dive, heading straight there. She dives with me, gliding over the rooftops. Here and there, groups of healers huddle around citizens lying in the streets. My stomach flips. We weren’t fast enough. I didn’t protect them.

My lungs still burn from the machine’s smoke. It moved with fire. How is that possible? And how many more are there? The humans have always been clever in their weapons. Now they have made one to bring the Heliana to her knees.

All while our numbers are diminished and our prince unable to leave his bed …

I’m running out of reasons to have hope.

18

ROWAN

I wake at first light, my cloak wrapped securely around me. Last night, I traveled as far as I could, eating my packed food for energy, but when I stumbled over a rock that I definitely should have seen, I called it a night and looked for shelter.