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TWELVE

Wren

“Well, at least the fog is gone and the wind has stopped.” We’re standing at the entrance to the suspension bridge staring across its length at the opposite side, which seems entirely too far away.

Lily frowns. “I think I’d rather have the fog back. At least then I can’t see how high up that bridge is.”

Ruby tests the thick ropes anchored to the rocky cliff. They step onto the bridge and jump up and down a few times, which makes me want to puke. Ruby’s smiling when they come back to us. “It seems sturdy enough. None of the ropes are frayed. And I can’t tell for sure from here, but the wooden planks also look like they’re in good condition. Sure, it’s high up, but we can keep our hands on the rope sides for balance and get across with no problem. I’ll lead if you want me to.”

“Wait,” I say before they step back onto the bridge. “Do we think the Air Elementals are done with us?”

“What do you mean?” Lily asks.

“Well, the Fire Elementals actually attacked us. All the Air Elementals have done is create fog and creepy echoes. Yeah, we could’ve let those things mess with our heads and maybe even fallen off the path or gotten lost, but that isn’t nearly as bad as what Fire did.” I reason aloud as I try to work through the feeling of dread that threatens to overwhelm me every time I look at the bridge. “I’m just wondering if there’s more, and that more will happen when we’re out there.” I jerk my chin at the bridge, which is swaying slightly (and nauseatingly) in the soft breeze.

“I think you’re right to be worried,” says Ruby, not putting my stomach at ease at all. “But that just means we’re prepared.” Ruby pauses and runs their hand through their short dark hair. “You said you got the fog and the wind and the echoes to stop by explaining that we’re not here to hurt them. That’s weird, though. How can we hurt an Air Elemental?”

I shrug and scoop a hand through the air around us, like I’m trying to collect the breeze. “We can’t.”

Lily turns to me. “ We can’t hurt an Air Elemental—as in Ruby and I can’t—but you can.”

“Me? How? Plus, I don’t want to hurt anyone,” I say.

“Oh, I get it,” Ruby adds. “Lily doesn’t mean you you . She means the maiden you. Look at what Celeste has done to them. She’s held the Elementals captive for hundreds of years. What if they—”

“Expect the same from me!” I interrupt her. “But I’m definitely not Celeste and would not do that kind of shady crap. Actually, it’s what I’m trying to fix by going on this quest.”

Ruby says, “You know that. We know that. But do the Elementals know that?”

“It’s definitely something to keep in mind,” says Lily.

I look out at the bridge and sigh. “We better get across this thing.”

“Want me to go first?” Ruby asks.

I nod tightly, swallowing down my nausea. “Lily, you go next and I’ll be right behind you. Do you think we should stay close or spread out?”

“I can’t imagine that the three of us together are heavy enough to cause a problem, so let’s stay close,” says Ruby.

I let loose a big, relieved breath. But my relief is short-lived as Ruby strides out onto the bridge, followed closely by Lily and then by me.

I hate bridges even more than camping. Like, substantially more. This bridge moves. Seriously. Not only are we waaaay above a gorge that will definitely kill us if we fall, but we’re crossing the deadly gorge by walking over a long, narrow rope thing that moves with every gust of wind.

And the gusts are increasing.

“Don’t worry!” Ruby calls back like they can read my mind. “It’s always windy out on these things.”

“I don’t like it.” Lily sounds really young and really scared.

Ruby looks over their shoulder and smiles reassuringly at Lily and me. “Look, we’re almost halfway.”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to look,” I say.

Ruby snorts. “You’re not supposed to look down . Keeping your eyes on the other side of the bridge is a good idea.”

“Okay, staring at the other side,” Lily says.

“Ditto,” I say.

We’re directly over the center of the gorge when a sound begins to build below us. It’s a strange rumbling that increases as the wind gets stronger. How do I know we’re directly over the center? Because, like a newb, I look down at the funnel that’s growing, lifting, and roaring from the bottom of the gorge, heading up at us.

“Shit!” I shout. “Tornado!”

Ruby’s head snaps down and then they turn to us and yell, “Run!”

We run. Lily and I are way slower than Ruby, but they don’t leave us. As the wind batters and the tornado sounds like a train coming straight at us, they grab Lily’s hand, pull her to them, and then almost carry her forward. “Keep going!” Ruby shouts at me. “I’ll come back for you!”

I nod, gripping the thick rope of the bridge, which is not just swaying; it’s flapping in the wailing wind like the end of a kite’s tail. I don’t want to puke anymore. I’m so terrified that I’m numb.

The bridge whips sickeningly to the side and I stumble, falling to my knees.

“Wren! Hang on!” Ruby yells.

I’m clinging with both hands to the rope. I look ahead and see Ruby and Lily make it to the other side of the gorge. Lily falls and on her hands and knees scrambles away from the edge as she motions to Ruby that she’s okay.

“I’m coming, Wren!” Ruby steps onto the bridge again, and it’s the last thing I see before the roaring funnel cloud engulfs me.

All I can do is cling to the bridge as the wind howls around me in a tightening circle. Within the whirlpool of wind I see strange shapes, creatures with opaque wings and eyes that blaze yellow as they stare at me. The suction of the swirling cloud pulls at me so hard that my hands can’t hold on to the rope and I wrap my arms around it.

“Wren!”

I hear Ruby, but I can’t see them. I can’t see anything outside the Elementals and the tornado that’s swallowing me. “Go back!” I yell. “Don’t get sucked in!”

Don’t panic! Don’t panic! Don’t panic!

I try to slow my breathing because I feel like I’m hyperventilating, which is definitely not what I need in the middle of a tornado, but it’s almost impossible to fight my fear. The Elementals are going to rip me off this bridge and drop me into the gorge. It seems like a good time to panic!

As the circling walls of the tornado inch closer, I can see the creatures within more clearly. They’re beautiful! Their wings aren’t feathered but look more butterfly- or moth-like, though they’re moving too fast for me to tell for sure. They’re all sorts of iridescent colors that make the tornado appear to sparkle like a rainbow made of glitter.

In the middle of my fear and panic their beauty strikes me as out of place within the malicious intent of the tornado. “You’re so pretty and magickal, why are you doing this?” I don’t realize I’ve spoken the words aloud until one of the Elementals turns its yellow eyes on me. They’re not yellow like a glowing evil beast’s, but more like faceted citrine, sparkling with beauty. I meet the Elemental’s gaze and speak louder as it pauses its circling. “Why do you want to hurt me? I promise I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not Celeste or Selene or whatever you call the Conduit. I’m not trying to complete the ritual to control you.” As I speak the Elemental continues to stare at me intently. “I’m trying to complete it so you can be free. No one person should control your power or the power of the moon. I promise I’m not—”

A great roar cuts off my words and the Elemental cringes and rejoins the rest of the air whirlpool. The wind spikes and the tornado closes around me, wrenching me away from the bridge and pulling me up, up, up… and then I’m forced down through the vortex of wind and creatures and spit out of the funnel.

“No!” Ruby shouts as Lily screams.

I’m falling.

I’m going to die.

I squeeze my eyes closed and time seems to slow as I think about my parents. Will I see them again? And Sam. Will I see Sam, too? Lee’s going to be heartbroken. I hope he’ll be okay.

Suddenly pain spikes through my body, but my falling slows. I can’t stop the scream that rips from my throat. I must have hit the bottom and I’m just a spirit now, floating up and away.

Wait. I’m floating down . In agony? If I’m dead that doesn’t seem right. I mean, I’ve only lived eighteen years and haven’t been that bad of a person.

I open my eyes. I’m caught in Viento’s arms. His body is bent around me as pain cripples him.

Cannot hold you. Move to my back! His voice in my head sounds rough, as if he can barely form his thoughts into words through the agony engulfing him, which I understand because the same pain courses through my body. With an audible groan Viento supports me as I claw my way onto his back. We’re still falling, but he spreads out his arms and we slow. I have a bizarre flash of one of the scenes from Aladdin on his flying carpet. I’d laugh (frantically), but I can barely think through the terrible pain that racks my body and my Elemental’s. I scream again and hear Viento’s scream within my mind, wailing in anguish over and over as we continue to slowly fall toward the rocky floor of the gorge.

Just when I don’t think I can bear any more, the pain starts to fade. I’m clinging on to Viento like he’s giving me a piggyback ride. I can feel the tremors that pass in violent waves through his body.

“Viento!” I shout into the wind.

The only answer I get is his echoing screams of agony within my mind.

My pain is fading. His is not.

Because the agony is killing him and severing our connection!

“No!” I grip his shoulders and shake him as we continue to float downward. “Stop helping me! It’s killing you!”

He won’t or can’t answer me, and as his shrieks in my mind increase I can feel his body begin to wither. It’s like he’s being drained of his soul.

My pain is gone. My fear is gone. I’m pissed. Really pissed.

“Help him!” I shout up at the funnel-shaped cloud that has stopped rotating but still hovers above us. The winged Elementals are clustered together, staring down at us. “Listen to me! Saving me is going to kill him! You’re Air Elementals. So is he. Don’t like me? Fine. Don’t trust me? Fine. But you know him! He’s one of you! Help him, please, even if it means I fall!”

At first, nothing happens, and I gather myself. I have to jump. I have to get off Viento’s back so he’s no longer helping me and the spell will stop torturing him!

There’s a burst of light from the center of the cloud and some of the creatures with beautiful gossamer wings tumble from it. Limp and lifeless, they dissipate like smoke in a hurricane. The remaining Elementals merge to form a huge creature, easily the size of a car, who folds its wings and dives toward Viento and me.

I’m a lot calmer than I would have imagined if someone had said, Hey, you’re going to have time to think about the fact that you’re falling to your death. But I’m not focused on death. I’m focused on Viento and his shrieks of pain.

The Elemental spreads its wings as it reaches us. Even now I’m amazed by its beauty. Two sets of wings have solidified from opal colored to bright pink and lime green. They frame a chubby white-furred body. On the wings are round markings in black and silver that look like the phases of the moon and it has a long, furry pink tail.

It lifts its head. Its eyes are big and citrine colored, glistening like crystal. Its antennae twirl as it faces me and I swear it smiles, exposing tiny sharp teeth that glisten white. It has four legs, which make the universal come here gesture. Light glints off those legs, drawing my attention to the sharp, thornlike crystal spikes that line them. Then the creature shifts its body so it’s close enough that I could slide onto its back. It lifts its head again and looks over its wings at me, beckoning with razor-tipped legs.

I hold my breath, let loose Viento’s shoulders, and slide onto the back of the enormous Elemental.

Viento is still falling and still screaming in silent agony. The Elemental I’m riding positions itself under him. I feel its furry body inhale and then it exhales, blowing a gale at Viento, who is lifted up into the sky. I squint at him and see an air current catch his body and lift him higher. As he’s carried farther and farther away the screaming in my mind fades and then finally stops completely.

“Is he okay? Is he alive?” I ask, not actually expecting a response, but the Elemental I’m riding makes a little chittering sound. It’s musical and soothing and I hope it means Viento is going to recover.

With slow, powerful strokes the Elemental’s wings beat against the air and we lift up and out of the gorge. We soar in a circle and I see Ruby and Lily below us. They’re staring up and waving.

“Could you take me down to my friends?” I ask the Elemental.

It chitters at me again and makes an easy descent, landing beside Ruby and Lily. It crouches and I jump from its back to the ground. “Thank you! Thank you so much for saving Viento and me.”

The giant mothlike creature trills at me. It’s so soft and fluffy that I can’t help myself. I reach out slowly so it can pull away if it wants, and stroke the white fur that frames its face and covers its body.

“She’s beautiful.” Lily’s voice is hushed as she and Ruby join me. The giant moth tilts its head to look at Lily and trills softly. “Do you think I can touch her?”

“Her?” I ask, and the moth chatters excitedly.

“She looks like a luna moth, and the females are larger than the males,” says Lily. “And she’s, well, huge , so my guess is she’s a she.”

The moth chitters at Lily. “She seems to agree with you.” I smile at the beautiful Elemental.

“I really want to pet her.” Lily threads her fingers together, almost like she’s praying.

“I think you could ask her,” Ruby says softly. “Go ahead; she obviously understands us.”

“Hi, I’m Lily.” She steps a little closer to the moth. “May I pet you?”

The moth chatters to Lily, her wings shifting excitedly as she dips her head so Lily can easily reach her.

“You’re so soft!” Lily gasps as she strokes the moth. The creature smiles at Lily, showing her sharp teeth.

“She has fangs,” Ruby whispers, moving protectively closer to Lily.

I nod. “Yep. And look at her legs.”

“They’re weapons,” says Ruby.

“Yeah.” I stroke the moth’s beautiful head. “Isn’t she perfect?”

There’s a rush of wind and Viento lands beside the moth, who turns and rubs her head against him. She is definitely perfect , his voice sounds in my mind.

I throw my arms around him, getting in on some of the moth’s catlike head rubs. “Viento! Are you okay?”

I am, Little Bird.

“Viento, did you almost die?” Ruby speaks somberly, and the three of us stare at him.

“ Can you die?” asks Lily softly.

Yes, but it would not have been death as you know it. I am immortal, as is the wind. I would have simply become one with the wind. An Elemental cannot ever truly perish.

I relay to Ruby and Lily what he says and Lily asks, “But you wouldn’t have been you anymore?”

He shakes his head. Not as you would recognize.

Lily hurls herself into his arms. “Thank you for saving Wren!”

Viento pats her back gently before he steps away. I take both his hands in mine and peer into his cowled face, meeting his soft amber gaze. “Thank you for saving me. Again.”

He lifts my hands and presses them to his chest and I’m surprised to feel the steady beating of his heart. I could not let my Little Bird perish.

Beside us, the moth trills and bumps us with her perfectly beautiful, perfectly fuzzy head.

“Two down,” I say as I pet her. “And two to go.”