Page 17 of To Sway a Prince (Tempting Thieves)

17

INTO THE SKY

M y stomach dropped as we shot toward the opening. I instinctively flattened myself against Zephyrus's neck, gripping with my knees and digging my fingers in the ridges along his horns.

Ramiel and Thalorion remained perfectly poised, arrow-straight as we rocketed upward. Neither moved a muscle, completely at ease with the violent ascent. The walls blurred around us, uncomfortably close but never touching.

Then suddenly—we burst into open sky. The brilliant morning light washed over us, momentarily blinding after the dimness of the stable. I gasped at the exhilarating sensation of being launched into the heavens, loving the rush and the pressure. I let my eyes slide shut.

Zephyrus's wings unfurled with a loud thrum. They caught the currents, steadying us in the vast blue expanse. Glorious—completely glorious—freedom and connection melding into joy. The wind in my face and pressing against me with such force. I loved it!

"Look over the Chasm," Ramiel called out, his voice clear as glass within my mind.

Forcing my eyes open, I adjusted my grip and looked down. I gasped.

The Chasm stretched beneath us like a living entity—a river of deep purple mist that cut through the rocky valley. It billowed and frothed, tendrils of vapor reaching upward before dissipating into the air. Sunlight caught the edges of the mist, turning them silver and pearl. The section nearest the tower was the thickest and largest, like the base of a bottle. But it tapered into a narrower line as we continued flying north.

"It's beautiful." I caught the bitter and sharp scents of powerful magic. They stung the inside of my nose and lungs but filled me with exhilaration

The mist churned and pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm, steaming where it met the jagged rocks. From this height, I could trace its path as it wound through the mountains, disappearing into the distant horizon.

In all my travels, I had never seen anything like this.

We soared and swept high above, following the Chasm's path. What a wondrous place this was. Jagged mountain peaks rose like sentinels around us, their snow-capped summits gleaming in the morning light. Forests of pine and ancient oak blanketed the slopes in a rich tapestry of green that contrasted sharply against the mist of the Chasm. As the clouds gathered and crowded the eastern sky, the shadows below merged with the mist.

Ramiel guided Thalorion closer, the ancient dragon's wings barely seeming to move as he glided beside us. "Few ever witness it from this perspective," he replied, his voice clear in my mind despite the rushing wind. "There it is in all its glory. What do you think, Astraia?"

"Terrifying and magnificent." I couldn't tear my eyes away from the spectacle below. It was as hypnotic to watch as fire on a hearth or ocean waves lapping at the shore.

Zephyrus banked, giving me an even better view of the magnificent purple expanse. The filtered morning sunlight caught the mist, creating rainbows that danced across its surface. Utterly stunning.

The dragons continued to fly north. My heart raced, my blood surging with delight. "So what exactly is the purpose of this flight?" I asked.

Ramiel pointed toward the Chasm. In the warm sunlight, the mist seemed more lavender than true purple here. "The Chasm itself runs for fifteen miles down the Seam. We're going to fly along the length of it and see if we can spot our wounded leviathan. I saw some signs that he might be hunting this morning. He still seems relatively stable considering how bad his condition was. I've been trying to get it close enough to the rifts to see what injured it. If we can heal him, he'll calm and stop trying to break through the barrier."

"You're sure about that?" I asked, frowning. How could he possibly know with such certainty?

He nodded, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he maintained a steady grip on Thalorion's horns. "The leviathan isn't meant to live in our world. It's a creature of liminal space. That's why it belongs in the Chasm. It would be like a freshwater fish swimming in the ocean. But its demise wouldn't be immediate. It would take days, and in those days, it would go on an ever more violent rampage. It starts trying to break through the Chasm when the pain becomes too much for it like a creature thrashing in the shallows."

Pity coursed through me. I could imagine how I might respond if I couldn't breathe. The nightmares often included that. Flailing, thrashing, struggling. Praying desperately that something would provide relief. "And you're really going to help him?" An almost painful softness stirred within me. I wanted to hug him.

"If I can." Ramiel adjusted his silver carver gloves. His shoulders dropped a little. "That will stop the incursions for now. If I can't, I'll go as far as I can with healing him and then use the last of my magic to seal the Chasm with my death throes. Maybe drag the omenfang in with me. The leviathan will die from that. Most of the dragons too if they disobey and try to intervene. But it will buy time. After I'm gone?—"

"You won't be gone. We're going to figure something out," I said, sharper than I intended. "Remember what we agreed."

He laughed at this. "Yes, my lady." He raised his eyebrow as he met my gaze, hair flowing beautifully in the wind. "Now…we aren't likely to run into any difficulties with this stretch. Hopefully nothing difficult in our entire inspection, but why don't we take advantage of this stretch? Show me your moves, gnat." His voice was at once distant and distorted by the wind but spoken directly into my mind. And that sparkle in his eyes set me ablaze.

I cast a coy glance in his direction, savoring the burn of excitement deep within my chest and gut. Then I looked down at Zephyrus. "He wants to see what you can do, big guy," I said, scratching him behind the ear. "Start with a barrel roll and then just do what feels good, eh?"

Zephyrus huffed, then trilled three times. His warning for me to hold tight. I clenched my muscles and leaned down, tucked tight against his muscular neck.

My world flipped upside down as Zephyrus tucked his wings and plummeted. Wind screamed past my ears. My stomach lurched into my throat.

Knots take me, I'd almost forgotten how intense this could be!

We plunged toward the Chasm, purple mist rushing up to meet us. At the last second, Zephyrus snapped his wings open and barrel-rolled right above the vapor. I clung to him, fingers digging into scale ridges, thighs clamped tight.

He banked hard left. Then right. My body shifted against his neck with each turn, but I adapted.

A flash of silvered dark-green scales—Thalorion cutting across our path.

Zephyrus twisted, spiraling under the larger dragon's belly. I glimpsed Ramiel's silver hair streaming behind him.

Instincts guided me. I anchored myself to Zephyrus with a knot spell. Magic shimmered gold between us.

Up. Down. Sideways. The horizon spun like a child's top.

Glorious and horrifying all at once!

Zephyrus corkscrewed through the air, wings tucked tight. My blood thundered in my ears. The world blurred into streaks of blue and purple and green.

We shot upward, climbing so fast my vision darkened at the edges. Then—nothing beneath us as we stalled at the peak.

"Zeph—"

We dropped backward, freefalling in a move that squeezed the breath from my lungs. Oh, polph, I hated this one! But nothing beat the way my blood roared when it finished.

Thalorion appeared directly below us. Zephyrus threaded between his wings, missing by inches. I could have sworn that when we flipped upside down that my hair brushed over Ramiel's head.

The dragons wove around each other in an aerial dance, so close I could see the individual scales on Thalorion's hide. My heart hammered against my ribs. Sweat slicked my palms.

Another dive. Another roll. Another impossible twist that should have thrown me clear.

But my magic held, golden threads binding us together as we carved patterns across the sky.

Then I heard the most wonderful sound of all echoing in my head: Ramiel laughing. Not just some mild laugh or light chuckle. Full abandoned belly laughs. The most delightful sound I'd ever heard.

"By all the runes that fall and rise, you are a true dragon rider," he said.

I loosed my grip on Zephyrus's horn enough to tap my hand to my temple and sketch a bow. "I had a magnificent teacher."

Zephyrus chuffed in agreement.

Thalorion swept a look at us and rumbled a strange growl. Ramiel just chuckled and patted the side of the massive beast's head. "I suspect the dragons would all agree that they are the best teachers of all."

I found myself laughing, even though it wasn't especially funny. It just felt good to laugh and share this flight with someone else. As much as I loved soaring with just Zephyrus, there was something about this that was even more meaningful. I noted that Ramiel's hair still looked so elegant and had all fallen back into smooth waves. "You use that enchantment, don't you?"

"What enchantment?" His brow creased as he canted his head.

"The one to keep your hair elegant and flowing," I said, unable to keep the teasing tone from my voice.

His smile pulled up higher before he shook his head, speaking with mock seriousness. "I have my vanity, gnat. All fae do. What good is magic if you can't do a little something to make yourself feel better? Or perhaps you actually are blessed with hair that is never tangled or unseemly? I've heard that some royals are attended by the wee ones with their blessings and gifts and gorgeous hair is one of those gifts."

I giggled. "No. When I was born, some fairies gifted me with some gifts but nothing that substantial. The only reason I know you're using the enchantment is because I do something similar. That was all me though. Not a gift from our tiny cousins."

The way he smiled at me just made me come undone inside. The air whipped about us. His enchantment must have been a bit stronger than mine because his hair never cut across his face. Off in the distance, more dragons called to one another, low and throaty.

He shook his head, still smiling. When he looked back at me, my breaths quickened. No one ever excited me so much. "Well, gnat," he said, his voice rippling through my mind. "You wear your magic well."

"As do you."

We flew awhile longer, Zephyrus and Thalorion sometimes making additional maneuvers. Once we dove into a cloud bank, the cold rush cutting through me and then contrasting with the sharpness of the wind and the heat of the sun. Steam rose off the dragons in delicate patterns.

It was everything I could have ever wanted. My blood and heart sang with happiness, my cheeks burning and sweat and cloud condensation rolling down my neck. Knots take me. I didn't want this flight to end.

"Do you ever skim down along the Chasm or go inside?" I asked. "Before the curse stopped you, I mean."

"Oh yes, frequently but only for brief periods," Ramiel responded. He nudged Thalorion, and he drew alongside us. Hearing his voice in my mind while the dragon wings thundered around us was a strange sensation. "The Chasm is a beautiful place. But it's not intended for us. Especially not someone like me who is cursed."

"What was here before the Chasm? Or what made it tear open?" I realized I didn't know what precisely it was. "I always heard that it was like a portal into the abyss. But from up here, it looks like it's…it's like seeing the ocean on a foggy morning."

He chuckled at this. "Well, depends on who you ask. I explored the Chasm before the curse prevented me from entering. When I was boy and more of my family lived, there were even times when we danced upon the barrier and played with the deep swifts. Most Sentinels believe that there was once a portal here. Something that reached into the other worlds. Then something happened to rip it out, and this is what remains. An opening into accessible liminal space with all the creatures that it holds. It's dangerous in there. But that's why it leads to other points of liminal space."

"What happens if you go in? You mentioned that it reacts to you?" I scratched Zephyrus's ear as he adjusted our height. Thunder grumbled in the distance. We now flew among the spires and tors, the massive natural structures dwarfing both dragons.

"Everything becomes hostile. The barrier weakens, but the air and space within…thickens. It becomes like the barrier's surface all the way through. Chasm wraiths seem drawn to my presence. And it escalates swiftly from there." He shook his head. "Once, my presence summoned ten night reavers. We barely escaped alive. The longer I am in contact with the mist, the faster it accelerates and the thicker it is. It feels like drowning and as if you are moving through clear molasses."

"And that isn't how it is for everyone?" I adjusted the pendant, tilting my head as I listened. My shoulder started throbbing more, and my wrist stung.

"No, Sentinels frequently enter the Chasm. It's one of the ways we protect it. Anyone from our realm can survive up to three days in the Chasm unless you get pulled into the aether. That's a whole other problem. They say if your spirit gets trapped in there, you stay until the end of time. So avoid chasm wraiths at all costs. If they bite down on you or grab you, your spirit will start to separate from your body. Their poison is contact based. It gets in the skin as soon as they touch you."

"Is that similar to what the omenfang is doing to you?" A pang of fear cut deeper.

He nodded, his expression grim. "The omenfang will drain my power and weaken me physically until I can be dragged away, whether just in spirit or spirit and body. But chasm wraiths work faster and have to be in physical contact with you. There aren't any near the surface right now. So…if you wanted to take a peek, you could have Zephyrus dip inside. He's especially skilled at that. I can't go with you though. So be cautious."

I started to nod. Exploration delighted me, and seeing the inside of something like the Chasm should have thrilled me. But almost as fast, a sharp pang of discomfort twisted inside me. No. Absolutely not. I could not enter.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Y-yes. I just…I suddenly felt like I shouldn't go down there." I pressed my hand to my chest. The cold of the wind suddenly seemed far stronger, and the sun's warmth no longer reached me. Of course, it wasn't quite as bright either because storm clouds were building and covering more of the sun. My body ached. Especially my shoulder.

As I rubbed my palm across the scars, I looked around. The Chasm was far narrower here than elsewhere, more like a broad river that a strong swimmer could cross in three full breaths. Back at the Eye of the Needle, it had been more like a great lake. The mountains closed in more, the trees sparser and the rocks far rougher. There were small islands of stone, some large enough for three dragons to land on. These islands were a few feet above the deeper mist, but curling wisps of the purple mist still coiled around the stones. "Shouldn't go in," I repeated.

He hummed in contemplation, his brow knitting. "Well, it isn't the safest of places, so it is perhaps for the best that you don't." He snapped his fingers and pointed. "Look! There he is! The leviathan." He pointed down at a lighter portion of the mist in the Chasm. "Thank the Creator. Thalorion, we've got to follow if we can. Pray he doesn't dive down."

I leaned down, my thighs gripping tight and holding me in place. It took a moment for me to see through the mist. But soon, my focus improved. Through the purple haze, I caught a glimpse of dark scales, bobbing and diving as if swimming. Based on the angle and the style of the scales, I suspected I was looking at the leviathan's neck. He was massive, easily forty feet in length based on this angle. Possibly larger. His build reminded me of the brine iguanas in the south, except that his scales were thick as pinecone scales but much tighter and coarser.

"Where are we following him to?" I asked.

"Wherever he goes as long as he stays near the barrier," Ramiel responded, his gaze scanning the Chasm. "We need to spot the kind of wound he has and potential solutions. Looks like he's just finished a meal. He's swimming it off. He'll return to sleep for a time after this after this, but then he'll be roused and raging, trying to get relief."

"Why does he come up here when he's' in pain?"

"The barrier has natural healing elements within it. Especially near the Eye of the Needle. If we're fortunate, he'll be trying to push the wound into the barrier itself. Focus on the places where the barrier is dimmer. It will be stronger and better for soothing the wound."

Zephyrus dipped to the side as did Thalorion, tracking along after the leviathan.

Now that I knew how to focus on the mist and see into the Chasm better, I picked out far more details. It really was like the ocean, though it did not look as if there was water down there. Another pang of alarm cut through me when I saw the thinness of the barrier at some points. "Are we too low?" I asked. "Could something come up and attack us?" Visions of shark attacks and crocodile ambushes flashed into my mind.

A smile flickered on Ramiel's face, but his focus remained on the surface of the Chasm. Thalorion had slowed his pace. "As long as nothing breaks the surface, they won't come out here. The surface is weakest near the tower. It's why we built it there. Here it would take a great deliberate force sustained for almost a minute to break through from their side. And it couldn't be just any creature. This leviathan though, he's on his way to rest."

"What about on our side?" I asked. The leviathan continued to move along beneath the mist. He was massive. At least twice the size of Thalorion.

"It'd take a lot less, so be careful. If you do slip in, don't panic. It will feel like you can't breathe, but I promise you can. You'll need to keep your movements slow and steady and envision the action as you do it. It's quite disorienting down there, but focus on reaching the rocks and climbing out. You will sink if you stop moving. Just don't let your spirit get separated from your body. You know how to resist that, right?"

"Yeah…but if it's a big enough and dangerous enough creature, it's just delaying the inevitable."

"The delay is what matters. Sometimes it's all we have."

Thunder grumbled in the distance. My eyes snapped up to the darkening storm clouds. That did not look good. The scent in the air was changing as well, that crisp smell of fresh rain and cold stone. "Any interactions with storms we should know about?"

Ramiel cut his gaze at the clouds. "It can get pretty strong and worsen swiftly. Keep an eye out for the winds. A rock slide out here would be problematic. We should probably go." He hummed with frustration, his grip on Thalorion's horns tightening, weighing our options.

I understood that look. He didn't want to leave until he determined what was wrong with the leviathan. If we could figure it out and get it resolved, it might buy more time before the leviathan tried to escape again and Ramiel had to use so much of his magic. "Would you stay and search if it was just you and Thalorion?" I asked.

He tore his gaze from the mist and met mine. Concern radiated in his eyes. Then he nodded. "I've been trying to identify the source of the leviathan's injury for weeks. Knowing what caused this lingering wound would allow us to potentially resolve it, and he only ever gets his head and neck through before we drive him back and he resumes resting and healing."

"Then we stay. I know how to handle myself," I responded. "Trust me."

He weighed this. A muscle jumped in his jaw. Another nod then. "Then stay close. Watch for gaps in the mist. Enhance your sight if you need to. This could get dangerous."