Page 34 of Shadow Wings
One of the Phaetyn coughed, and I looked up in time to catch Kamoi making a sharp gesture in herdirection.
“What is it?” I asked, gaze narrowing as my frustrationmounted.
The female Phaetyn bowed her head to Kamoi and made noanswer.
I was done. The last two days had exhausted my quota of turd shoveling. I didn’t care how much we needed the Phaetyn later; right now Tyrrik needed me. And, though the Drae was a twat, like full on turd-twat, I wasn’t abandoning him. I was sick of repeating myself, sick of deciphering hidden meanings, and sick of trying to guess who I couldtrust.
I scooped under Tyrrik’s arms and pulled him out of the woods. Once he was safe, I stood and, with my hands on my hips, squared off with the Phaetyn. “Is there something I should know, Kamoi? Because even my Phaetyn side is sick ofgames.”
His violet eyes flared, and his jaw clenched before he broke off the contact. “If you can get the Drae to our city,Kanahele o keola, he’ll beokay.”
“Wh—?” I stumbled over the Phaetyn city name before dismissing it in favor of Phaetynville. But I needed to understand what this power was, and how it was affecting Tyrrik. I wasn’t getting him in there just to have him froth up again. “Why will he be okay in . . . your city? What’s so specialthere?”
Kamoi’s expression closed down, his lips pursed, and his nostrilsflared.
Dyter touched my elbow, saying in a low voice that everyone could still hear, “I don’t believe Prince Kamoi wishes the workings of Zivost Forest to be known to anoutsider.”
Dyter pointed at himself and tilted his head to Tyrrik. Dyter pushed to his feet, his single hand on his knee. He crossed over to the Phaetyn and said, “Prince Kamoi, I believe Lord Tyrrik will prove a great ally in the months tocome.”
Dyter was being way more diplomatic than I would be, but his words reminded me of the other reason for our visit here. Alliances were important, immensely so, if my friends were going to be successful against Emperor Draedyn. I took a deep breath and waited for Kamoi to saysomething.
“If he causes any trouble, no matter how minor, he will be escorted out of the forest and left.” Kamoi frowned first at Dyter and then at me, though the prince didn’t meet my eyes. “We’ll leave him, no matter how strong heis.”
The silence that fell between us was rife with tension. My heart pounded, and my instinct was to give the Phaetyn another piece of my mind. But I watched Dyter nod and followedsuit.
The prince entered the forest before us while Dyter and I trailed after with Tyrrik intow.
The trunks of the trees in Zivost Forest were thick, brown, and spaced several paces apart, with smaller trees between them. There were a few species I recognized—ash, elm, and cedar—and others I’d never seen before. Some with white bark and others more grayish-green. Sunlight streamed through the luscious canopy in glittering beams, creating a spattering of spots over the rooted, leaf-litteredground.
Less than fifty meters into the vibrant trees was a small clearing, and four pristine white horses stood, pawing at the ground. Kamoi approached them and spoke in a hushedvoice.
“Is he al’right?” Dyter asked me, pointing atTyrrik.
I glanced at the Drae and grimaced. “I’m not sure. Lay him down; let’s give him more nectar before we headoff.”
I woke up Tyrrik, relieved to see his eyes flutter open. I kept my hands on his chest as Dyter trickled more sweet fluid into the Drae’smouth.
“What’s happening?” Tyrrikslurred.
“We’re safe,” I replied, watching him swallow the nectar and feeling the steady thump of his heart under my hand. “We’re in the forest now.” His heartbeat calmed my nerves, and I matched my breathing to the rise and fall of hischest.
Tyrrik managed to drag his eyelids open once to look at me before he lost the battleagain.
“His strength is depleted,” Kamoi said as he approached. “This occasionally happens to my people, too. He will require much rest.” He touched my shoulder and offered a small smile. “But he’ll beokay.”
My shoulders relaxed, but I wasn’t quite ready to forgive the prince. Still, my mum raised me right, so I gave the Phaetyn a tight smile. “Thankyou.”
The Phaetyn stood over me silently until Dyter corked the waterskin.
Kamoi said, “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Ryn. I lost my temper, and it was wrong of me to take it out on you. The Phaetyn and Drae have bad blood between them. If you tell me Lord Tyrrik is trustworthy, I believe you. I didn’t mean to slighthim.”
I looked up and met his direct gaze and the sincerity shining in his violeteyes.
“And definitely not you,” the prince added with a smallsmile.
14
Harder than tippingnectar into the Drae’s mouth was getting him onto a horse without losing contact. I stood and helped lift Tyrrik upright and then climbed onto the horse while holding his hand. Then I leaned down, straightening as Kamoi and Dyter lifted the Drae and draped him in front of me and over the steed. I felt the warmth of his body where he overlapped on the tops of myknees.