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Once again, the conversations cease on a sharp collective intake of breath. On the Falls edge, a brilliant yellow light explodes from Theo, like the sun bursting through his very being, blinding us all.
There are screams of surprise, and I spin to cover my eyes from the light. Tortured screams fill the falls, echoing off the stones and cliff side. Tentatively, I uncover my face, but the light has faded. It’s hard to see from the low vantage point, but Darius seems to be retreating from Theo, screaming.
He looks… burnt. Even from this far the wounds look horrifying. He is backing away from Theo. My Theo. My Theo who hasballs of magicencompassing the palms of his hands. Those hands are raised trying to reassure Darius, who doesn’t seem to spot the nabras he is scurrying back into.
There are more screams from the witnesses around me as the nabras swallows Darius whole. I can hear the horrified cries and gags as those around me watch the gruesome scene. But all I can see is the beast now facing down Theo, who has dropped to his knees, hysterical.
“I need to get to him! Now!” I feel the ruffle of the wind, and Alesander is beside me, his black cloak swirling against my calves as he steps to my side.
His chants are melodic in his deep, musical voice, conjuring a wind that circles us both, lifting our feet. My stomach hits my knees when I realise that my feet have left the ground. I turn wide-eyed to Alesander, but he just smirks back at me, raising his arms as we rise. Tor hurries to our side, tugging on my arm.
“Wait! I need-” Edith tugs him back but only after shaking the blue orbs in her hands away. He fights her hold, but she mustbe using magic against him, because he can’t seem to escape her hold as he cries out for us, and for Theo.
By the time that he quiets, sobbing in Edith’s arms while she rubs his back, whispering soothing words in his ear, we have already reached the top of the Falls and the wind dumps us on the ground.
Well, it dumps me. Alesander seems to have expected it, stepping onto the ground elegantly while I stumble to find my footing.
For one terrible second, I think we are too late and the nabras has eaten Theo, too, because I cannot see him. But then I realise he is safely cradled in the nabras’s downy wings.
Like a lumbering idiot, I lurch towards them, Alesander hot on my heels, both stopping short when the nabras snaps its beak in our direction, eyeing us with its narrowed, yellow eyes. Alesander heeds the warning, but I cannot take one more thing being between Theo and myself. I don’twantto hurt the beast, but I will if I have to.
I take a deep breath to calm the murderous rage, stepping towards the creature who trills threateningly. My hands raise in front of me, and I slow my steps, exaggerating how careful I am being.
“It’s okay. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to take Theo.” Channeling every ounce of calm I can, despite being very, verynotcalm, I ease my way to the nabras. It eyes me like it can smell my fear and hear the racing of my heart, cocks its head and rumbles out a strange cooing sound.
Alesander moves behind me and then to the side, doing I have no idea what. The beast snaps furiously at him but makes no move to attack, instead watching him intently, twisting its head almost one hundred and eighty degrees to track the mage’s movements.
But then, finally, it unwraps its wings, revealing Theo curled in a small ball on the ground. Relief floods my body when my hands finally make contact with him, scooping him into my arms and cradling him to my chest delicately.
He feels so fragile. I hate the feeling. With every fibre of my being I hate the memory of him unconscious in my arms, I hate being here again. Hate that I failed him, failed to protect him, keep him safe. Hate that he was put in this position again. Hate that he was hurt. That he has experienced this pain again.
The nabras coos softly, head cocking to the side, watching me carefully as I place a delicate kiss to Theo’s forehead, brushing my lips gently over his skin, just enough to remind myself that he is real. Droplets fall onto his stained and torn tee shirt, and I dumbly look up to the clear sky before realising they are from me. Tears stream down my face, but I can’t find it in me to care.
“Thank you.” I have no idea if the nabras can understand me. It doesn’t matter anyway because, with a loud rustling sound, the beast rises to its feet and, with an even louderwhooshof its wings, launches itself into the air to join its herd. Nabras can’t really fly, it’s more of an exaggerated jump.
All that I care about, though, is the man in my arms. He has changed so much since I last cradled him like this; he was frail then. But not now—his body is strong. He fought back and saved himself.
Again, I brush my lips over his face, kissing him gently over his brow, his cheeks, his nose. My chest is tight, squeezing painfully. At least this time I can feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, his even breath.
“You were so brave, Theo. So brave.” I manage to choke out the words before I crush my cheek to his forehead, squeezing him against me as if I can absorb him into my very being.
“Are you ready to go down?”
I look at Alesander, then down at Theo, and then back up to him again, grimacing. On the ride up, I was able to ignore the sensation, but now, especially with Theo at risk, it has my stomach turning.
“I guess there isn’t much of a choice is there?”
His chuckle isn’t exactly encouraging.
Riding on the wind is significantly more terrifying on the way back down. With Theo cradled in my arms, the risk feels like it’s grown exponentially. It feels wrong—one slight movement could send us plummeting. But soon enough, we are back on solid ground, and our friends and family are wrapping Theo—and me by default—in their love.
“Is he okay?”
“Why is he unconscious?”
“What happened?”
Once again, a thousand conversations pummel my ears, and it’s everything I can do to not roar at them to leave us alone.
