Chapter 25

Ren had seen wyverns in the Heights.

She knew those versions had been wild creatures once, but seeing this one made it clear just how docile wyverns became in service to humans. It was the size of a small carriage. A great mane of red hair tossed in the wind, bunching and curving into a dark V at the creature's neck. The hair ran in a thick line down its spine before forming a whiplike tail that swished as the beast sniffed the air, taking in their scent. Both wings folded neatly into its sides as it began to walk forward.

Scales covered most of its body, alternating between onyx and ivory, a pattern that Ren knew was meant to briefly dizzy its prey. Great talons dragged over the stones as the beast slunk toward them, a menacing growl guttering out of its throat. The eyes were the most startling aspect. Riders in Kathor fitted their mounts with harnesses and ceremonial masks. Even depictions in museums featured such blinders.

Now Ren saw why. Five amber-colored eyes swiveled. Two on the left, two on the right, and one fixed in the middle of the creature's forehead. It was unnerving to watch each eye spin and rotate separately from the others. It also distracted her attention from the rows of teeth running below them. Ren shook herself. The creature was halfway across the clearing, and she hadn't thought of a single spell. Any chance of recovery was cut off by the sight of Theo Brood.

He was shirtless.

"Do not move," he said quietly. "Do not attempt magic. Do not speak."

Another chest-deep growl. Ren watched as he removed his boots. Pale and exposed, he walked out to meet the creature, skirting bones as he went. Her mind was a flickering pattern of chaotic thoughts. Look at those teeth. If Theo dies, we're screwed. Look at those teeth. He's not half-bad with his shirt off. Look at those teeth. She was trying to think of spells as Theo approached the creature.

He set his feet, taking up a stance that made the great wyvern pause. All five eyes were drawn to him. Their flickering attention became flame. And Theo Brood began to dance.

"Well, we're all going to die," Ren whispered.

She briefly wondered if this was something he'd read in one of those ridiculous adventure books. His head slid side to side as the rest of his body remained motionless. She saw his golden hair toss with the motion before he swept both arms wide. His hips moved, rotating in time with a song they couldn't hear. His feet began to shift. She realized the steps weren't improvised. There was a rhythm to how he stood on his tiptoes, then rocked to his heels. A planned pace that his entire body strained to match. She also noted how the steps allowed him to slowly circle the massive creature.

The wyvern was motionless. Only its eyes trailed his progress. There was a practiced art to his movements. The way his back flexed. The way his chest pumped and folded. Every few steps he would dip, swinging one knee toward the other while looping his hands overhead in tight patterns. It was unlike any dance she'd ever seen before. But all that mattered to Ren was that it was working. Theo completed a half circle. The wyvern had slowly turned to watch. The moment its back was to them, Ren felt her mind unlock. Spells came leaping from her memory. A dozen magics that she might use. As she mentally sorted through them, Theo went completely still.

Ren watched closely as the wyvern tilted its head. The only movement was the fog creeping along the crags above them. The wyvern barked twice, deep in its throat. Ren saw the satisfied look on Theo's face. It was clearly an invitation to keep going. He resumed the dance as her mind raced through backup options. She had no idea how much longer Theo would have to keep this up, but she did know there were just seven wyverns in Kathor. The mounts were uncommon because the process of taming them was incredibly difficult. If he failed…

She watched him continue to circle, moving easily through the motions now. She couldn't help thinking about how barren he looked. Not a single scrap of armor or cloth stood between him and those waiting claws. If the wyvern struck, muscles would rip and skin would part and blood would paint the stones.

Ren found herself whispering prayers into the empty air as he performed another tight spin. The wyvern's stance changed ever so slightly. Ren noticed the way its front shoulders dipped lower. Its rear end was still raised, tail still swishing, but the rest of its body…

"It's falling asleep," she whispered. "It's actually falling asleep."

The air was cold up here, but Ren saw sweat trickling down Theo's chest. His pace was picking up. The increase in speed was not random. She saw him performing the same steps and turns. Just faster now. Ren held her breath as he came around for the final few paces. The wyvern's back end lowered. Its great wings tucked in to its sides. She saw the eyelids growing heavier and heavier. And then the tail stopped swishing.

Theo finished the circle. He stopped his dance by holding the same pose he'd held at the midpoint. The wyvern snorted once, but Ren saw that it was nestling in. It had actually worked.

"Well, that was terrifying," Timmons whispered.

Ren had to pull her scarf over her mouth to keep from laughing in relief. Theo waited a few moments before breaking his pose. He crept quietly back toward them with all the focus of an adult trying to avoid waking a child who'd finally fallen asleep for the night. His body shook with violent tremors. Ren offered him the discarded shirt. All three of them watched as he shrugged his arms back into the sleeves and started buttoning up. He slid his boots back on before looking at them.

"It will sleep for a few hours. We need to get away from the nest and keep moving."

Timmons frowned. "But you tamed it? Can't we fly home now?"

He shook his head. "That dance is just the first step. Riders come up here with all the equipment. The next step is to get a harness around its neck without waking it up. You have to fit a saddle to its back and everything. Then when it wakes up, you have to take it on one ride without dying. Do all of that and you have yourself a tamed wyvern."

Ren realized that she'd never come across any of this in her research. There was a note about the taming paths that fliers used to access wyvern nests, and certainly it was well known that some sort of submission was required. But the dance he'd just done? She'd thought less of him earlier because of his assumption that he knew things she didn't. Now she saw it was actually true. He had a different kind of knowledge, a hoarded sort, that only members of the founding families knew.

"What you just did…," Ren said. "That was incredible."

He wiped sweat from his forehead with a sleeve. "Thanks. But we should get moving. If we're not far enough from its nesting ground, it will wake up and start hunting us. And considering we already have one monster on our trail, it'd be a good idea if we kept going. Come on."

She sensed the slightest shift in their group. A begrudging respect was blooming for Theo. It was not lost on Ren how easily he could have died. It was one of the first selfless acts he'd taken out here. All of them kept quiet, bags tucked to their sides, as they made their way across the graveyard of bones. Most of the remnants looked relatively small. Mountain goats and rock rats and smaller birds of prey. Whatever the wyvern had hunted over the years. Ren tried to ignore the femurs and skulls that looked larger, more human.

There was a single path leading through the mountain brush ahead. They all edged around the slumbering creature, hoping the rapid beat of their own hearts didn't betray their passage. Theo reached the path first. He held back a few branches for them to pass through, when a sharp crackle cut through the air.

Everyone froze. The wyvern shook its head sleepily, two eyelids lifting in brief flutters. Ren's eyes darted to Timmons. She pointed to her friend's ear. The lonely humming-sword bird dangled there. Timmons scrambled to remove the little keepsake, but her fingers fumbled nervously at the clasp. Another crackle sounded. It was followed by a crooning voice.

"And I've never known a fire like yours. And I've never known desire like yours. And I've…"

Timmons ripped the dangling metal out of her ear. Blood spattered the stones. The sound cut out, but as they looked back into the clearing, Ren saw it was too late. The wyvern's great wings were unfolding. Those amber eyes fixed on them. Theo ran forward again, empty-handed this time, straight into danger. Ren was the only one with spells ready. Instinct drowned out fear. She'd practiced this magic a thousand times. She swung her horseshoe wand in the direction of the beast and shouted.

"Everyone down!"

Timmons and Cora hit the ground, but Theo was a step too slow. The spell that barreled out looked like a miniature sun. It struck the wyvern right before it could slash Theo's chest. Ren shielded her own eyes as the light exploded. She heard the grating screech as the creature reared back on its hind legs, blinded by the magical blast. Theo dropped to his knees with a sharp cry.

Ren hit the wyvern with a second spell before yanking Theo by the arm.

"I can't see! I can't see!"

"Shut up," she hissed. "Stay quiet!"

The wyvern scratched at its own eyes before unleashing another roar. Lacking the main sense it had always used to hunt, the creature charged forward with reckless, brutish strength. Ren barely pulled Theo clear of its chosen path. Another roar sounded as the creature raced past them, on the verge of running straight over the edge of the cliff.

Ren was guiding Theo toward Cora and Timmons, who were already safely hidden in the brush, when the creature's armored tail whipped back around at the last second.

"No!"

It raked a brutal path across Theo's stomach. Blood gushed instantly. His scream had the creature's head swiveling. Claws dragged against stone to bring the wyvern to a stop. It was trying to follow the sound. Ren slapped one hand over Theo's mouth, hissing for quiet, as she stumbled through the gap in the bushes with him. Cora was there. She pressed a spare cloth to his stomach, trying to staunch the flow of blood. All of them fought forward, through the overgrowth, ducking under scrub trees and around bushes. There was another roar as the wyvern took flight, blinded but on the hunt.

No one made a sound. The creature's flapping wings helped them. Each gust of wind covered their smaller footfalls. Ren was trying to figure out how far they should run before stopping to take care of Theo. He was losing a lot of blood. Cora had his other side. Ren saw her starting to sag beneath the extra weight.

"It hurts.…" Theo's face was growing paler. "Please. It hurts."

They kept moving until he passed out. Then the weight was unbearable. Timmons turned just in time to catch his forward fall. All three of them struggled before Cora hissed in frustration, "Set him down. Levitation spell."

Ren and Timmons backed up as she performed the magic. His unconscious form floated up, suddenly weightless. Cora snagged him by a sleeve and spun him around so that his stomach was facing the sky. The gashes there were massive, still gushing blood.

"Find a safe spot," Cora said. "I need to start working on him. Now."

Everything was laced with fog. Ren thought the wyvern had given up the chase, but a moment later there was a piercing cry overhead. They finally found an offshoot trail. Ren saw why Cora had chosen it as they ferried Theo along. Rock curled overhead to form a makeshift shelter. The trail led to a covered ledge that looked out over the western valley. Ren saw a normal-sized nest tucked into one corner, but knew the space was too tight for any large creatures to reach. It was the best they could have hoped for.

"I'll ward everything," she said. "Get to work on him."

Timmons helped with his buttons as Cora undid her levitation charm. Ren wasn't sure if any magic could really keep them safe once the wyvern recovered fully, but for now she layered the air with every ward she knew. It cost her precious ockleys, but if they didn't save Theo Brood, they'd have nowhere near enough magic to survive the passes. Once the wards were in place, she settled in beside Cora. The girl had unrolled her medical kit and was quietly muttering under her breath.

"Tore through the muscle. Damn. That's going to require…"

Ren watched as she exchanged tools, making quick but precise decisions. Magic churned in the small space. Each of her surgical implements was thick with enchantments. Ren sensed traces of spells that made them sharper and cleaner and steadier. She was thankful the girl was so prepared. It took less than an hour to seal Theo's three wounds. The puckering slits were barely visible when Cora had finished her work.

"Bound the layers of muscles back together," she said, wiping her hands. "He'll be sore, but a little rest and we'll have him back to normal in a few days. Lucky it wasn't worse. Two inches higher and that strike slits an artery. He'd have bled out in minutes."

"Great work, Cora."

Timmons nodded. "All class. You were steady as a stone."

In response Cora sagged back, putting all her weight on hands still stained with blood. She heaved a massive sigh. "What happened? What was that noise?"

Timmons showed Cora her earring. "It's enchanted. If you put it on, you can hear the music that's being played at the Minstrel. We've been too far for the spell to work."

"Until now?" Cora asked. "That's bad luck."

Timmons stood. "No more bad luck. I'm pitching this off the side of the mountain."

"Wait!" Ren grabbed her friend's elbow before she could wind up and throw it. "That might be useful. It's our only measure of proximity to Kathor. We could hear the music, but it was a weak connection. The closer we get to the city, the stronger it will sound. We might need that earring if we're going to use my waxway candle to portal back."

Timmons nodded but tossed the earring on the ground next to Ren.

"You keep it. I can't stand the thought that I almost got him killed."

Ren nodded her understanding. She slid the earring into a small pocket on the front of her satchel. The three of them sat in silence for a moment. Theo was groaning a little in his sleep.

"I'll sit with him," Ren offered. "Do you think it's safe to build a fire?"

Timmons nodded. "I'll gather wood."

"We should eat," Cora said, still breathing thick and slow. "I'm exhausted."

"I'm not sure we should go hunting out there. Not with the wyvern nearby."

But the girl nodded to the nest in the corner of the cliff they'd chosen. "Eggs. Rich in protein. I count four."

Ren lifted an eyebrow. "Don't you think that will piss off the mother?"

"So? This time we're higher in the food chain." Cora started walking over to collect the eggs. "And besides, we have magic."