A Court of Wings and Fate

46. Gory Futility

    "What are you doing?" Nyx called.

    Mikael didn't answer. He was staring into a clearing below. Patches of crimson stained the snow. Umbra was urging him to go. He dove towards the clearing. Nyx, Lysander, and Corbin chased after him.

    The coppery scent of blood reached his nose as he landed, accompanied by smoke and snowdrops. Mikael spun, eyeing every inch of the clearing. There was no sign of Estelle, but she had been here. This blood was hers. He dipped his fingers into it. It was still warm, but cooling rapidly.

    "Her siphons," Lysander said, holding up two golden gems.

    Corbin lifted a jagged dagger. "Here's Znaniya."

    Nyx picked up a sword from the other end of the clearing, brushing snow off of it. "Aesira."

    Mikael observed the clearing again. There were trees with broken limbs, blood on a large rock, and bits of torn leather scattered everywhere. He stiffened, spying something that might've been leather, but seemed a little too...bloody. Mikael picked up the scrap, then dropped it at once, drawing a shuddering breath. He knew the soft, leathery feeling of Estelle's wings all too well. That...was part of them.

    "We have to find her." He whirled back towards the others. "We have to find her now!" Mikael dug his fingers into his hair, trying to force himself to think.

    Panic and fear fogged his mind. Her wings. Her wings. Her wings! What had been done to her wings? There was a shred of them in this clearing! What had happened to her? "Where is she?" He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. "Where is she? Fucking Cauldron, where is my mate!"

    "Mikael!" Nyx grabbed him by the shoulders and slapped him roughly. "We'll find her but we have to keep looking!" Mikael barely nodded. "How did you know to come down here?" Umbra crawled into view, settling around his bicep. "Her shadow. Can it lead us to her? Does it know where she is?"

    "I don't know. This is the first place it wanted me to come to."

    "Then it must have sensed that she had been here. It will sense her again. Let's keep going." Nyx took the lead, flying out of the clearing. They were quick to follow.

    "How long until Rhys, Azriel, and Dad get here?" Corbin asked.

    "They're starting at the other end of the range," Nyx replied. "Dad told me only a few minutes ago. We'll meet them at some point."

    "And if we haven't found her by then?" Lysander's voice shook. No one answered him.

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    Estelle blinked her eyes open with a groan. She was laying face down on snow covered stone ground. Daylight was growing dim around her. Shadows lay limp around her arms. They stirred only slightly. Estelle moved her jaw stiffly, surprised to find her face partially numb. How long had she been laying here?

    She lifted her head and a scream tore from her lips. Her back was on fire. She craned her head over her shoulder, tears running down her cheeks. Estelle nearly fainted at the sight. Her wings were in tattered, gory ribbons.

    She stared at them, her breath coming in panicked gasps. Her wings. Her wings! HER WINGS! Estelle dug her nails into the rocky ground and wailed, both in agony and despair. The shadows wound up the sides of her face, offering what minimal comfort they could. Her breath came in short gasps. She couldn't stop crying, even though it hurt.

    Her wings! Could they be fixed? Would she fly again? Or...or would she lose her wings forever? Estelle dropped her head back against the ground, sobbing even harder. Could Madja heal them? Could Mikael? Mikael! He had to be worried sick. They all had to be.

    Estelle reached for the shining Bond in her chest. She gripped it tightly and pulled. Mikael returned the gesture at once. Estelle! Even in her mind, his voice was choked with sobs. Where are you? What happened? Are you all right? Please tell me you're all right, Love.

    I'm not all right, she replied. I don't know where I am. She sent a view of her surroundings over the Bond.

    We're looking for you. We'll be there soon. Don't move, Batsy.

    She didn't think she could even if she wanted to. Estelle braced her arms on the frozen ground and tried to lift herself. Blood gushed from her stomach and chest. Her head spun and she collapsed. Estelle drew in shallow breaths, shadows frantically whispering in her ears.

    You are growing too cold, they said. You need shelter. You need warmth. You're losing blood too quickly. We have lain here too long.

    Estelle felt the ground around her sides. The snow was melted and the rocks were sticky with blood. Her blood. The shadows were right. She'd been there too long. She needed help, now. Estelle tried to pick herself up again. Agony scorched through her limbs and she screamed. She tried to flare her wings on instinct. Her voice broke and blinding spots filled her vision.

    Snow is coming. Snow is coming! The shadows cried. Summon us. We must leave!

    Estelle splayed her palm out on the ground. It quaked beneath her fingers. She looked back over her shoulder. Snow was pouring down the mountainside, heading right for her. Estelle, are you still there? Mikael called.

    She didn't answer. She just tugged on the Bond and hoped that was enough. Estelle reached for the shadows, but felt her power sputter out. No, no, no, no! Estelle tried to grasp the golden light within her veins. It too fizzled out before she could harness it. Faebane, she realized. Whatever I was cut with must have been laced with faebane.

    Rocks shook against the ground. The rumbling was powerful enough to jar Estelle's mutilated body. She kept reaching for the shadows. They were her only way out. If she couldn't summon them, she would be buried by the avalanche. The shadows were still hardly moving. She could feel them struggling to break through the faebane just as hard as she was.

    Wind roared in her ears and cold air swept over her. An idea sparked in her mind. Without a second thought, Estelle managed to flip herself onto her back. She roared in pain, reaching for the shadows. Pressure welled up within her body. She burst through it, grabbing the shadows. Estelle drew them around herself and vanished, just as snow and ice encrusted the clearing.

    She couldn't hold onto her power for long. Darkness was creeping over her mind, urged on by pain and fatigue. Estelle had only one coherent thought to give the shadows. Safety. She tumbled into empty nothingness.

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    "Anything?" Nyx asked.

    Mikael shook his head. Estelle was silent again. He'd felt terrible blazing agony cross the Bond just before she went silent. He scanned the mountains below, searching desperately. He stroked the Bond every few seconds. Estelle didn't respond.

    Three dark figures appeared up ahead. Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel met them shortly. "Any sign of her?" Rhysand asked.

    "We found her weapons and siphons in a blood soaked clearing," Nyx replied. "And she spoke to Mikael a few minutes ago, but she's gone silent again. She showed him a rocky clearing. It wasn't enough to tell us where she is."

    Azriel's shadows were coiled atop his shoulders. Cassian kept himself angled between the dark warrior and Mikael. Lysander was in between them too. Mikael didn't know what the male would do if his father decided to attack. Would Lysander defend him? Or would he let his father kill him?

    "We'll keep looking, but we need to start heading back to Windhaven," Rhysand said.

    "We can't stop now," Mikael protested. "It will be dark soon."

    "We're not going to. We'll keep searching the range as long as we have to until we find her. When we reach Windhaven, Cass, Az, and I will take charge of the search parties Devlon and Jorah are arranging." Mikael swallowed hard and nodded.