A Flight of Broken Wings: Aeriel Trilogy #1

Chapter 88

Another shot rang out and a high-pitched, subhuman screech filled the air, Reivaa's massive wings arching backward and away from her body. He's done it. He's hit her in the wing. High on a strange admixture of pain, exhaustion and second-hand triumph, Ruban pushed himself to his feet, ready to run to the Zainian's aid. And then promptly crumpled to the ground with a scream that might have rivalled Reivaa's, if the echoes reverberating through the trees were anything to go by. His leg burned, muscles throbbing as unfiltered agony shot through his veins, and his lungs felt as if they had been dipped in acid, then ground into dust with a hatchet. It was a distinctly unpleasant sensation.

"Baan!" a shrill, childish voice wailed somewhere in the distance and to his horror, Ruban saw Hiya shoot out of the sedan and run towards him, russet eyes wide with terror. "Baan, what happened to you? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she cried, falling to her knees beside him. When she finally saw his mutilated leg, her lips parted in shock, eyes welling with tears. "Oh God," she whimpered, extending a hand to lightly touch his leg just above the wound.

"It's all right," Ruban said, trying to make his voice as reassuring as possible as he pushed himself up on one arm, careful not to jostle the wound. "I'm alright, Hiya. Go back to the car. You shouldn't be out–"

Shrill laughter filled the air, interrupting him. A chill ran down Ruban's spine as he turned to see Reivaa looking straight at Hiya, variegated eyes burning with a strange, alien light. Ashwin stood a few feet to her right, his stance defensive, gun held firmly out in front of him as if he had been preparing to fire another shot. He looked as horrified as Ruban felt.

"Where have you been, little girl?" Reivaa cooed, taking a staggering step towards Hiya, where the girl squatted beside Ruban. Her gaze made the Hunter sick. Forcing himself to sit up despite the burning pain in his leg, he tried to push the child behind him, putting his own body between her and the Aeriel.

Reivaa continued to speak with a sickly little chuckle, cooing at Hiya as she took another staggering step forward. "You look just like your mother; did you know that, little girl? You've got her eyes. Pretty, pretty eyes – like dirty diamonds. All big and round and filled with terror. She screamed at the end, did you know that? Screamed and cried, begged me to spare her. To let her go. Pretty eyes, so full of fear. So very gorgeous. Don't worry, you won't have to miss her for long now," she whispered almost gently, inching closer to her target. "You'll scream too, I'll make sure of that. You'll scream before you die, little girl. Before I kill you, just like I killed your mother all those years ago. It'll be more fun this time, though. There won't be any need to pretend it was an accident this time. I can take my time, have my fun. Tear your pretty little lungs out, nice and slow..."

Reaching for her own shoulder, Reivaa pulled the blade out, breathing heavily as she tossed it to the side. "If I'm to die tonight, I'll take the girl with me. Feel her heart stop beating under my fingers before it's over. I'll finish my last mission for Tauheen, and finish it properly." She held one pale, bloodless hand out, as if reaching for Hiya through the yards separating them, moving incessantly forward.

The girl whimpered, a strangled sound escaping her lips as she scampered haphazardly away, stumbling away from Ruban and deeper into the forest. His blood running cold, Ruban reached out to catch hold of her, keep her from moving away from him. "Hiya!" he called urgently – desperately – scrambling to reach her.

But she was too far away, already out of his reach. He tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs felt numb, paralysed; as if the pain had been replaced by a sheer lack of sensation. A faint, chillingly familiar rustle made him turn to look at the Aeriel.

Reivaa's wings flared around her, sterling feathers burning like white fire tipped with a scarlet flame. Her eyes burned like twin stars on an angelic face, twisted almost beyond recognition with some alien emotion that Ruban couldn't place. It could have been hatred, or it could have been glee, or some blood-curdling combination of the two. She was looking straight at Hiya, who cowered quietly behind a tree that failed to cover her little body completely. Tears streamed down her face and Ruban could see that she was shaking, curled in on herself as if to make herself as small as possible. A twisted smile appeared on Reivaa's lips, her mouth curving upward as she flapped her wings – once, twice. A great gust of wind lifted the fallen leaves off the ground and scattered them everywhere. Just above them, a flash of lightning split the night-sky in two.

Ruban could only watch, paralysed, as Reivaa lifted herself off the ground, enormous wings beating the air for a few seconds like some hellish bird of prey, before her body flipped and she was horizontal in the air. Then she blurred, flying at the terrified Hiya at a pace that Ruban could not follow with his bare eyes.

A/N: If you're enjoying the story, please do leave a like, review, or comment. It really does help me a lot! TIA!! :D