NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53: Skyfall Taken [II]
"Our beach date was the day I decided to set all of this into motion," Vespera spread her hands. "To free my family's Archangel for you, Ci. To ignite the world so that Valor would come out into the open."
"Sounds like an imbecilic plan with far too many things that could have gone horribly wrong!" Cinder growled.
"Valor told us his plan himself," I pointed out. "Boasted all about it when he stabbed me through the heart with his bone-hand. His goal was to be reborn. The Celestorm shift gave him the opportunity to do so, to dive from the Astral into the Physical. He took it, just as we expected him to."
"When he became physical, he also became your fiance because he was soul-bound to you," Vespera nodded. "He had an ungodly amount of threads in your soul, you were basically his Phylactery. He couldn't resist coming to Skyfall, to claim you as his, because he was a Skyfall student himself once. He thought himself untouchable–but he was wrong and was run aground by a little clever fox and his birb bestie."
"Abyss," Cinder waved her hands, wings turning bright red. "Just when I think that you two have calmed down you do… THIS to me!"
Vespera nodded. "Yeah, it was risky as heck, I won't lie. But sometimes, you gotta gamble big to win big, right? And the prize was… you, Ci. Free from that Astral leech. Worth it, in my book."
Cinder's jaw tightened. "You gambled with… everything, Vee! With Skyfall! With the whole planet! Just to… 'save me'?" Her voice was rising, laced with a dangerous edge. "You didn't even ask me! You just… decided?!"
Vespera's black and white wings fluttered. "Hey, I didn't think you'd appreciate a consultation beforehand, love. 'Hey Ci, wanna help me unleash a potentially world-ending Archangel to bait your stalker into the physical realm and potentially destroy Omnithornia in the process? Sounds good?' Somehow, I doubted you'd jump at the chance."
"You're right, I effing wouldn't!" Cinder snapped. "Because that's completely insane! Irresponsible as fuck!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "You just… barrel in, consequences be damned! Did you even consider what could have happened? What if it didn't work? What if Valor wasn't stupid enough to take the bait? What if the Wormwood Star completely scraped us off the face of the planet?!"
"Details, details," Vespera waved a dismissive hand. "It worked, didn't it? Valor is gone. You're safe. And… Well, Skyfall is technically Omnithornian again, and everyone is going to remember everything eventually thanks to the Stabalist Order, so win-win?" She offered a small smile.
"Win-win?!" Cinder's voice cracked, escalating into a furious shriek. "Vee, people could have died! This whole academy is in chaos! Saxtland is probably about to declare war on Omnithornia! And you call this a 'win-win' because you… 'saved me'?" Her blue eyes flashed with a hurt that cut deeper than anger.
"A war that Omnithornia is going to win because they don't just rely on magic-only weapons. You saw those EVA railguns nullifiers and immovable armor plates, right? Me and Lexy did what had to be done because nobody else would!" Vespera insisted. "And we couldn't have told you the plan because you would have been against it and also because then Valor would know, since he was inhabiting your soul and… stuff."
Cinder growled.
"Ci…" Vespera reached out a talon, her voice softening, but Cinder recoiled away from the touch as if burned.
"No!" Cinder barked, growling and backing away from Vespera and me. She reached the stained-glass window, her hand slamming against the latch, wrenching it open with unnecessary force.
A gust of rain-laced wind rushed into the room, whipping the silver curtains wildly and carrying the distant roar of the ocean. Without a word, Cinder climbed over the windowsill, her silver wings unfurling automatically as she stepped onto the narrow stone balcony outside.
The storm clouds overhead were thicker now. Raindrops lashed down, driven sideways by the wind, plastering her silver-gray feathers to her scales. She stood there, motionless, a solitary, defiant figure silhouetted against the stormy sky, the wind whipping her silver robes around her.
Vespera watched the irate Quetzi. She then sighed, a soft puff of air that ruffled the dark feathers around her face. "Welp, that went… about as well as expected." She looked from the open balcony door back to me, a wry smile twisting her lips. "Das extra-spice Quetzalcoatl temper for ya."
"Is she…" I started, uncertain how to proceed.
Vespera cut me off with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it, foxy. She just needs to… steam a bit. Quetzalcoatls are like volcanoes, you know? Gotta let them erupt every now and then or they'll blow their tops spectacularly." She shrugged. "Let her yell and musicate at the storm. She'll mellow out. Maybe return with a vengeance, but like whatever… it all worked out. She's finally safe, pulled back from the all-devouring Abyss."
She stretched on the expanded bed.
I shook my head. The balcony stained glass window slammed shut by the wind. Cinder's silhouette pulled out her guitar from its extradimensional container.
She strummed angrily for about ten minutes. The notes were sharp, discordant chords that seemed to echo the storm raging inside her and outside, vibrating through the stained glass window.
Then, gradually, the anger bled out of the music.
The chords softened, becoming minor and melancholic, the rhythm slowing to a gentle, soulful pace. Soft guitar notes began to weave themselves into the sound of the rain, pulsing in harmony with the raindrops drumming on the stone balcony and the distant crash of waves.
I felt a pang of guilt twist in my gut.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Vee's plan, however well-intentioned, had detonated in a messy explosion of chaos and hurt feelings. Cinder was out there in the storm, alone and wounded. I pushed off the expanded bed, Vespera's gaze following me. I gave her a small nod, and she nodded back at me, a wordless reassurance.
I moved towards the window, opened it and climbed out.
The balcony wasn't super spacious and I tried not to look down, clinging to the stone parapet.
"Skyfall, Oh… Skyfall," Cinder's song began.
Raindrops struck the parapet beams with a sharp 'ting, ting, ting' rhythm. The air was damp and heavy, the scent of ozone thick in the air. Below, the North Sea churned, waves crashing against the cliffs with a thunderous roar that echoed up the tower walls.
"Rising high against midnight's veil
Where basalt meets the frozen sky
And magic whispers drift on by
The Wormwood Star begins to sing
While mystagogues their secrets bring
Yet something broken stirs deep within
Where loneliness and doubt begin
Skyfall, oh Skyfall. Under starlit skies
Where ancient memories arise
A fleeting touch, a whispered name
Dancing through this midnight game.
Is it love or sweet insanity?
Or just a specter of what could be?
Your words pull me down like a weight,
At Skyfall's Arx-Earth diving gate."
Her voice and guitar strumming was amplified by her Charmchain magic, the words carrying out over the wind and the waves, weaving themselves into the fabric of the storm, dancing across the tower. With each stanza, my heartbeat deepened, not with worry or excitement, but with a different kind of intensity, a warm, resonant thrumming in my chest that I could suddenly hear, as if it was part of her music.
"Silver robes we daily don
To hide the battles fought and won
They call us chosen, call us blessed
While darkness stirs within my chest
The Celestorm rages high above
Reflecting back my hidden love
A puzzle wrapped in mystery
That holds the key to my destiny
Two strangers from worlds apart
Each guarding secrets in their heart
His secrets mirror what I hide
A kindred spirit by my side
My Quetzi soul calls his name
Igniting everything aflame
Could this be what I'm searching for?
Or just another closing door?"
She inhaled, the rain tapping along her face and wings.
"As starlight fades to break of day
One choice remains before the dawn:
Chase the light, or linger on
In Skyfall's ever-watching gaze
Where basalt cliffs meet ocean waves
Until the clouds return again
To wash my story with their rain."
She repeated the chorus, finished and turned her head to me, sensing my presence.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Better," Cinder replied. "My memories are still kind of foggy, even with the Kitlix healing. Singing… helps. I've been using my Charmchain on myself, wobbling my soul with my music to realign myself fully with my Fractal Engine heart," she said, suddenly grabbing me pulling me into her warm embrace. "I forgot you, Martin. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," I said. "Sorry… we did all of that crazy stuff."
Her embrace became fierce, possessive, a dragon reclaiming a lost treasure. Rain plastered our robes to our bodies, the wind howling around us, but in her arms, a deep warmth bloomed, chasing away the chill of the storm.
"I forgot you, like a giant knob," she repeated, kissing me fiercely. "My… Martin. My Alex. My… everything. My little, clever, dangerous fox. How could I forget you?"
"It's okay," I replied when she released me so that I could breathe. "It wasn't your fault. Everyone got rearranged. Even Vee. But it's okay, we're all back now, right?"
"Right. Vee is a bloody menace," She let out. "Both of you are effing menaces. My… beautiful menances. Unleashing an Archangel, triggering a planetary crisis, almost getting us all killed, all in the name of 'saving me'?"
"Yep," I nodded.
"Ughhh, you two," Despite the grumbling tone, a hint of fond exasperation softened her words. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but the raw hurt seemed to have subsided, replaced by a familiar, almost affectionate, annoyance.
"Hey," I said softly, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away stray raindrops clinging to her scales and feathers. "She did save you, Ci. From Valor. From… all of that darkness. From the Abyss. Your soul was shredded after two years of suffering and the only way to save you was to get Valor to become physical."
Her blue eyes softened. "I know," she whispered. "I know. It's just… Vee's methods are… Well, Vee's."
"And you wouldn't have her any other way, would you?" I teased gently.
She nudged my shoulder with her snout, a small, grudging smile playing on her lips. "Maybe not. But if she ever pulls a stunt like this again, I swear I'm going to…" she trailed off, then sighed again. "I don't know. Ground her? Confiscate her Fractal Engine heart? Lock her in a soundproof room with only motivational posters for company?"
I chuckled, the sound light and relieved. "Maybe just… talk to her? Tell her how you feel? Chase her and smack her around at the coliseum with a mace?"
Cinder considered this, her brow furrowed. "Talking and smacking is an option, I suppose."
The rain seemed to soften, the wind dying down to a gentler gust, as if the storm itself was heeding her shifting emotions.
"Come on," I said, taking her hand, pulling her gently towards the window. "Let's go back inside. It's freezing out here, even for a dragon."
She didn't resist, letting me lead her back into the warmth of our dorm room. Vespera was still sprawled across the expanded bed, her wings tucked in, her silver-gold eyes watching us with a cheeky expression.
Cinder paused at the edge of the bed, her eyes meeting Vespera's. Then, the Quetzi sighed, the tension draining from her shoulders. She sat down heavily.
"Vee," she said. "You're a bloody idiot. You both are. Reckless, impulsive, world-endangering idiots."
"Your idiots," Vespera offered.
"My idiots," Cinder nodded. She shoved me into Vespera and kicked the stained glass shut and then slipped to my right side, burrowing into me. "Tired now. Tomorrow… I shall have terrible vengeance…"
"Tomorrow after you smack us around, we'll take on the world?" Vespera yawned with a grin.
"Sure," Cinder replied. "Whatever."
"I think I'll join in on the smacking," Katherine commented from below.
"Sure, sure," Vespera replied. "Take the extra bed below us, kitten Knight."
"I have to admit," Io said. "I did expect you to set the world on fire."
"And yet, once again, you did fuck all to stop it, Jan!" Katherine chided her half-brother.
Lilith and Magdaline shared a chortle. Vespera laughed out loud. Cinder huffed.
"Eh," Io shrugged. "I don't stop disasters. I am drawn to them. Besides, things worked out in… The end."