Where the Wind Goes

Chapter 21 - Illusion

Iri lay in the dark beneath the trees, tossing and turning on a bed of scratchy pine needles while Cassia slept in a nest ten feet above. Every one of her senses was on edge. She could hear the thrumming of Cassia's breathing, could taste wildflower pollen on the wind. But what kept her awake was the uncanny sense that the Queen was nearby. She swore that if she lay still enough, she could feel the Queen's heartbeat pulsing through the ground.

She waited until she was sure Cassia was asleep and then snuck away. In the dark, the forest was one amorphous blob, and she stumbled gracelessly through the underbrush. Something seemed off about the night, but she couldn't place her finger on what. With every step, she expected the forest floor to disappear beneath her feet. Somewhere nearby, a crow cawed.

She jogged as fast as she could, following the invisible thread that she hoped would lead her to Penny and the Forest Door. She skidded to a stop when a low rumble shook the ground. The trees creaked and swayed, and she could hear a hollow ringing in the distance. It conjured up images of caves and dripping water, a bell singing through the carved stone. Again the crow cawed, and another answered.

"Get down!" she heard a sharp voice whisper, and suddenly Iri was yanked sideways. She stumbled to her knees, and before she could cry out, a hand was clamped over her mouth.

"Stay quiet!" Cassia's voice hissed in her ear. "We need to hide."

The ground shook as they crouched in the cover of the underbrush.

"What are you doing?" Iri whispered, but Cassia shushed her. Iri wanted to struggle, wanted to shout, but the look of apprehension on Cassia's face made her go quiet. She felt a chill creep across her skin as they lay there listening to twigs snap and leaves rustle. Something moved through the trees, drawing nearer with every second. Cassia was rigid beside her, and Iri held her breath. She heard three bird calls, the flap of wings, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the crows left.

"Don't try sneaking off again," Cassia warned as she crawled out. "Those birds were my father's scouts, and they're looking for us."

Iri ignored her. She stayed where she was, her fingers splayed out against the ground, and listened. She could hear something creaking and groaning beneath the dirt. It sounded like ice slowly spidering into a million little pieces. "What is that?" she breathed aloud. "It sounds like an earthquake."

"Well that explains why my nest fell out of the tree," Cassia quipped, impatiently tapping her toe.

"I have to go back to the city," Iri announced.

Cassia's hand shot out and snaked around her wrist. "We had a deal," she said, jerking her up off the ground. "I know you snuck away for a reason. We're near the Forest Door, aren't we?"

Iri didn't immediately respond, and Cassia grinned eagerly. "You are easy to read." She twisted her talon-like nails into her skin, and in that moment, Iri hated everything about Cassia.

But the mention of the Forest Door brought her back to her senses. "Alright," she agreed. She didn't like relenting to Cassia, but she'd come too far to turn back now. "We don't stop until we find the door."

"And the Queen and our future," Cassia added. "What's our headway?"

Iri yanked her arm out of Cassia's grip and pointed westward. "That way."

"Marvelous." Cassia grinned.

And they set off in the night.

###

Lloyd hadn't left the library in hours. It was the only comforting place he could find after the embarrassing debacle that had passed for a council meeting that morning. They had all stood in their nightclothes, growing paler by the second as the Herald described the newest broga. A salt-mine had caved in before sunrise, a landslide had widened the chasm between the mainland and Iris' island, and the city was wracked with earthquakes. There was a somber moment of silence as it dawned on everyone that their nightmare had come true: Veralia was crumbling.