Wings in the Darkness by Jason Richard (i read book txt) 📕

"But we'll save those for now."
She looked at Jenin. He was distracted. He really did look like his father, and it wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking.
"Father will be fine," she said.
"I know."
The strange thing was, she was trying to be reassuring, but he seemed more confident about that than she was. She smiled and looked out the cave. It was even darker than normal with the unnaturally dark clouds in the sky. She wondered.
Terin? Are you okay?
Far away, in a battle in the sky, Terin was wondering the same thing about her.

Chapter Thirteen
The wrong glance.

Lailen dodged and weaved through the goblins, flying with the others and cutting down as many goblins as she could. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there, and kept glancing at Terin, flying dangerously close. Had he seen her?
She knew she had to stop glancing. Goblins could attack her from any direction in the sky and she had to keep an eye on her enemies, not her allies. A glance at Terin at the wrong moment could spell disaster. She had to stop worrying about being caught.
She cut down a few more goblins, and then an eagle man next to her was struck by something heavy, sprawling to the ground. So, now she would have to dodge the goblins enchanted rocks. The goblins were now throwing the rocks at eagle men, letting them leave their hands, flash with light, and become as heavy as boulders. They were done with the gate, which means they were in the palace.
Lailen hoped Kareen had made it out with her children.
She dodged a few more rocks, cut down a few more goblins, and then glanced at Terin.
He changed direction, coming for her. He had seen her! She tried to move out of the way, but Terin slammed right into her!
And took the rock for her. If Terin hadn't pushed her...
She dove after him! The rock had hit him as if with a thousand pounds! He was plummeting unconscious to the ground, and Lailen couldn't catch up!
"Terin!" she cried, not heeding whether she was caught or not. "Terin!"
Kareen would kill her.
He woke up at the last moment, spreading his wings! Only to hit the ground rolling. He lay there limply. Lailen flew down next to him, turning him over. He looked at her groggily, as if struggling to see.
"Lailen?" he said. "Is that you?"
Oh Kareen! Lailen thought. Oh Kareen I'm so sorry!
This is my fault!

…
Back in their hiding place, Kareen had her and Terin's children. She hefted her bow, ready to keep her children safe, but even as she stayed there she wondered.
Oh Terin! I do hope you're safe!

Chapter Fourteen
Sad Tidings.

"Why?!" Lailen demanded, removing her helmet. "Why did you do this?!"
Terin coughed, "What do you mean?"
He lay there, on the ground, covered in dust from his fall. His wings were broken in a few places, and he had broken bones elsewhere too. He looked up at a distraught Lailen with his eyes half closed.
"I mean..." stuttered Lailen. "Did you know it was me?"
"I thought you looked familiar...of course when you were in danger that's all I saw. An ally in danger."
He coughed some more, and Lailen couldn't help but feel guilty. She looked up at the battle. Those that remained of the chief's bodyguards were still fighting, protecting him, and it seemed the chief had already called more soldiers to protect him. He would be fine.
It was Kareen they had to worry about.
"Kareen..." Terin whispered dreamily.
I was thinking the same thing, She thought. "I'll get her."
"No!" Terin grabbed her arm, surprising her. "No. It's too late. I'm," he coughed! "I'm done for. Just find her...make sure she's...she's..."
"Safe," Lailen finished. "I will."
Terin smiled, let go of her arm, and breathed his last. He was dead.
Lailen almost cried. Oh Kareen! She thought. But she couldn't break down now. She had a new job to do. She put her helmet back on. She couldn't move Terin's body, but it didn't matter. She took off, to find Kareen.
Oh Kareen!
...
Kareen made ready to leave with the others. They had to go out the back way in the cave. The goblins had found them! She and her children flew out and into the open. She notched an arrow in her bow.
They would not hurt her children.
She only hoped her husband was alive!

Chapter Fifteen
Memories.

They flew it out of the back of the cave. It seemed the goblins had lost them...for now. Her children flew close to her, flapping their wings in unison. Kareen held her bow up as they flew through the trees. The goblins could come at any moment.
She wondered where Terin was now, and if he was safe. She remembered when they had first met...she and Terin. It was during a grand ball, and many eagle people were dancing above the northern mountains. Of course eagle men dancing wasn't like most dancing. It took place in the air, with two partners circling and diving around each other at high speed!
She had been eighteen at the time, as she had landed on a cliff edge, staring up at an aurora filled sky; a gorgeous display of shifting light and color. The ideal place for a ball. The eagle men dancing here weren't just brown and black. Some had white feathers, or even more exotic colors like green or blue...they tended to have the feathers on their head stick up like the parrots for which they were associated with.
Kareen always though such eagle men looked a little funny, much like the one that came up to her then. A handsome man who had red wings with black tips. He also had red feathers that stuck up and back like a cardinal bird. He looked silly.
"What?" he asked when she laughed.
"I'm sorry," she said. "The feathers on your head..."
"Yes, I know some people think they look silly."
Nearby there was a table filled with food, and the eagle man picked up an empty plate, hiding his feathers.
"How do I look now?" he said.
"Like a man with a plate on his head," she laughed.
"Alright," he said, putting the plate down. "Just imagine me without the head feathers."
She did. He was quite handsome underneath it.
"That's a little better," she said teasingly.
"Alright," he said. "That's fair enough. You, on the other hand, are radiant. "He kissed her hand. "My name is Terin, and I would be delighted to have the honor of this dance."
Kareen was flattered. With her brown wings she didn't feel very beautiful, but was flattered all the same.
"My name is Kareen, and I would love to...but first you must ask my father. He won't be hard to find. He's only man here with a sword."
"A sword?"
"He takes his daughters very seriously."
Terin laughed. "Alright, but I'll need your help finding him."
Kareen just nodded.
That seemed so long ago. Miraculously he had gotten permission, and they had danced. Now they had two children, and were married. She wondered where he was, and if he was safe.
...
Lailen flew as fast as she could, searching for Kareen. She lifted her sword, ready to attack any goblins that got near her family. After what had just happened to Terin she couldn't let anyone else die. She spotted a group of eagle people, flying through the trees below. She saw Kareen, and found a momentary speck of relief.
And then she saw the goblins bearing down upon them.
"Kareen!"

Chapter Sixteen
Closing in.

"Kareen!" cried Lailen!
So there she was, thought Kareen. Why is she dressed like the soldiers? And why is she panicked?
Kareen started to feel panicked herself.
She looked over her shoulder...and of course...goblins were coming!
"Fly!" she cried. "Fly!"
The eagle women, children, and elderly picked up speed, but the goblins were coming from multiple directions! Arrows flew, killing goblins left and right! Lailen got into the fray, dodging and weaving through the trees while slashing goblins with her sword!
"Follow me!" cried Kareen, who swerved to the right, eagle people following!
She had an idea, but it was a risky one. She could see it in the distance. If they could make it there...
The goblins didn't expect this sudden change in direction, and fell behind. Lailen broke off fighting with the goblins and followed the rest of the eagle people. The goblins followed swiftly behind, but they weren't as fast as the eagle people, whose wings soared with the air. Goblin wings, like that of an insect, beat against the air, and had a disadvantage of speed.
The eagle people dived into a narrow trench in the ground, and the goblins followed. The trench twisted and turned like a snake. The eagle people were just out of sight, only a few of them visible before they turned. They came to a fork, and the goblins followed them down the left side. When they reached there, one eagle person was still just out of reach when...it was only one!
Lailen led the goblins away. They had fallen for it. They had fallen for it!
And now they were coming for her.
...
I can't believe I let Lailen talk me into this! Kareen kept thinking as she flew with the others out of the trench. Kareen had intended herself to draw them off, not Lailen. They had lost the goblins, sure, but Lailen...
Still, Lailen was right. Kareen had to take care of her children. She had to. Terin was off fighting. She had to take care of the children. It was strange. When Lailen mentioned Terin...she almost choked up.
Had something happened to...
Something tiny and black fell to the ground as Kareen flew past. It was only one, and it was dark like poison, but it was unmistakably a rain drop. The dark cloud that obscured the sun...was it...about to rain?
The cloud was poisonous. They had to find shelter now!
Oh Lailen!

Chapter Seventeen
A New Task.

They made it to the cave at last! Kareen had seen more black drops from the dark clouds above. Something bad was about to happen. She knew it. The eagle people settled down in the cave. The women had their bows ready. Jendra and Hawla were there. So they had survived. Good. They could help keep the goblins at bay from her children. Kareen had something she needed to do.
She told her children to wait and went up to Hawla, the widow.
"Hawla?" she said.
"What is it dear?"
It was strange to thing that after going through a battle like that this elderly widow could still come across as sweet.
"I need you to watch my children," said Kareen, as uncomfortable as that was.
Hawla gazed