The Unleashing
Page 58

Hey, hey, Vig greeted when he got near.
Kera looked up and gave a close-lipped smile. Hey.
Vig stopped. Whats wrong?
Nothing.
How did your hunt go?
Personally, I dont think it went badly at all. I stopped them from massacring thirteen hippy witches.
Thats good.
Yeah . . . except I dont think the other Crows feel the same way about my lifesaving intervention.
Why?
They all started to give me this look. Kera gazed at him, her mouth curling into a horrible forced smile.
Vig winced. Thats not good.
I know! And then, while they were looking at me like that, theyd say things like, Oh. Well . . . thats good. Uh . . . yeah. Sure. Good. And then walk away. Since Ive done that to people myself when theyve fucked up royally, but I didnt want to be the one to tell them . . . I know what Im looking at.
Im sorry.
Im not, Kera admitted. I did the right thing, she said adamantly. I think. She shrugged. Maybe.
Youre not sure?
Not really. She put her hands in her hair, scratched her scalp. Ahh! This is so frustrating! Im not used to not feeling confident when it comes to military decisions.
I wouldnt worry, Kera. If your decision was a mistake, youll know when it comes flying back to haunt you.
Thank you?
Sorry. Was that too direct? My sister says Im too direct.
No, no. I like direct. Even if it means things blowing up in my face.
Vig decided to change the subject. How did the flying go?
They threw me off a building, two managed to catch me and drag me all the way to and from the witches location.
They didnt teach you to fly?
I dont think they wanted to be bothered since theyre not sure I can deliver. I just didnt see the point of killing people who hadnt actually done anything wrong yet. They just had some necklace. They hadnt actually used it yet.
Vig sat down next to Kera on the porch, their legs hanging over the side, their shoulders pressed against each other.
Not every situation requires a full-on murderous assault, Kera.
Did you kill anybody tonight?
Yeah.
Oh.
But we also rescued some kids. That felt good.
Maybe I would have been better off being a Raven.
Probably. But youre a girl. And girls areooky.
That made Kera laugh.
Since we have a couple hours before daylight, Vig suggested, why dont I show you how to fly?
You dont have to do that.
Are you just afraid to fly?
No.
Did you vomit a little when the Crows took you up?
No, I did not. She brushed nonexistent hair off her face. I threw up when we landed.
Well, that makes all the difference.
It does in my mind. Kera jumped off the porch and faced Vig. All right. Lets just do it. Just do it and get it over with.
Its flying, Kera. Youre not about to be put on an altar as a human sacrifice.
She stared at him. Are you sure?
Positive.
And you wont let me fall to my horrifying and painful death?
Never.
Okay then. She nodded. Then lets do this.
Now before we start, there is one thing you always need to keep in mind during this process.
What?
That everyone, at some point in their life, wants to fly. And soon youll actually be doing it.
Which means . . . what? Exactly.
That youre better than everyone else.
She laughed. Well, when you put it like that . . .
Vigs arms tightened around Keras waist and his wings extended from his back. He looked into her face, his eyes locking on hersand they were flying.
Heading straight up, past trees and nearby power lines, until he stopped to hover thousands and thousands of miles above the ground.
Well . . . actually, they probably werent that far up, but it sure felt that way.
Kera?
Huh?
Youre not breathing.
Im not?
No.
Oh. She let out a breath.
Now . . . take one in.
Can we just get going on this?
Not until you start breathing. Normally. Not like youre going through labor.
Kera took a few seconds to remind herself how to breathe normally.
Good, Vig finally said. Very good.
Kera felt one of Vigs arms loosen from her waist and she grabbed his biceps with both her hands, digging her fingers into the muscle.
Ive got you, he promised.
Are you sure?
Of course Im sure.
Vig pressed his fingers against her middle back, pushing her chest forward and into his.