Читать книгу Tales of the Goddessi - Heather Ranier - Страница 6

‘Cross the skies they endless tore

Heaven-blessed with wings to soar.

- “The Grey Birds’ Tale”

The kite sped upward, thrusting Kimber’s stomach into her feet and then stopped, straining as if at the end of a tether, launching it back up into her throat. A moment passed as the kite floated motionless in the howling wind and blinding fog and then something snapped below them and they were granted irrevocable freedom.

The World spun. Kite and riders flew out of control.

It banked and whipped Kimber back and forth. She could not look up or down, but squeezed her eyes shut so tightly that it felt as though they might fall back into the cavern of her skull from the pressure. She thought the wind shrieked but it might have been her. It might have been Cho if she was even up there.

Her arms burned with the effort of holding tight, her legs flailed for purchase. She slipped down the length of the rope, sliding on the blood oozing from her palms. Her stomach surged.

She managed to get her legs around the rope, bringing a halt to her downward slide. Skyclaps crashed somewhere close, so loud that all Kimber’s will went into not letting go to cover her ears. Howling currents raced past her, up, up, up.

Don’t die. Not again.

The words bounced in her head from somewhere deep but could find no purchase among the whirling thoughts of ‘hold on’, ‘hold tight’, ‘don’t be sick’, ‘so cold’, ‘can’t breathe’, ‘can’t breathe’.

The wind gentled. The kite soared, its wings fluttering with a noise like a bird’s.

Kimber opened her eyes but still could not bring herself to look down. All around, the fog held them in its tender grip and the kite glided above, its rider unseen. They seemed to float there forever in the silent whiteness before the fog finally gave way and unveiled an endless vista of jild that shone as bright as the yellow sun.

Kimber opened her mouth to call to the Elanaite.

And the wind died.

And the kite fell like a stoneseed pod.