The Ships of Air (The Fall of Ile-Rein) Read Online Free Page A

breathed hard, something flat and desperate in his eyes. Halian had been Cineth’s warleader once, Tremaine remembered. Dannor looked like he knew why Halian had been chosen for that job and didn’t want to find out all over again. He stared out toward where the Ravenna lay, obscured by the heavy mist and the black rocks that sheltered the cove. A scatter of raindrops pelted the sand around them and thunder rumbled. “Halian, I—”
    Halian’s grim expression didn’t soften. “Do you really think I’d ask you to do this if it wasn’t the only choice?”
    Gerard had splashed back out of the surf and started across the beach toward them. The other boat was leaving, she could see Florian standing in the stern watching them, hanging on to a stanchion as it fought the waves. The last one, empty but for two Rienish sailors, still waited. Tremaine was turning to tell Gerard to go back when sand suddenly blew up in her face and something shoved her hard from behind. She hit the wet beach facefirst.
    The next thing she knew Gerard was dragging her upright, the sphere’s bag knocking her in the stomach as she got her feet under her. “Ow,” Tremaine protested weakly. Her ears rang, her head pounded, her teeth hurt. After everything else, it seemed especially unfair. “What happened?” The Syprians were scattered around her, sprawled in the sand or struggling to their feet.
    Gerard spoke urgently, but his voice sounded far away over the ringing in her ears. Giliead staggered upright, shaking his head, and Ilias rolled over, still stunned.
    Tremaine gave up on trying to hear Gerard and looked around for the source of the explosion. She saw with shock that the big rock they had been standing near was missing a large chunk off the top. She could smell burning and the aftermath of a lightning strike. She pointed at it, tugging on Gerard’s sleeve, trying to get him to look. “They’re shelling us!”
    Gerard gestured imperatively at the boat, shouting something that sounded tinny and far away. Ilias managed to struggle up and Giliead pulled Halian to his feet. He started pushing the others toward the beach. Tremaine reached to help Dyani, but Gerard grabbed the other girl’s arm and hauled them both toward the water.
    Something flashed overhead, lighting up the gray sky, and Tremaine flinched. “What was that?” she demanded again.
    Gerard’s voice still sounded too far away but this time she understood his shout. “It’s lightning, etheric lightning. The Gardier generated this storm and the lightning is aiming for us.”
    Damn. Tremaine stared up, stumbling as another flash lit the sky. The men on the boat were waving urgently for them to hurry. “Us specifically?” She looked around and saw with relief all the Syprians were with them; no one was staying behind. Dannor and Halian were half-carrying Gyan.
    “Anything human,” Gerard clarified.
    “Why aren’t we dead?” Dyani asked, looking up in terror at the flashes shooting across the gray sky.
    “The sphere is deflecting it!”
    Dyani probably didn’t understand what that meant, but Tremaine was a little reassured. Arisilde, locked inside the sphere, was fighting the Gardier spells for them.
    They stumbled into the surf and the cool water shocked Tremaine out of her daze. Staggering in the waves, they reached the boat. Tremaine grabbed the railing and looked for Ilias. She found him when he caught her around the waist and lifted her over the side.
    The floorboards were already drenched with spray. Others tumbled in, and Tremaine helped Gerard and Dyani steady Gyan as Halian boosted him up to climb the rail. The older man’s face was red and he was breathing hard; Tremaine hoped he wasn’t having a heart seizure. Then she saw the gray hair at the back of his head was matted with blood and realized he must have been hit by a fragment of the shattered rock.
    Giliead was the last to scramble in. The engine coughed to life, making the Syprians flinch in alarm,