“Where’d you find that?” Cole asked.

“In one of the crypts. There were plenty of smaller ones. You should have seen the skeleton. It had the head of a bull. A minotaur, most like.”

Mira ran a hand along the side of the open box. “Feels sturdy. It hasn’t rotted.”

“I hope it serves,” Lyrus said.

Mira gently shook Durny. The shaper smacked his lips and opened his eyes. He looked over at the coffin, then propped himself up on one elbow and squinted intently. “Oh dear. A bit morbid, isn’t it? But it will have to suffice.” He looked to Lyrus. “How much time do we have?”

“The storm has hastened our progress,” the soldier replied. “Not more than two hours.”

Durny sighed. “I had hoped the children could wait for the storm to relent before departing. We’ll have to work quickly, and you two will have to risk the turbulent air.”

“Won’t you come with us?” Mira pleaded.

“There would be no sense in it,” Durny insisted. “It’ll take the last of my vitality to make this skyworthy on such a short schedule. I won’t last many more hours. Better for me to bow out gracefully than spend my final moments as deadweight.”

“You have to try,” Mira said. “Maybe they can heal you. Maybe—”

Durny held out a hand. “Please don’t weary me further. We have no time to waste. You don’t understand the damage inside of me. I shaped myself in unnatural ways. It bought me some extra hours of life, but nobody could heal me now. I have no desire to die—there is simply no way around it. Give me the floatstones. Cole, might I have a private word with you?”

“Sure,” Cole said.

While Mira and Lyrus moved to the far side of the room, Cole crouched down beside Durny. “You must look after her,” the older man whispered urgently.

“I’ll try,” Cole said.

“I can’t explain everything, for it isn’t my place, but there is much more to that girl than meets the eye. My mission in life has been to protect her. My role as shaper for the Sky Raiders was merely a cover for that vital purpose. But I will no longer be able to watch over her. This is a terrible time for me to leave her. She will be unacceptably vulnerable without me. The others at Skyport won’t shield her as I have. None know her value. You must keep her safe at all cost.”

His intensity left Cole surprised. He knew Mira was Durny’s apprentice, but he hadn’t realized the old guy felt so strongly about her. “Are you related?”

“Not by blood,” Durny said. “I have no right to tell you more. My life ends here, tonight. Promise me you’ll watch over her.”

Cole wasn’t sure he could watch out for himself in a place like Skyport. But he liked Mira, and Durny needed assurance. “I’ll do my best. I promise.”

Durny looked relieved. He nodded slowly. “You’re a good lad. Thank you for coming back for her. Protect her with that same courage, and she will be in good hands.” He raised his voice. “We’re done. Cole, why don’t you go claim some weapons or treasure? I would have private words with Mira.”

Chapter 14

STORM BLOWN

Following instructions from Durny, Lyrus turned the coffin on its side near him. Then the soldier led Cole away.

“Durny is meeting his end bravely,” Lyrus said.

“He’d be fine if it wasn’t for you,” Cole replied.

“Did I bring him here? Did I bring you? This is a proving ground for heroes.”

“Just doing your job, right? You picked a bad time to be so good at it.”

“I gave you what help I could.”

“I’m surprised you beat that snake. It looked like it had you.”

“It did have me,” Lyrus said. “In the end I took its head, but not before it did fatal damage. Had Durny not restored me, I would be dead. In truth, my contest with Nimbia ended as a draw. What surprised me was you besting Gromar.”

Cole had cleaned his sword, but the sleeve of his buckskin jacket remained crusted with dried blood. “It surprised me too.”

“You proved yourself,” Lyrus said. “You deserve to be rewarded. What manner of prizes would you prefer?”

“Do you have any special weapons?” Cole asked. “You know, that are shaped to do useful things? Or treasures with secret abilities, like my cloak?”

“You’re wise to ask. There are three such items: a painting that foretells the next day’s weather, a jewel that will always return to the first person who kisses it, and a bow that requires no arrows. They were prepared to reward discerning eyes, but you asked, and I wear your shawl, so I would be glad to give them to you.”

Using the catacombs to avoid the rain, they visited three different treasure rooms, all lit by candles and torches. Lyrus carefully wrapped the painting in cloth. Cole kissed the jewel as soon as he claimed it. After receiving the bow, he tested it by pulling the string. Once the string was back far enough, an arrow appeared.

Lyrus took custody of the painting and the bow, freeing Cole to collect other treasures. He tried to choose items that might make the Sky Raiders happy, including a small heavy chest loaded with jewels and gold coins. He put rings on every finger and wore several pendants. Lyrus also recommended a pair of hooded cloaks to help against the rain. It was hard for Cole to tear himself away from investigating the treasure hoards, but Lyrus finally informed him that they had less than half an hour before Parona would reach the cloudwall.

Upon returning to where they had left Durny and Mira, Cole found Durny facedown on the floor. Mira knelt at his side. By the torchlight in the room, Cole could see the shiny tracks of tears on her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red. “He’s gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Cole said.

“Did he finish the skycraft?” Lyrus asked.

“He died as he finished it,” Mira said. “He warned me that he might. We can’t steer it, but that shouldn’t be necessary. The coffin will fly itself to the salvage yard. It was the safest destination he could give us. The cliffside entrances will be sealed at night.”

“You should depart,” Lyrus said. “Time runs short.”

“Do you want to come with us?” Cole asked.

“I would not survive the journey,” Lyrus said. “Better that I remain here where I belong.”

“Durny told me we should launch the boat from the edge of Parona,” Mira said.