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Even though using Theo’s password had transferred all of the late Alpha’s magic to him, shifting his designation from one of the Nameless to an Earth element, Harry was still a Silverwing and still had enough of his own magic that he had an Air affinity.
As he’d known since he was eleven, flying was in his blood. He’d made do with brooms in the past, but with his dragel inheritance, he had actual wings now and from the beginning, had suspected that flying on his own wings would feel even more freeing.
His new Alpha hadn’t been thrilled when Harry had accepted Ariki’s offer of flying lessons, since it was a whole new set of dangers to guard against and more ways for Harry to risk himself. But Xenos had been thrilled with that development and was always the one to accompany Harry to his flying lessons or when he wanted to practice his newfound skills extra on his own.
The flying lessons had gone from wing extensions to getting airborne, staying airborne, landing (on two feet, not on his ass), gaining height, moving directionally, and most recently, to diving. Harry was especially keen to practice the dives, to get to the point where he could potentially replicate a version of the Wronski Feint, but with wings instead of a broom.
Of course, that was something that was something he would have to work on in private—or as private as he could get these days. Only Xenos could know and Harry knew that even he would be a hard sell once he learned exactly what the move entailed.
Then again, Xenos was clearly up to something as well, so maybe they could bargain, Harry decided as he watched the Air Gheyo drag several practice dummies out onto the lawn and spell them to float a good ways above the ground. Right below them, a colored line appeared.
“Has this been approved?” Harry called, bringing forth his wings and stretching them out to their fullest extent. “Does your ACE know you took those out of the practice rooms?”
“No,” Xenos called back.
“To which question?”
“No,” the Gheyo repeated.
Harry rolled his eyes, but a fond smile tugged on his lips. He regretted it almost immediately when Xenos turned his head and sliver-gold eyes widened dramatically. “If you make a big deal about it, I’m going back inside and not coming out for a few days.”
“Not saying anything,” Xenos said quickly. “Let me see the wings.”
Harry arched them forward, silently preening under the compliments that Xenos gave him for how well-tended they were—a far cry from the poor, neglected state they were in during his first days with the Circle—and then looking on with interest as the Gheyo focused on the outer edges of his wings, comparing them with his own, larger ones.
“Do I pass inspection?”
“For now. They could be sharper, but I don’t think we can work on that without someone noticing.”
Sharper? He was definitely intrigued now. “What are we doing?”
“You’re a Silverwing, so it’s only right that you learn some of their moves,” Xenos said.
Harry grimaced. He was tempted to protest but there was a difference between knowing a few things about Silverwings and making actual family connections. And he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity for rebellion that was being offered to him.
“What moves?”
The gold in Xenos’ eyes faded away, leaving behind only the silver. “Kill-dive. With the right angle, the right momentum, your wings can function as a blade, take down unsuspecting opponents.”
Of course. Something deadly and flashy, just the type of thing the Air dragel preferred. And just by the name alone, Harry knew it wouldn’t be on the list of approved things to be doing. Even with the practice dummies spelled as high up as they were, there was still always a risk that Harry wouldn’t pull out of a dive in time and plummet to the ground.
“Show me?”
With a speed Harry envied, Xenos’ sky-blue and silver wings snapped open and the Gheyo launched into the air, straight up, up, up with only a few, well-timed flaps. One he was high enough, he circled a few times.
And then he dropped.
Within only a couple of seconds, Xenos was hovering just above the colored line, wings out to catch him and break his fall just in time, but angled just enough that both of the practice dummies floating in the air splintered, long, jagged lines cut vertically down their fronts.
“The line is the ground,” Xenos called. “Go below it and you’ve either made a crater with your landing or you’ve broken—shattered—your legs. The trick is to make a kill-strike but pull back in time to avoid harming yourself.”
Harry’s green eyes gleamed. Maybe he wouldn’t have to bargain at all about altering the Wronski Feint to suit his wings. The kill-dive seemed similar enough to the move, but instead of urging his opponent to crash into the ground, he was targeting one already on the ground.
Xenos drifted closer to the ground until he was floating only a few inches above it. Slowly flapping his wings, he held out a hand to Harry. “We’ll go through it together a few times, so you can get a feel for the drop and the angle.”
Harry debated about telling the Gheyo about the stunts he had done on his broom, the few Wronski Feints he had attempted. He could probably figure it out easily enough on his own, without Xenos guiding him through it, step by step. But like the other Gheyos in the Suite, Xenos was hands-on instructor— very hands-on when he got the opportunity—and Harry was in a good enough mood that he was willing to indulge the Gheyo for a bit.
They would fly together, dive together, and for a time, Harry would be able to forget all of the dangers they dealt with on a regular basis, be able to put aside his grief for the freedom that his wings could bring.
“Alright,” he agreed, and took the offered hand.
A slow smile crossed Xenos’ face at the easy agreement and he tugged Harry upwards and into his arms. He pressed a soft kiss at Harry’s temple, against his dark, unmanageable hair.
And then, in a flash of intertwined silver, peach, and sky-blue, they were speeding upwards, into the open sky.