Caprion's Wings Read Online Free PDF

concentrated magic. It could be the chamber opened up some
unknown fear you have yet to address. What do you
think?”
    He raised an eyebrow. He had thought
about the vision countless times, wondering what it meant, how he
could free himself from it. It seemed more than some nameless fear
from his past. Like most Harpies on the island, he lived a fairly
peaceful life, despite intermittent bullying from Sumas. And none
of this explained the voice. "No, it’s something else,” he said,
certain of his instincts. “Something is wrong.”
    Florentine shrugged. She looked
uncomfortable. "Where did you say this voice spoke
from?"
    "Under the ground," Caprion murmured.
"It said 'find me.'"
    Florentine’s face grew thoughtful. She
waited a long time before answering, her eyes traveling around the
room. Finally, she said, “The Matriarch is sleeping now, I'm sure
you know. Her sleeping chambers are underground.”
    Caprion nodded. Their queen did not
hold regular sleeping patterns like most Harpies since she lived a
much longer lifespan. She would remain awake for a portion of the
year, and then sleep for a period before waking again. During these
stages of dormancy, the Madrigal stood in charge. As she grew
older, her period of rest became shorter and shorter, until she
only needed a few hours a year―and then she would turn to
light.
    He considered this. Their Matriarch
had slept for the last three weeks and should awaken within the
next few days.
    "She can send visions in her sleep,
usually to the Madrigal," Florentine continued, echoing his
thoughts. "It could be her voice you heard."
    "It was not a Harpy's voice,” Caprion
replied earnestly. “It was dark. And vile."
    She raised an eyebrow. "Are you
implying one of the Sixth Race? That seems unlikely…."
    "I know,” he sighed. “But it’s the
only explanation I can think of. Could they be on the island? Why
else would I hear them? Where would they hide?"
    “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Florentine waved her hand as though to shoo the idea aside.
“Perhaps there is some other explanation.”
    Caprion shook his head firmly. “No,”
he said. “If you saw the vision, you’d agree with me. The voice is
evil. It could not possibly be from another Harpy.”
    Florentine poised at the edge of her
chair, tapping her foot on the ground. She remained quiet for a
long moment, her eyes sliding past him, darting back and forth in
thought. Her lips twisted in displeasure. Then she finally seemed
to reach a conclusion. “Caprion,” she said slowly. “I must tell you
something. It's a grave secret and I'm not allowed to share it,
especially with fledglings. We keep certain truths hidden from
those without wings, for your safety. If I tell you this, you
cannot let anyone know where you heard it.”
    Caprion nodded, sitting up with
attention.
    Florentine straightened
and focused on the table, avoiding his eyes. "We do keep a small number
of the Sixth Race imprisoned on this island. They are locked in a
secret location. Our soldiers use them for practice. It's for
tactical reasons…why have an army if they can't fight our greatest
enemy?"
    Caprion’s eyes widened considerably,
then narrowed in thought, a grim slant to his mouth. He motioned
for her to continue, hoping he didn’t look as shocked as he
felt.
    “Only the army knows the location of
these prisons,” she said, glancing at the beaded doorway as though
someone might overhear. “Caprion, if this voice is coming from deep
in the earth, then it could be one of the prisoners. Don't go
chasing after it. The Unnamed are skilled at deception, and they
have varying levels of ability―some are quite dangerous. Don’t risk
confronting them without your wings. You will have no
defense.”
    "I have my sword," Caprion
murmured. He barely heard her warning. He didn’t intend to fight
any demons, but he knew he needed to confront the voice, before it’s too late to find my star.
    Florentine shook her head. “I