Page 6 of Tortured

She’s safe, I say. I got her out.

After a long pause, Seren answers. Thanks for telling me.

Chapter 5

Seren finds me within the hour. Our dragon stone connection leads her right to me.

She bows before me, spreading her wings wide. I’m timid as I approach the pearlescent-colored dragon.

I saw her many months ago when Niawen introduced my family to her. I was never privileged enough to ride on her as my brother, Kelyn, and the fur trader Owein had.

I feel a bitter satisfaction. Because of my situation and my need to travel to Gorlassar, I’ll finally have my first dragon flight.

“Are you ready for this?” Seren asks.

I rub my hands over her shoulder. “How hard could it be?” I think of poor Kelyn and his fear of heights. He managed to fly with Niawen on Seren, but it wasn’t without much harassment from me. I reach toward the saddle above her shoulders. “Do you ever take this thing off?”

“I only just put it on. With Aneirin’s help.”

Pretending to examine her saddle straps, I pause briefly. I might meet this Aneirin, Niawen’s first love, the reason she left the dragon realm in the first place.

“Ah, he knows I’m coming,” I say, trying to sound indifferent. What will he say to me? Will he blame me for Niawen’s current predicament? What’s more, how can I face the immortal Niawen held such high esteem for? She wasn’t able to let go of him to allow herself to love me.

I blamed her indifference for me on my mortality.

But when she was exiled from the immortal world, she left me and found the worst and only immortal on the planet to love, Lord Caedryn.

That really makes a guy feel inferior.

Seren sniffs. “Kenrik, you can’t hide your feelings from me unless you make a conscious effort. You and Aneirin are as different as turtles and birds. You can’t compare yourself to him, and you have no reason to feel inferior.”

I cock my head, considering. “She was afraid of being alone. That’s why she went to Caedryn. Kelyn’s near-death had shaken her. She couldn’t bear the thought of living forever while watching a mortal husband die.”

Kelyn was the lucky one to propose to her. Niawen was not oblivious to his affections for her.

Nor mine.

I might even say we fought for her love.

“Yes. Niawen has always had a fear of being alone.” Smoke rises from Seren’s mouth, coming from her internal flame.

Time to meet Niawen’s past, I say to myself.

“Hey.” Seren noses me. “Aneirin never loved her as you do. He was her closest friend. Practically her sister.”

“They’ve known each other for centuries. A guy feels a bit inferior when he’s only known Niawen for a few months.”

And when he’s not an immortal god.

“Are you ready to do this?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I grip the edge of the saddle and stand on Seren’s forearm. She lifts me, and I slide my leg over the saddle and settle into place.

“Hold on.” Seren bounces once before spreading her broad wings. She rears up, and I grab her saddle. As she launches into the sky, my breath escapes me. I fold my body flat to hers during the ascent, praying I stay on, as the wind coils around my body and rips through my hair.

Niawen pulled light around her, to warm her body and to cement herself in the saddle, Seren says.

How do I do that?

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