Page 23 of To Love a Dark Lord

I’m going to see them again. I’m going to. There’s no option in the world where I don’t. I will find Mordred and free him. And I will pet that dog again.

Priorities.

Whatever.

She circled higher and higher until she could no longer see her friends, and taking stock of where the sun was, she started off in that direction.

The sensation of it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She had flown that one time, but she’d been so terrified that she hadn’t really had the chance to enjoy it.

Flying.

And it was glorious.

She could see dragons and gryphons circling around the mountain, specks against the blue sky. She wondered if they’d attack her—and she decided not to get close enough to find out.

This was freedom.

This was what she had wanted so desperately when she had been home on the farm. She laughed, the sound being pulled away by the wind as she soared.

It was amazing how much faster it was to travel by flying. The winding paths through the woods that snaked from village to city to town were like lines on a map as she looked down at them from overhead. A trip that’d take half a week through the thick woods might only take an hour or two now. She wondered how tiring it would be to go for that long. Right now, it felt effortless as she glided through the air, catching random updrafts or flapping her wings to gain more height.

The beauty of it all made her wish that Mordred was here to see her fly properly for the first time. She could almost imagine him on that enormous metal dragon, flying alongside her as she learned how to control her motion.

By the time she spotted the lake, she was certain at least a few hours had passed. She was getting tired, the ache in her wings reminiscent of how her feet felt after a long hike. Slowly, she started to circle lower.

A graceless takeoff was one thing.

A graceless landing was going to hurt.

She tried to remember everything she knew about planes. How they tilted up at the end to break their speed before touching down. Maybe she could just…flap really hard before she crashed into the earth. Land more like a helicopter than a plane.

It was around then that she realized she knew pretty much jack shit about planes and helicopters.

She saw the small hut, with its white plaster walls and thatched roof, as she descended from up above.

Don’t fuck it up.

Don’t fuck it up.

Don’t fuck it up.

When her feet touched the ground, she staggered from the momentum. And promptly tripped over a rock. The taste of grass followed a second later, along with the accompanying pain.

“Owwww,” she groaned.

Someone was laughing quietly. A deep laugh that sounded familiar. Lifting her head from the grass, she saw Galahad sitting atop a fallen log, watching her with a broad smile.

Pushing up to her knees, she brushed herself off. “Not funny.”

“Very funny. You looked like a baby bird.” He stood from the log and walked up to her, extending a hand down to her. He wasn’t wearing his armor, only a plain linen shirt and dark brown trousers. He’d have looked normal if it weren’t for his golden eyes.

She took his hand and let him help her up to her feet. She picked a piece of grass out of her hair. “I’m learning.”

“And fast, by the looks of things. Was that your first flight?”

“More or less.” She smiled faintly. “My first attempt at a landing, at any rate. The last time, a tree did all the work for me on that front.”

“Well, I for one am proud of you.” He patted her on the shoulder. “And I am grateful for your visit, though I worry about the reasons behind it.” Turning, Galahad headed back to the log and sat on it, motioning to the spot next to him.

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