Page 31 of Storm In The Sky

Winter wasn’t sure that was what he’d seen between Matthias and Thorne, but who was he to say anything about it? Besides, it had to be odd for them to be humans in a castle full of mages and dragons. If they found that being together helped, why shouldn’t they be?

Winter got more nervous the closer he and Keylon got to the tower. He was sweating and slightly panting by the time they reached the top of the tower, so much so that Keylon looked worried.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” he asked. The wind was playing with his hair, swiping it in front of his face. He kept pushing it away as he stared at Winter.

Winter wanted to do it for him. Instead, he nodded. “I’m fine.”

Before Keylon could convince him to change his mind, Winter shifted.

His body grew. He opened his wings, glad that the castle had been modified to accommodate dragons. There was plenty of space for him here, both in his human form and in his dragon one.

He shook out his wings and folded them back closer to his body. He leaned down his big head so that he and Keylon could look each other in the eyes.

There was a strange expression on Keylon’s face that made Winter’s heart race. When Keylon reached for Winter’s snout, Winter closed his eyes and allowed him to scratch it. Usually, Samuel was the only one who did this. Winter trusted Samuel’s family, but this was an intimate gesture that he’d only ever allowed to the one man he fully trusted.

Well, two now.

* * * *

Keylon hesitated once Winter was in his dragon form. He and Alvin had done this hundreds of times, but the same couldn’t be said about him and Winter. Keylon might recognize Winter’s dragon physically, but they weren’t the same, and he needed to be careful.

When he reached for Winter’s snout, Winter pressed against him. His eyes closed to slits, and he made a deep rumble in his throat. Keylon recognized the sound, and it made him smile widely.

In some ways, dragons were like big cats. They liked sleeping in patches of sunlight, curling up together, playing with odd things, and getting scratches. Keylon had always found it amusing, but he hadn’t dared mention it to Alvin. His dragon had been way too serious.

Winter was different. Keylon couldn’t say which one he liked the most, and he didn’t want to think about them like that. Who he liked most didn’t matter, and it never would. The only thing that did was that Winter was here right now, not Alvin.

Keylon cleared his throat. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this,” he said. “I think I remember everything, but feel free to tell me if I do something wrong or something that makes you uncomfortable.”

Winter rumbled again, then bumped his head against Keylon’s side. Keylon stumbled back and glared, but he could see the humor in Winter’s gaze.

He hadn’t expected this when he’d woken up this morning, but he liked it. He liked that Winter seemed lighter and was ready to play around. He liked that Winter had offered to go fly, especially when Keylon had been avoiding him so much these past few days. He’d expected Winter to give up, but instead, he’d shown him he cared.

He’d noticed what Keylon had for breakfast and had gotten it for him. He’d asked about Keylon’s book and his magic. It wasn’t love yet, but it would besoeasy for Keylon to give in.

Part of him wanted to, but part of him was still cautious. When Winter bumped into Keylon again, Keylon decided to stop wasting time.

He’d left his book on the small table inside the door at the top of the tower, along with his phone and a few other things he’d had in his pockets. That meant he wouldn’t have to worry about them falling once he was on Winter’s back. Keylon already had enough things to worry about—like not making a fool of himself.

When Winter pressed his stomach against the stone floor of the tower, Keylon walked around him. He didn’t have to think about what he was doing. The movements were ingrained in him, even though he hadn’t done them for decades. He quickly climbed onto Winter’s back and settled between two of the thick ridges on Winter’s spine. It felt like coming home.

Keylon gently patted Winter’s flank to tell him he was ready. He held on to the ridge in front of him as Winter spread his wings and rushed toward the edge of the tower.

For a moment, Keylon was terrified. The empty sky rushed toward them, and when Winter jumped, something in Keylon told him he wasn’t going to survive this. The ground quickly came toward them, and Keylon closed his eyes.

Everything changed in seconds. Winter caught the wind, and with his wings open, they stabilized. His body straightened, and Keylon opened his eyes.

Winter glided in the air over the castle. He made lazy circles, as if he was giving Keylon time to get used to flying.

Keylon squeezed his knees, telling Winter he was all right. The only dragon he’d ever ridden was Alvin. He’d been serious about protecting Keylon, and that showed in the way he flew. He didn’t play around, especially not when Keylon was on his back.

Winter was very different. After giving Keylon some time, he rushed toward the lake. For a moment, Keylon was sure they would break the surface of the water, but Winter tilted sideways and only dipped the tip of his wing. Water sprayed everywhere, and Keylon had to hold on for dear life, but it made him laugh.

Winter did it a second time, then settled into a position in which Keylon didn’t feel he was about to fly off. Winter’s feet still touched the water, though, creating waves around them.

Keylon clung to the ridge so he wouldn’t fly off and take a dip. Thankfully, it wasn’t cold yet, but it still wouldn’t be comfortable to fly with wet clothes.

Being here with Winter was incredible. Even though Winter had been Alvin once, he’d always struck Keylon as younger than Alvin. Keylon didn’t mind. He didn’t want Winter to be like Alvin, because he wasn’t him. He was his own person, and Keylon liked it that way.

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