Page 73 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

In the time it took for me to take a breath and let it out, she was there, within reach. I stroked her cheek and she preened. She noticed Griffon’s lack of shirt. “Not this time, Son of Fae.”

He lowered his head like a bull ready to charge. “You may not take her without me.”

She chuckled deep in her chest. “Easy, little bird. Tonight, you are also marka.”

He and I stared at each other. I’d never imagined he might be able to ride with me.

“Get your coat,” I said. “I’ll be warmer if I don’t think you’re freezing to death.”

He glanced back before ducking inside. I didn’t blame him for being suspicious when the last time I’d ridden, Kivi nearly took me out of bounds.

He trusts, but not far.

He’ll come around.

He must, or one day I shall toast him like a marshmallow.

I gasped, but before I could protest, Kivi chuckled again.

Griffon hurried out the door wearing a shirt and carrying one of the large denim blankets.

“A coat wouldn’t be easier?”

He grinned and hopped down the steps. “Trust me.”

I mounted first, and once I was settled with my golden safety harness in place, Kivi lifted Griffon and he climbed on behind me. The saddle came to life again, spreading out and wrapping itself around Griffon’s legs. He couldn’t jump off even if he wanted to.

I laughed at the unhappy look on his face. “Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. Apparently, it’s not an option.”

When the living gold settled, Griffon wrapped the blanket around us both, pulled me against him, and locked the overlapped fabric in his fists.

I sighed. “Oooh, I like this.”

“Pay attention, little bird,” Kivi said. “Tonight, you learn what it means to eat the sky.”

Griffon nearly squeezed the life out of me when my dragon moved beneath us, ran into the dark, and jumped with all her might. I thought he might rip us both out of the restraints until he finally found one of the grips. I felt his leg muscles shaking with effort, pressed against the backs of mine as we ascended. Only when she leveled out did he relax.

“No wonder you needed a day off,” he said. “I’m sorry you didn’t get it.”

“We should take tomorrow off instead, since it’s Christmas.”

I was surprised when Kivi turned north. When she said I needed light, I thought she might take us south for a nice dose of sunshine.

Behold. My gift to you, Marka. We shall eat the light.

Above us, shifting curtains of green light moved across the horizon, folded back on themselves, and spread again.

“The aurora borealis?” Griffon shouted. “This is the light?”

“It’s beautiful,” I shouted back. “I’ve never seen it before!”

We know.

For an hour, we flew through the sky, trying to catch the green as it contorted. Eventually, I realized that it was an optical illusion. We were alreadyinthe light, eating the sky, breathing it in and out again. But we could only see it from a distant perspective--the exact opposite of Kivi.

Real when I touched her, an illusion when far away.

My most memorable Christmas ever. Thank you.

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