Page 100 of Crown of Slumber

Mal answered by kneeling to the forest floor and bowing his head. I quickly slid atop him, wincing from the sharpness of his scales. There was no saddle, so I had no guarantee that I would survive this flight. My arms wrapped around his neck, ignoring the scales digging into my skin as I held on tightly.

Mal gave no warning before he took off, his great wings beating. Each motion made his torso shift, and I slid, practically falling off. I tightened my hold on him, and once he was in the air, his wings went still, remaining outstretched as he arced through the sky. The stars surrounded us, and under different circumstances, I might have marveled at how close and bright they seemed. Flying during the daytime was one thing, but this… This was incredible.

Aurelia would have loved it.

The thought sobered me, and I leaned forward, trying to make out the details below. To the right, the glittering castle of the Court of Twilight was barely visible. We hadn’t been too far before the ogres attacked. I thought of my friend Marek, who was the Twilight King, and his wife, Adira.

Gods, we had been so close. So close to refuge and safety.

Mal veered west, away from the castle and toward the Wilds. My people always stayed clear of this forest, as it was densely populated with all manner of unseelie.

No one who ventured there came out alive.

I swallowed hard, terror threatening to seize in my chest. Instead, I focused on my rage, my determination.

I would get her back. Even if it killed me, I would save her from this terrible fate.

Mal swooped low, descending gracefully until he landed just outside the forest. I moved to dismount, but he growled, his wing twitching as if to hold me in place.

“What?” I asked, confused.

He merely shook his head slowly, then took off at a gallop, his claws digging into the soil with each stride.

I cried out, grabbing his neck once more as he headed into the forest. The branches obscured the stars from view, plunging us intodarkness. My breathing came in short spurts as I struggled to maintain my grip on the dragon. The forest passed by in a blur, and I vaguely wondered if Mal’s pace was as fast as an ogre’s. Hope bloomed in my chest. Perhaps we could reach Aurelia in time.

When Mal slowed, I frowned, glancing around. This particular spot in the forest looked like everything else. Nothing but trees and bushes, and a massive boulder off to one side.

“Mal, she’s not here.”

He growled again.

“Nothingis here. Why did you stop?”

He jostled me until I fell from his back with an ungraceful yelp, my body collapsing to the ground in a heap.

“Dammit, Mal,” I hissed, staggering to my feet. “Why are we here? How are we supposed to find her?”

Mal only stared at me, his gold eyes glinting. One of his ears twitched, and I took a moment to look around, wondering if Mal could see or hear something that I could not.

An eerie silence pressed in around us. I should have been more careful. My voice had likely alerted every unseelie creature within a two-mile radius.

Excellent.

I ran a hand through my hair with a heavy exhale, resisting the urge to throttle this dragon. I wished I could communicate with him like Aurelia could. She would know in a heartbeat what Mal was trying to convey.

Frowning, I stepped forward, inspecting the forest with further scrutiny. The air smelled different. The familiar spruce and sage scent filled my nose, but it mingled with something else, something that burned my nostrils.

Ogre. I was certain of it.

But not just that. Other scents were mixed in as well. Something that smelled like charcoal.

My brow furrowed. Charcoal? I inhaled deeply. Yes, it definitely smelled like something was burning.

But what? The forest was clear. Not an ember in sight.

I closed my eyes, trusting my Night Fae senses to guide me. The smoky smell swelled around me, as if guiding me forward. My feet moved, the leaves crunching underfoot as I followed the smell.

Then, I heard it. Faint, almost imperceptible. But it was there.

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