Page 35 of Crown of Slumber

I frowned, mulling over her words. She was right. She wouldn’t risk allowing the blood bargain to claim her life. Not over this.

I took a deep breath and loosed my hold around Jorey’s neck. He grumbled softly as if to reassure me. I patted the top of his head. “You’re a kind creature, Jorey. I think we’ll get on splendidly.”

His right ear twitched, and his body jerked as his tail swished back and forth. He truly was just like a playful canine.

“You dig in your heels when you want to slow,” Aurelia said. “Otherwise they will take off at their own speed. Generally, you can trust their pace, but… with some of the more unruly dragons, you have to be more careful.” Her mouth quirked in an endearing smile, no doubt as she fondly recalled this experience with some of her other dragons.

“Dig in my heels,” I repeated. “So, like, the opposite of riding a horse.”

“Yes.”

“Perfect,” I grumbled. “That’s not confusing at all.”

“If you put your trust in Jorey, he will take care of you,” Aurelia said. “He is the tamest of all the dragons. I even let my sister ride him once.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Really?”

“Really.”

I nodded, focusing on a steady exhale before dragging one finger along the smooth surface of Jorey’s scales. The silver sparkled in the sunlight, momentarily distracting me from my fear. “All right, then. Off we go, Jorey. My life is in your hands.”

Jorey let out a sound that seemed a lot like an excited bark. A laugh bubbled in my throat, but before I could react, Jorey jerked forward, taking a nosedive straight for the ground.

A scream tore through me, the wind lashing my body as we descended. Just when I thought we would crash into the treetops, Jorey leveled, arcing smoothly in the air, his wings folded back as we gained speed. The momentum carried us, the trees a blur beneath us. My eyes burned, and tears streamed down my face. The scream still felt lodged in my throat, and my chest felt ready toburst from the tension coiled within me. Jorey’s muscles pumped from under my legs, and his wings flapped once, giving us another burst of speed. My heart raced, thundering against my rib cage as I waited for the inevitable fall, for my body to slide easily off the saddle and into oblivion.

But it never happened. I stayed atop the dragon, secured by the saddle. A whoop sounded from behind me. I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to find Mal swerving and spinning in the air with Aurelia laughing, her arms spread wide.

Like the firebird she was.

A grin formed, and I found myself wanting to laugh along with her. But Jorey flapped his wings again, and the movement jostled me. Startled, I faced forward again and scrambled for purchase, my hands instinctively searching for reins that weren’t there. Jorey seemed to sense my disorientation; he leveled out, angling his body so I was perfectly lined up with the saddle. Somehow, he could sense which direction my body was wobbling. He knew exactly how to tilt himself so I could right my balance.

A single, surprised chuckle burst from my lips. Jorey’s ears twitched as if he, too, were laughing.

“Amazing,” I murmured, patting his head again. I noticed there were three triangular ridges along the back of his neck. When I poked at one, a low, rumbling hum vibrated through him, almost like a purr. “Are you ticklish there?” I teased, then nudged the ridge more firmly. He stiffened, his left wing twitching, and flicked his ear in agitation.

“Probably best not to do that when he’s focused on keeping you steady,” Aurelia said from my right.

Despite her teasing, I couldn’t help but shoot her a wide grin. “This is incredible.”

She smirked. “I know.”

“How much farther until we get to the border?”

But Aurelia was frowning, her gaze distant. Her hand stroked the side of Mal’s neck, and only then did I notice the dragon was flexing his talons, his nostrils flaring wide.

“What is it?” she murmured to him.

Mal made a low growling sound, and Aurelia’s head jerked upward, her eyes scanning the trees below us.

“What did he say?” I asked, unease trickling through me. From beneath me, Jorey’s muscles flexed, his head turning slightly to the left. One ear perked up as if he heard something I couldn’t.

Aurelia shot me a dark look. “There’s a clan of goblins waiting for us at the border.”

I could smell them,even from here. I’d only encountered goblins once before, but their pungent odor was unforgettable.

Mal detected them first, of course. His head whipped back and forth, his nostrils flaring wide as he growled in response to the threat.

“It’s all right.” I patted the side of his neck, even though panic coursed through me. “Take us to the falls. Hopefully it will mask our presence from them.”

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