Page 15 of Echoes of Fire

The market’s edge opened into a quieter stretch, where the crowd thinned and the noise faded to scattered conversations. The cobblestones beneath our feet gleamed faintly, their grooves worn smooth by countless years of footsteps. Here, the air didn’t press as heavily, though Orla’s posture stayed stiff.

“This …” Her voice broke the silence, hesitant. “All of it. It’s a little overwhelming. I feel like everyone’s staring at me. Even more than usual.”

I fell into step beside her. “It will calm down. I’m sure some warrior will make a spectacle of himself, and all eyes will turn to him.”

She let out a short laugh. “Like he’ll claim a human in the middle of a crowded temple to save her from certain death?”

I considered her for a moment before speaking. “When you put it like that, I concede it may take a little more time.”

“Great.”

Dwelling on possibilities would do us no good. “Come,” I said finally, gesturing to an alcove ahead. Its sloped ramp curved upward, a decent launch point.

She glanced at the entrance, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Where?—”

“Not far. Trust me.”

Her brow arched, skepticism plain. “The last time I trusted you …”

I smiled faintly and held out a hand.

She walked with me. Each step carried us higher, the market noise getting fainter. I glanced back once, checking her footing, but she moved steadily, her gaze focused.

She squinted at the view, her hands braced on her hips. “Is this … a vent? You really know how to show a girl a good time.”

I barked a laugh. “A vent? No, this is a launch point. From here, the air will carry us above the city.” My wings flexed slightly. “Would you like to see it?”

Her brows furrowed, her lips parting in what I guessed was an objection. “Wait— You— What are you suggesting?”

I stepped closer, letting my wings spread to catch the air. “Fly with me.”

Her gaze darted to the cave ceiling high above, then back to me, her hesitation clear. But there was something else, something fragile that flickered behind her sharp exterior. She was a scientist, a curious woman, and fearless enough to wonder. She bit her lip, and I could see the moment curiosity won out.

She stepped close. “If you drop me, I swear?—”

I grinned, something warm unfurling beneath my ribs. “I wouldn’t dare.”

She stiffened as I wrapped an arm around her waist, my claws brushing the fabric of her tunic to steady her. My tailcurled lightly around her knees, ensuring her balance, and she made a surprised sound that went straight through me. I had to clench my jaw as blood rushed to my cock. The warmth of her seeped through the thin layers of clothing, her scent filling the space between us.

“Relax,” I murmured when her hands clutched reflexively at my shoulders. Her tension rippled through me, though it was matched by a steady courage I couldn’t help but admire. “I have you.”

Without giving her time to second-guess, I crouched slightly and leapt, wings snapping open to catch the warm spirals of air. The force of the launch pressed her tighter against me, her gasp muffled as the currents caught us, my wings lifting us effortlessly into the sky.

Below, the ledge and the narrow shaft vanished, swallowed by the shimmering cityscape of Scalvaris. The river wound through the volcanic architecture like glass, its glow constant against the dark stone. The spires of the city stretched high to where they brushed the edges of our cavernous home in some places.

Orla clung to me, her arms locked tightly around my shoulders. Her breath came in quick bursts against my neck, but her fear began to ebb as she tilted her head to take in the view.

“This is,” she started, her words faltering. She leaned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the expanse below us. “This is incredible.”

I banked slightly, adjusting my wings to glide along the natural updrafts. “The city looks different from above. No busybodies.”

“It’s …” Her voice trailed off again, her brow furrowing as if searching for the right words. Finally, she shook her head. “I don’t even know how to describe it.”

Her reaction stirred something deep in my chest. I couldn’t explain why her awe mattered to me, but it did.

Her grip loosened slightly, and the tension in her shoulders melted away as she adjusted to the rhythm of the air. For the first time in days, she looked at peace.

I angled us toward the higher cavers, their jagged entrances almost invisible against all the rock. An even narrower fissure came into view, its entrance obscured by shadows. I guided us inside, the currents shifting as we dipped into the hidden space. The air cooled slightly, the light dimming as we flew through a shaft barely large enough for my wings until the cavern opened up around us, and a large skyshaft illuminated the room around us in natural light.

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