Page 69 of Wings of Cruelty and Flame

“You might want to cover your ears,” I said when we broke apart, gulping down breath. I faced forward again, pulling as much air as I could into my lungs without pain piercing my ribs, and then I roared at the top of my lungs,“Fuck!”

I let the word drag out, let the shout expel my rage, my fear, my shame at fleeing, my confusion and panic at those dark clergy. When I ran out of breath, I ignored the slashing pain in my middle to pull in more air and screamed again. This time I startled at the loud, shrieking cry that joined mine, and my eyes jumped to the blue wyvern who flew alongside us, her silver eyes fixed on me, something like understanding in them.

For a split second, peace flowed into my chest, soothing the ragged edges of my emotions, and my scream turned to laughter. “I didn’t know wyverns could swear.”

Her murmur told me there was a lot I didn’t know about wyverns, but not in a belittling way, almost sassy. Makrukh grumbled under Varidian and me, prolonging my smile.

“Feel better?” Varidian asked, spreading his palms across my stomach, extremely careful of my ribs now. He avoided the worstplaces like he knew exactly where to find them, and I wondered if he could sense it through our new mark.

“Actually… I do,” I replied, surprised to feel a weight lift from my chest. It would return, but for now it was easier to breathe, and I didn’t want to burst into tears.

I didn’t know how he did this—riding into battle, watching people die, having to fly away and leave them to the mercy of our enemies. I couldn’t begin to fathom how strong he must be.

“We’re home,” he said, nestling me closer to him, his hand flexing on my stomach. “Look over the ridge of that mountain; the Diamond is just on the other side.”

We’d approached Red Manniston from the opposite side than before, sneaking up on the kasbah from behind, and as the spires, towers, and domes spread out in front of us, a rush of relief hit me. It didn’t feel like returning to Strava yet, but it did feel like home in a way. We’d be safe here.

Unless those dark clergy and wyvern riders had ridden here while we evaded them in the mountains. My stomach knotted at the thought and I scanned the skies, my chest tightening again.

“How would we know if those wyverns had reached here?” I didn’t know any of the wyverns who flew through the skies above the kasbah, couldn’t tell friend from foe.

“Mak?” Varidian asked, stiffening behind me.

The white wyvern became hyper vigilant, his horns stabbing the air as he scanned the sky as we neared the city, the Diamond just ahead of us. He flicked a glance and a low rumble at the sky blue and she shot away from our side, leaping into a graceful arc over the city.

“Hey,” I complained mildly, pretending my stomach wasn’t souring with fear again. “Who put you in charge?”

“He’s older, bigger, and more experienced,” Varidian translated Mak’s rumbled reply. “That gives him rank. Also,” he told me quieter, “he’s bossy and likes to order people around.”

Makrukh heard the comment judging by the sharp glare he shot over his shoulder, his attention only stolen when the blue wyvern zipped back to his side, her body expanding with rapid breaths.

No threats,she told Makrukh. I repeated it for Varidian, glancing over my shoulder and struck by his small smile.

“What?”

“You understand her.” His blue eyes glittered despite today’s grave events. “That means there’s a bond there already, and you can strengthen it by spending time together. I told you any wyvern would be lucky to have you.”

Heat flooded my face and gathered in my chest. “Don’t be so smug; it’s unbecoming.”

“It suits me well,” he disagreed. “And there’s nothing wrong with being proud of my fierce wife.” He grew serious as Mak crossed the distance between the mountains and Varidian’s home. Our home. “I’m proud of the way you handled yourself today, Ameirah. I know it was terrifying, and it was chaos, but you survived.”

“Only because you and Mak found me,” I muttered, looking away. I remembered the awful helplessness I felt facing down the emerald wyvern, remembered being unable to get up, to defend myself. I vowed to never feel that way again.

But that wasn’t the only uncomfortable feeling inside me; something niggled at me, a feeling of unease so fierce it was almost dread. It wasn’t mine.

My eyes landed on the blue wyvern flying alongside us, and I opened my mouth to ask what was troubling her if there were no threats flying over Red Manniston, but Mak dove without warning, streaking from the sky like a falling star to the lawn at the back of the Diamond.

“Fuck, Mak!” I cried, holding on so firmly I might have bruised him if he wasn’t covered in protective scales. My ribsflashed with sudden pain when he landed, no matter how smoothly he set down on the grass. For a long minute, I couldn’t find the space inside my body to hold breath.

“Ameirah?” Varidian asked when I held myself deadly still, afraid any movement would send more pain through my ribs.

“I’ll be fine,” I bit out with what little air I had left, my eyes finding the blue wyvern again when she let out a mournful noise. Did she… feel my pain?

“I’ll get down first, then I’ll catch you.”

“Don’t touch my ribs,” I managed to say, keeping my face forward to avoid whatever look of concern he wore. I’d be fine. I just needed to rest and let my body heal and—

Mak was staring at me now, those crimson eyes slitted in consideration.

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