Page 89 of The Storm of the Empire

I slipped off her back, waiting for her to shift and fill me in. “What’s up?”

She shook and rolled her shoulders as she came out of it. “I can’t keep flying I’m exhausted. I thought I could do it, but after the sprint back to the First Kingdom and then today, plus carrying you.” Her brows pulled together. “I’m sorry. With the storms coming, I don’t think I can do it.”

I stared at her. “A storm is coming?”

“Yes.” She turned her face to the sky, shielding her eyes with her hand. “I can smell it.”

“And you didn’t think to warn me before we left Damona Island?” I turned in a slow circle. “Where are we taking shelter?”

“I used to fly up here with Alora when we had breaks from training. I know a place.” She held out her hand, and I took it. She led me to a path through the dense trees, winding us through the uneven terrain.

We cut through the massive, sloping landscape, working our way further into the hill country. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the hair on the back of my neck rose.

I scanned the horizon for clouds, but none were visible yet. “How much longer do we have?”

“Half a candle mark, maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I’ll protect you.” She patted my cheek before moving on.

We walked until the thunder rang through our bones and the wind whipped around us, blowing her hair in every direction.

“Do you hear that?” she yelled.

“The wind or the thunder?” I screamed, sure she’d only hear me because of her dragon hearing. I couldn’t even hear myself.

“The waterfall! We’re nearly there.” She took off at a run.

I had to sprint to keep up with her, and in another minute, we came around a cut in the landscape to find a sheer wall of rock with a waterfall cascading down it.

“We made it!” She pushed her mass of curls out of her face, gathering the flyaways back into the band.

“Doesn’t water attract lightning?” I cupped my hands to yell, the gale further wiping out my voice.

“We aren’t going to be in the water.” She hopped on stones across the river, walking right up to the side of the falls.

I hesitated as lightning lit the entire sky, cracking right over us. My teeth rattled, and I steeled myself against it. I trusted Hazel, so I followed on the rocks she’d crossed on, mirroring her path to join her right at the water’s edge.

The spray hit us before the rain did, but she pulled me through the falls as huge drops began falling. Instead of meeting the cliff face, we passed deeper through weathered away stone and found a small cave.

She shook the water off herself and shivered slightly in the cooler air of the cave, which made me want to wrap her up in my arms. For a moment, it felt too familiar, and I questioned whether she would want that from someone she’d only casually connected with. But I kicked myself in the arse. What was I to her if not the person who could warm her chill when she needed it?

I opened my arms in offering, and she gratefully settled against my chest. We stood in the dark for long moments. The roar of the water was dulled by the cave walls, and beyond that, we could barely discern the storm outside, save for the odd flash of lightning which flashed and bounced off the walls, lighting the cave briefly.

After the initial chill from entering cooler air, wet from the start of the storm, it was actually pretty balmy in the cave. Her shivers did not last long.

“Shall we sit?” I suggested, knowing from experience now that we would be here until the storm hours passed. Which just made me hard thinking about the storm hours we’d fucked through to pass the time.

“Sure,” she said, slipping from my arms. She took a seat on the ground and rested her back against the cave wall, and I sat beside her, adjusting myself. I reached for my pack and rummaged around inside, struggling to make out the contents in the relative dark of the cave.

A glow of light appeared, and I looked up to see Hazel forming a ball of her lightning in her hand. It would never not be impressive to me that she could just will it into existence. Once formed, she seemed to stare at it, and it rose to the ceiling, suspended by nothing and stayed there, filling the cave with light.

“That’s amazing,” I breathed in awe.

Hazel shrugged. “A kid’s trick for a storm dragon.”

“Well, to me, it’s impressive. All that stuff is.” I rummaged in the bag again and found what I was looking for. I pulled out a bundle wrapped in cloth and unwrapped it to reveal bread and some meat and cheese I’d packed since we had a long flight.

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