Page 75 of Heart Cradle
“Of course. We’re paired. I didn’t mean to worry you, I’m sorry.” He said sounding crestfallen.
“It’s not your fault, I get panic attacks. Something… terrible happened to me and since then they’ve got worse. Usually they happen when I’m anxious, but today the take-off got me. I’m sorry.”Maeve thought, rubbing his scaled neck reflectively.
He levelled out, the chaotic twists smoothing into a steady glide. Maeve gripped the saddle straps and sucked in a lungful of clean air. Her heart was still hammering, but no longer in panic.
“Don’t apologise. Is this better?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied. “That was… something.”
“First flights are like first kisses, terrifying, unpredictable, and likely to involve a bit of flailing, or so I’m told.” Jeipier laughed into her mind.
She grinned and as they flew, Jeipier continued to talk, his voice a comforting hum in her mind.
“I’m still growing,”he said.“We grow faster when we bond deeply. Emotion speeds the connection. You felt it, right? That heat in your chest? That’s the bond.”
Maeve nodded slowly. “Yeah. Felt like my ribs were glowing.”
“That’s the one. It means we’re in sync. I’ll always feel you now, even across realms, and you’ll feel me.”Jeipier yipped excitedly in her mind.
Maeve swallowed hard at that. “That sounds… intense.”
“Nah, it’s perfect. I’ll keep you warm when you’re cold, grounded when you’re scared, and annoyingly encouraged when you doubt yourself. I’m basically the best emotional support brazier you’ll ever meet.”
She laughed again, the tension in her shoulders melting away. “You’re ridiculous, but I’ll try to do the same for you too.”
Below them, the trees blurred into streaks of green and gold as the sun climbed higher. The wind wasn’t so biting anymore, it felt like freedom. Then, another voice echoed between them, deeper, older and so undeniably regal.
“Are you two ready to test yourselves?” asked Xelaini.
Eiran’s voice followed a heartbeat later. “Race. You and Jeipier against us. If you’re brave enough.”
“Eiran?!”
“Yes, love. We can mind-talk now, but only on dragon back.”Eiran, looked at her grinning. “Well, are you scared to race or what?”
Maeve smirked.
“You in?” she asked Jeipier.
“Oh, I was born ready. Let’s torch your little mate.”
With a burst of flame and a roar, Jeipier dove, spinning low and fast. Xelaini gave chase, moving like a shadow gliding over moonlight. Maeve whooped, gripping tight as Jeipier darted, flipped, and surged forwards. They raced through the skies, dodging clouds and diving between cliff ridges, Xelaini and Eiran dipping in and out of sight because of her night-bound abilities. They climbed and fell, soared and dove, for a moment, Maeve was just air, fire and laughter.
Free.
Nonetheless, in the end there was no beating Xelaini. The great Nyxshade slid ahead in a final upward arc, wings spanning wide, and claimed victory with a triumphant trill and Jeipier huffed. “Okay, okay, she’s bigger, older, has night-bound magic, and frankly cheats with that tail” he muttered.
Maeve was breathless and grinning. “You were amazing.”
“We were amazing,” Jeipier replied, voice soft now.
Maeve let the silence hang for a beat, the wind rushing past them, the warmth of his scales steady beneath her. “I saw you,”she thought quietly. “When I was unconscious. In the between, you were there.”
“I know, I dreamt it too. Or maybe it wasn’t a dream. Maybe it was... I don’t know...”His voice dipped, thoughtful.“You were floating next to me, and the Chain wrapped around me. I wasn’t scared, I liked it. It felt warm… right.”
Maeve nodded slowly, remembering the golden loop coiling gently around his leg.“You said we could trust it.”
“I meant it,”Jeipier said. “I still do. It doesn’t want to own us, it wants to protect us. It’s not a cage, I think it’s a promise.”
