Page 34 of Enchanted Crown
“By a whole seven minutes.” I reached into my jacket pocket and held a bracelet out to Esta.
The moment she saw something sparkly, she moved beneath me, my head falling directly into the sand. She snatched it into her talon.
“I had Owen bring it for you. It was one of my grandmother’s.”
Then she was in her human form. Pulling me up to sitting while placing herself in my lap. “Put it on for me?”
Of course she would want to put it on and then shift before flying back, thus keeping it safer than flying with it in her talons. I did as she asked.
“Are you ready to return now?” I asked, my hands settled on her legs.
“In a moment.” She brushed her lips against mine. “This sunset is too gorgeous to not enjoy, don’t you think?”
She was the queen of Dra Skor, but for this moment in time, she neededme. It made me breathless to consider it. Seconds bled into minutes, minutes stacking together as we got a little lost in one another. Finally, she leaned back and laughed, her entire face lighting up.
“How I make you feel is funny?” I was feeling a lot of things currently, and none of them were laughable.
“No,” she giggled. “I was laughing at that time I thought I could get you out of my system.”
I smirked. “And how did that work for you?”
“The exact opposite.” She brushed one last kiss across my lips. “Let’s get out of this sand and go home.”
She shifted and within a few minutes Malachi and Dex were back with us. Though it still hadn’t gotten as cold as it did in Wylan, the air was chilled as we headed back for Halikaara. Ireleased my magic to warm my skin and then sent a little along her scales as well. Then on second thought, I sent enough to cover her wings then the rest of her. The result was her entire dragon body was glowing against the darkness with my blue magic.
It was singularly the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I was sure it was one of those moments which carved itself into your mind, ready to be held tight for a lifetime.
Dex let out a laugh. “You want lit up too, pony boy?”
Pony boy?Malachi scoffed.
But Dex had already moved and Malachi was lit up with gold color. I had to admit both creatures were stunning outlined in Wylan magic. It made it all seem unfathomable. That our powers were all kept separate within the borders of our countries for all these years.
The beat of their wings sounded, and onward we flew back to the castle.
We were less than a few minutes out when I heard a roar I recognized as Nyx’s. He was suddenly there. Flying with us.
Then Zaccai.
I let my magic fall, as did Dex. Something was wrong. Maybe we shouldn’t be lighting up our location and instead hide within the cover of darkness. Esta’s most loyal winged shifters were protecting her. Escorting us home.
“Es?” I asked gently.
I don’t know,she told me, letting out a smoke ring.They won’t tell us what’s wrong. Nyx said he would when we landed. Which means it’s bad.
By the time we landed, directly onto the war room balcony, there were a dozen or more winged shifters flying with us. The queen’s advisors were there waiting.
Now someone tell me what the hell is going on,Esta growled.
Amory stepped forward. “I told them not to tell you until you landed safely. Your frustration is on me.” Her eyes were wet, andshe looked from Esta to me and back again. “It’s the healed shifters. There was an attack while you were away.”
There was an attack on the shifters in their human forms? The ones still sleeping in recovery?
Amory looked her in the eyes and took a deep breath. “Kian was stabbed but is still alive. Savanna and Samori are dead.”
CHAPTER 14
Esta stayed in her dragon form, but I could still feel the heat and anger rolling off her.
