Page 125 of Of Blood and Banes
“Yeah, I know Marge knows.” He nearly blushes, a shy grin lifts his face. “She and I have had plenty of conversations about it. Or…I suppose it’s been more her scolding me.”
“She scolds me all the time. I’d venture to say it’s part of her love language now.”
Both of us chuckle and look at the floor. Daeja grumbles a reminder the others are waiting for us.
“Anyway…let me help you up.” He jerks his bearded chin toward the saddle.
I open my mouth to decline it, as I’ve done it on my own countless times before. Granted, Daeja normally has to crouch down and I half-climb, half-scramble up. But I surprise myself when I nod with a small smile. We walk to Daeja’s side, and he laces his fingers together into a makeshift foothold.
I slide my arm around his brawny shoulder until I’ve wrapped it around the back of his neck for security. Stepping into his hands, he lifts me up until I grab the stirrup and pull myself up and over into the seat. I strap on the waist belt. Hechecks the straps as he always does. And once I’m hooked into the belt, I look his way.
“I’m always here for you. You know that, right?” he whispers.
I smile and nod. Without another word, he pats Daeja’s shoulder and stalks off to join the rest of the group.
Daeja turns her head to side eye me.“Ready now?”
With a sigh, I lean forward, settling my weight back into my hips.“What do A’nala and Sethan say? ‘To the skies?’”
“‘And the stars,’”she snickers, leaping into the air with hearty flaps, lifting us higher and higher.
Our squad below us, all gathered in wagons or walking, turn into tiny specks as we rise. The air is crisp with a winter bite, numbing my hands and face.
Sethan, A’nala, and the rest of the dragons and riders take their normal positions in a V formation, and Daeja takes a spot directly behind A’nala. We find a steady flap-flap-glide, the air slicing under Daeja’s wings and cut in half by A’nala’s figure blocking the wind in front of us.
“I’m surprised Sethan and A’nala haven’t complained about us taking a few extra minutes to get to the skies.”
“Oh, they have. But I think Sethan’s a little more understanding. Or…approving of you talking with Cole rather than Darian.”
Of course he is.“And what do you think?”
She snorts in my head.“You’re asking me like who you do or don’t love should be at my discretion?”
“Hold on. I do not love Darian. I simply mean…talking.”
“Riiight. But you do love Cole?”
I swallow.“I don’t know...”
“I think you do. I think you just don’t want to admit it to yourself because it hurts.”
“And since when do you have any idea what love does or doesn’t feel like?”
“Since you just asked for my opinion?”
“...Fair.”
“And sometimes loving you is a pain in my scales.”
I laugh and pat her neck.“Do you always have to be so discerning?”
“Do you prefer me to lie?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so. And one day when I have a mate of my own, you can have these little pep talks with me, just as I do with you.”
“Considering you should still just be a hatchling, I think that conversation is so far in the future we don’t even need to consider it.”
