Page 71 of Prince of Storms
Something already has, I thought, glancing back at the tower where Mia waited. Alone.
I clenched my teeth, tamping down my spike of anger as best I could. It was my fault, after all. I had rushed things, moved too fast without thinking of the consequences. And I was left with the smoking ruins of what I had thought was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
She wanted out. Not just of Storm Keep or the dragon realm, but out of my life, and me out of hers.
Most of me wanted to blame Rica and the Vorgan for ruining things, making her scared. But it wasn’t that which had sent her running. It was me. I should have strived to keep her in the dark about dragons for longer. Instead, I’d yanked her into my world without pausing to think about how it might affecther.
I wasn’t sure how to fix it, either. That woman, she was my mate, of that I held no doubt. Too much about her made my mind and body come alive whenever I was in her presence. She was smart, kind, beautiful, determined, unbelievably brave, and more. In a word: perfect.
I had screwed up, but I wasn’t going to let her go. Not without trying one more time to prove the truth to her, to show her the future she could have. That she deserved. To be respected and feted, loved and longed for, and so much more. All I needed was a bit more time.
“When do we leave?” Surge asked.
“Now,” I said. “Ty was wounded when I left, and I’ve already spent too long here. If Rica came back, he would have been too weak to resist her. She would have finished him off. I can’t have that happen. I can’t do that to him.”
I hadn’t admitted my worries to anyone because I didn’t want them to think I was weak, but I knew Surge didn’t give a fuck. He’d been helpful to my father and had pledged himself to me after the God-King had summoned my parents. I could admit to him that I feared for the life of my best friend.
There was only one thing that would have pulled me away from his side, and Rica had taken it from me.
“We’ll be there in time,” Surge promised. “He’ll be alive.”
“I hope so,” I said tightly.
Surge looked behind me, alerting me to someone approaching.
“Are we leaving?” Mia asked.
I turned. She was no longer dressed in the bathrobe. “I see Liz lent you some of her clothes.”
“How did you know?” Mia asked, looking at her gray shirt and light gray pants, the cuffs and hems rolled up to reduce the size.
“Liz fell in love with someone from Iron Clan,” I said. “Because of that, her love for the color gray is … legendary.”
“Oh. I see. Well, yes, she did. It’s nice to be in something a bit more forgiving than a robe. Especially if we’re going to be flying again.”
“We are,” I confirmed. “Surge and his men are ready to go.”
“Is anyone else coming?” Mia asked.
“Liz and another group will follow in two hours,” I said. “Enough time for us to secure the manor or retreat through the Rift, depending on what Rica has done in our absence.”
“Okay.” Mia didn’t sound like she particularly cared. She just wanted to go home and probably forget all about her adventures in the dragon world. How could I blame her when they’d all been so traumatic, in one way or another? My ire notched up another level as I thought of all that she’d been through since agreeing to come to be my “cleaner.”
“Get them in the air,” I said to Surge, who ordered his men aloft with the wave of a hand.
Four navy-blue storm dragons took off as one several moments later, the wind from their launch stirring up the clothing and hair of the three of us remaining on the ground.
“See you up there,” I told Surge as he moved off to initiate his change.
The grim-faced, gray-haired shifter nodded in response, not needing any further words or commands. I watched him go. Mia moved to my side, though there was still a large gap between us that was wider emotionally than physically.
“That’s still really neat,” she said in a soft voice as Surge the human disappeared into Surge the dragon, his body shifting and changing in seconds, scales replacing skin, snout for nose, and more.
“Yeah,” I said with a grunt. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. I had told her before coming out there that she would have to ride on my back to return to the Rift and Earth. The news had shaken her at the time, but she seemed to warm to it now.
“Good. Then climb on my back,” I said, crouching a little lower for her.
