Page 60 of MidKnight
He tucked my arm into the crook of his elbow and started down the stone path. After a few steps, he said, “Lewart always told me that black and white fade to grey as we grow older. He told me that time and perspective changed our view of the world. But then, he’d always follow it up with ‘One day, you’ll eat spinach. And instead of spitting it out, you’ll swallow it down and ask for more.’ I always thought he was joking about my hatred of vegetables—”
“It was pretty intense,” I gave a small grin.
Connor smiled back down at me. But his face grew serious again as he continued, “I’ve been thinking that was his metaphor. For how things change. How something we once thought was so abhorrent becomes palatable.”
“They took someone’schild.”
“First, we still don’t know it wasn’t an adop—”
I turned to Connor and gave him the look. “If Sedara’s willing to find Avia, I’m pretty sure that she was taken. Forcefully. It’s too much to hope for otherwise.”
He raised a shoulder. “You’re probably right. But we don’t know why. Maybe she was rescued from someone who wanted to—”
“I appreciate you trying to make my parents into the heroes instead of the villains,” I sighed, “But that doesn’t seem realistic right now.” I shook my head. “I always knew my mother had a hard heart. But—”
Ryan dropped out of the sky on the path in front of us, mounted on a gargoyle. The wind from his descent made me squint.
Blue dug his claws into my dress and buried his face in my neck as the gargoyle snorted.
Ryan dismounted and walked over to Connor and me. He held his hand out to me.
He was a little breathless when he said, “We finally found what was in the sky to the south. You’re going to want to see.”
My throat tightened so much I couldn’t breathe. I felt frozen as I stared at Ryan.
“Did you find the dragon?” Connor asked.
Ryan shook his head and a small, crooked grin curved his lips. “We found a wizard.”
My jaw dropped. Emotions sloshed through me. They were so big and bright and bold that I wasn’t certain if they were joyous or fearful.
I’d searched … so long. I’d never found any hint of a wizard in Evaness. Everyone had stories. But that was all.
My eyes flickered between Connor and Ryan.
“I’m scared.” It seemed silly, when I said it out loud. I wasn’t scared to rescue Avia. I was furious. But to meet a wizard …
Ryan came and swept me off my feet, making Blue squawk in protest and crawl over to huddle on my chest.
Ryan cradled me in his arms. “I was deadly scared when they first asked me to be your knight. Excited. And terrified I’d fail you.”
My hand brushed his chin. “You could never fail me.”
“When you’ve thought about something for so many years … dreamed about it … being on the verge of getting it actually kinda makes you want to puke.”
I laughed, “So true.”
Before I knew it, Ryan had lifted me onto the gargoyle.
“I don’t know that I’m ready—”
Ryan climbed up behind me. “Once you get what you’ve dreamed about, you’ll realize your dreams were all wrong. Horribly wrong.”
“Are you trying to comfort me by insulting me?”
“No. Dreams are just that. Dreams. Reality is reality. And we’re going to find out what a wizard is really like.”
With that, Ryan whistled, and we rushed up through the sky, Ryan’s arms around my waist, the wind whipping my hair. Blue had tucked himself between my breasts despite my suggestion that he stay with Connor. He tucked his head under my collar as we flew higher and the cold chill of winter froze my bones and turned my breath into white puffs.
