Page 43 of Wings of Frost and Fury
I consider telling her, but again, I struggle against the feeling that it’s not my place to do so. I am simply carrying out a task, bringing her to my prince, and also bringing supplies so that he and the others can take care of the women they captured—
“Oh fuck,” I exclaim.
“What?”
“I forgot the tea. What does a person need to do the tea? Never mind, it’s too late now. The sun is about to rise, and we’re almost there.”
Within minutes, light pours over the edge of the world. We fly through the rosy air and the fresh breeze, over the sparkling expanse of the sea. Beneath all the excitement, the lust, and the uncertainty of the past two days, my heart has carried the weight of grief, deep at the bottom, in the darkest place of my soul. But when the dawn comes, it pours inside me like a glittering tide, illuminating even that underlying sorrow. The press of Thelise’s legs against my neck, the rushing air, and the morning light ease the pain of Mordessa’s death and the ache of the dragons we lost. The grief is not gone, but it is soothed.
The mountains of Ouroskelle appear on the horizon, and Thelise gives a soft exclamation of delight. “It’s beautiful. Did you know I’ve never been past the borders of Elekstan? This is such an adventure.” She leans forward, patting my neck. My scales are pressure-sensitive, but the touch of her hand is so light it’s like a tiny bird fluttering against me.
Power is hers, and yet she is so fragile.
“Whatever happens on Ouroskelle, I will protect you,” I say.
She laughs. “I love that, darling, but I hope you realize I’m not entirely defenseless.”
“Be that as it may, I want you to know you can count on me.”
“I know,” she replies. “It’s foolish of me to trust you, but I do. You’ll take care of me if I can’t take care of myself, won’t you, pet?”
“I will, or perish in the attempt. I vow it, on the bones of my mother.”
“You made a similar vow to me before,” she comments.
“Yes. The bones of dragons are sacred to the clan. Swearing on the bones of a parent or a close relative is one of our most solemn oaths. The only vow more binding is a bone-oath sworn in the presence of a dying progenitor.”
“Interesting. I’m honored to merit your clan’s second-best oath.”
I’m not sure I appreciate her choice of words, but I sense that her attempt at levity is born from her discomfort and uncertainty. Despite her self-assurance, she is afraid. What human wouldn’t experience trepidation at being brought to an island full of dragons?
A loud crack shatters the whispering rush of the morning, and Thelise startles on my back, nearly slipping off. The instant the sound occurred, I spotted its source—a void orb that sucked up a swirl of sand and ocean water, then imploded.
“You see that black dragon on the beach?” I say. “That is Varex, Kyreagan’s brother, the second prince. He has void magic.”
“He seems upset,” she replies dryly.
“He and Kyreagan are carrying a great burden. They lost not only their grandmother, but their sister as well, and Kyreagan’s Promised.”
“His Promised?”
“The one who would have been his mate for life. She was close with both of the brothers, and she loved Kyreagan deeply, though I don’t think he felt the same way. She talked to me often of her devotion to him. I never really understood it until yesterday, when I began to feel it myself.”
Thelise squirms on my back. “You really must stop talking like that, dragon. You’re sweet and sexy, but you’re also absurdly attached to me. It’s not something I’m used to. I fear I may be tempted to use it against you.”
“Use me anytime.”
She gives a breathless laugh. “Stop being naughty, or I’ll have to sting you with lightning.”
“It won’t have much effect. Our hides are practically impervious to our own magic, and they hold up well against comparable kinds of human magic, like lightning and fire.”
“But not against magical traps,” she says coyly. “The charm I placed on the stable confined you two well enough.”
Fortunix sweeps in, closing the distance he has maintained between us, though he doesn’t speak to me or to Thelise. As we glide above the beach, Varex looks up, then takes to the air, winging his way toward us.
“You have the sorceress?” he calls.
“Yes,” I reply. “We are taking her to my cave.”
