Page 70 of Dragon Throne: Part One

Evie chuckled next to me, and I turned to see mysky riderbrothers and sisters grumbling something while walking to take their place behind me. Asher had already started the line there.

“I guess we are all learning this today,” Asher added, amusement fueling his words.

“Not, all,” Evie pointed out, nodding towards theland ridersleft behind and Asher made a face.

My golden-hued gaze returned when I reached for my Dragon essence, calling Fulgur, and Alkor, the only missing Dragons for thesky riders. They showed up a moment later, landing next to the others before us so we could begin. A new Dragon suddenly joined them, and curiosity tugged at me. I’d seen it before in the honeycombs, but never with the Sky Legion.

Reaching for it through my essence, the branches of our tree ignited, taking me all the way to her. It was a female. I smiled when her head turned to me in acknowledgement, feeling our connection through the link. She was a gorgeous, black-skinned creature, so dark that it almost had a purple hue to her scales, and deep orange tones ran along the split layers of the two horns on her head, which disappeared down her neck. The small side horns on the edges of her jaw shared the burnt orange hues, and even the outline of her lips and irises carried the color.

It was a strange combination, but she looked stunning.

“Devenish Prince…”she greeted with a small bow of her head, reminding me I needed to let them all know I would not be taking the Devenish name. Well, at least I didn’t think so. Maybe, I needed to consider it a bit longer.

The black beauty moved closer to Imogen, lowering her forehead for reverence and I smiled. She was my mentor’s Dragon. “Alright everyone. If the princess will join me, she and I will mount Star and Midnight first.”

“I would love to,” Evie offered, beginning to walk towards her, but I gripped her hand, pulling her back to me for a stolen kiss.

Kingston grunted from where he stood, giving me the evil eye.

Seeing Evie run towards Star and jump onto her wing so smoothly, like no time had passed between them, made me happy. She was her true soulmate, though Luna had taken her place to protect Evie while her daughter was gone.

It also reminded me of how hot my woman was. Damn, it made me want to do naughty things to her tonight.

“Pay attention!” The scolding brought me back to the present, where Imogen’s glare awaited.

“Sorry.” Lips twitching, I focused again, watching Evie land on Star’s back and run towards the neck, taking her place on the saddle.

“As the flap brings the wing down, you jump,” Imogen instructed, looking behind me to the warriors. “It is important you land on bone, not the membrane, for the bone will lift you as the wing naturally goes back up. The membrane will make you bounce, but you won’t reach enough height to make it all the way to your Dragon’s back.”

“Makes sense,” Asher offered.

And it did. It was why we currently needed to jump a few times on the membrane to get to the top. This way, we were jumping on the talon as it lifted, letting it lunge us with it, and then, basically, just fall onto the back.

“We can do this,” Harper assured, but it sounded like she was psyching herself up most of all.

“Pay attention,” Imogen warned me and ran just as Midnight began to fly. When the wing came down, my mentor jumped, landing on bone, and rising with the wing as it catapulted her, then made it onto Midnight’s back.

Exhilaration coursed through my veins, and I began to bounce on the pads of my feet. Eager for her to signal it was my turn.

With her nod, Tharion ran the memory through my mind again, just to make sure I got it, and lifted into the sky. I took off, running full force because I was determined to get this on the first try.

“I got this. I got this!” I shouted and jumped. Yes! My right foot landed on the bone… but slipped because I jumped too late. I fell forwards, the talon crashing against my stomach and bouncing me into the air. “I don’t got this,” I grunted, pain flaring through my chest.

Tharion’s fingers caught me mid-fall, laying me on the ground as he rolled his eyes. Everyone cringed around me.

Luckily, my injuries instantly healed, letting me stand from the ground. A horrified look captured Asher, Harper, Arlo, and Elijah’s faces as they glanced at me.

“It’s nothing,” I assured, dusting off my pants until loud laughter reached me. I looked up to find Evie sitting on top of Star, her entire form shaking with hilarity. I was going to get her for that.

“Again!” Imogen shouted, and I nodded, returning to my initial spot.

Tharion scowled at me and slammed the memory into my mind again. I had a feeling that if I didn’t get it right this time, he was going to fly off without me. He wasn’t exactly known for his patience. That time, I focused on the point the wing hit as it lowered and my father jumped, trying to calculate it better.

“Got it,”I assured, and seeing him lift into the sky, I shot forwards.

The instant the talon lowered to my head’s level I lunged myself into the air. My boot landed firmly on the talon this time, feeling it catapult me into the sky as the wing lifted.Yes!!

“Whoo-hoo!!”

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