“I know a way out we can take, but it’s a little risky. Do you trust me?” he asks as he extends his arm, palm up. My gaze flicks around the room, then down to his outstretched hand. I hear shouting getting closer through the open window, and the hum in my chest surges causing the tightness there to ease, like a comfort is enveloping me. Like returning home, I place my hand in his.
“I trust you,” I tell him. My voice comes out as just a whisper.
As our grip on each other closes, there is a clap of energy and a flash of bright white light that comes from them. I look down at our hands, my lips parting in confusion. Dax just raises his eyebrow as it tugs at the scar on the side of his face.
“That’s… peculiar,” he says as his gaze meets mine. “Let’s get out of here. I know where Cano won’t think to look, at least not right away.”
I nod as he pulls me forward toward the open window. We are three floors up, and there is no balcony on the infirmary level. He steps onto the ledge and pulls me up after him, holding me from behind. My breath catches in my throat, but before I’m able to protest the height or my annoyingly fluttery heart at the proximity of this beautiful man, he jumps.
I squeeze my eyes shut; I can’t believe I trusted someone so blindly.Stupid, stupid, Raelle.I curse myself. Is this really going to be my last thought as I leave this world and enter the veil of the fallen? Just how stupid I am? I hear something that sounds like the snapping of a belt, and it jolts me from my mind. I open my eyes and immediately regret that decision. My stomach lurches.
Chapter nineteen
“We are freaking flying!”Iscream, closing my eyes tight again. I feel the rumble of his laugh against my back, and it does something to me. Warmth gathers in my core, and my treacherous heart flips again.
“We arefreakingflying.” He mocks me this time. His warm breath brushes against the space just below my ear, sending shivers down my neck and arms. “Open your eyes, love.”
Slowly, I do as he says. I peek one eye open first, and I look down, scrunching my nose. I should not have looked down. We’ve flown so far up that there are clouds under us. The rumble of his laugh vibrates at my back again as he drops out of the cloud cover. I gasp at the drop, but then a laugh bubbles up my chest. I can't help the smile that stretches wide across my face. The sun is justbeginning to rise, and the sky is glowing a gray-purple that melts into a pink and beautiful bright orange. Emotion so overwhelming takes me by surprise, and I take a deep breath in response. “It's beautiful.” I manage to whisper. When I look back at Dax, I am overwhelmed by the sight of him. His onyx wings are huge and glow with a blue sheen as he flies. He looks like a God of death. Everything about him screams power. He locks his eyes with mine as he responds.
“More than beautiful.”
My heart flips again.
Dax flies us away from the Capital of Ravendene toward the mountains. I feel the exhaustion from the last twenty-four hours weighing heavy on my body as my muscles give out and I melt into his embrace. My arms wrap around his neck loosely as he cradles me to his chest. My pulse quickens as I glance up at his strong jaw and full lips. He notices my eyes on him and looks down, snaring me with his penetrating gaze flicking over my face. My core tightens as he wets his lips, and his eyes return to mine. It’s very intimate, yet the way my body reacts is embarrassing. I feel like I have had a constant blush since the curse was broken. I need to keep reminding myself that this is Trent’s brother. Gods, I don't even remember him. I need to get a grip. Take it easy. He takes a deep breath breaking eye contact. “ It won't take long; we will be there soon.” He assures me, my focus now on the horizon as he glides above the clouds.
The morning sun is warm on my skin for most of the time we fly through the sky. As we have gotten closer to the mountains, the air becomes thinner and causes a chill to run down my arms. I’m thankful for the cloak yet again. My mind races, churning overeverything that has happened. It's overwhelming. My worry over Trent, Kait, and Miles’ safety nags at my mind hoping nothing has happened to them. I hate that I had to leave them, and the feeling in my gut is telling me it’s not likely they got out of there, at least not unscathed. I’m not sure what happened to Miles, either. I heard him yell for me before I fell through the portal, but that was the last I saw or heard of him. I pinch my eyes shut, a headache building behind my eyes. Dax must notice because he looks down at me, concerned.
“Are you ok?” He asks.
“I’m fine. Just tired.” Speaking it out loud makes it feel even more real, and a yawn breaks free.
“Rest your eyes. We will be there just around this peak.” He juts his chin toward a beautiful snow-capped mountain in the distance, covered in beautiful pine trees. It doesn’t even look real; it’s so beautiful, like a painting by one of the gods themselves.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt while we are up here. I’m still awake, just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.” I can’t tell if I’m trying to convince him or myself. I feel the vibration of his laugh; it makes me smile softly.
I wake up in darkness, and it sends me into a frozen panic. My heart is thundering in my chest, and a sheen of sweat starts to build on my brow, but I can’t move from fear. I hear movement from within the room, then suddenly a fire comes to life in a huge fireplace in the center of the room.
Dax is at the bedside in a flash of speed, like a wraith. “Are you ok, love?”
“Stop calling me that.” I choke out, but even as I sit up, I feel the panic leaving my body. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t know where Iwas. It freaked me out, I guess.” I sit up with my back against the headboard of a beautiful gothic-looking bed, with amazing satin black sheets and a velvet forest green duvet. I pull the duvet up to my chin and bring my knees to my chest. There are heavy curtains drawn along one whole wall to the left of the bed. The windows are covered completely, so I can’t tell what time of day it is, but the feel of my eyes tells me I’ve been sleeping for many hours. “How long have I been sleeping?” I ask.
“You’ve been asleep for about a day and a half. I suppose you were more than just tired, as you said before, hmm?” He smirks. “I suppose you deserve the rest, though. I didn’t get a chance to thank you for what you did for me.” He sits on the bed, pulling one leg up under him. It brushes where my feet sit and sends a sharp sort of awareness through my body.
“You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone with a heart and conscience would do. There is a lot we need to talk about.” He nods in agreement. “Trent and Kait… and Miles… They were all with me at some point, trying to get you cured. I’m not sure where they are now. I last saw Miles at the Willow, but Trent and Kait. I’m afraid they may have been captured.” I say it with traces of bitterness on my tongue.
“Cano.” Dax glowers.
“Yes. We went to the cabin outpost looking for the dagger as part of what we needed for the elixir. Cano was there with a whole crew. He was meeting with someone too. Things got a little hairy, and we had to separate. Trent helped me get into the cabin, but went to help Kait and cause a distraction so I could get to the dagger and get back to you.” I rub the center of my forehead with my fingertips.
“Is your head hurting?” He asks me quietly.
“It’s nothing, just a bit of a headache. I’ll be fine.” I rub my hand over one eye and down my cheek. “I thought Miles was one of Cano’s men. He was going into the weapon room, the same room I was about to break into for the dagger. When he left the door open behind him, I was going to knock him out—but well I didn’t, and long story short… he helped me get to the Willow cliffs. The storm was something out of nightmares. I wouldn’t have made it without his help. I was attacked by a Raskin, he saved my life.” My brow cinched together. It bothers me that I don’t know where he is. I owe him everything. If it weren’t for him helping me, I would be dead, as would Dax.
“Miles is a good man. Resourceful. I’m sure he has made it to safety.” He assures me. “Trent and Kait, I’m more worried about. Cano has always been a stupid asshole, but this is something else entirely. We will get them back, Raelle. I have contacts in Loema, but it’s a good amount of traveling to get there. We need to rest. They will be looking for us relentlessly, but I have protections cast on this manor. No one will be able to get to us. I will sense them far before they get close. We have time to discuss everything, but right now, it’s the middle of the night, and you need to heal and rest.” He places his hand over my foot, the duvet a thin barrier between our skin, and rubs back and forth.
“I don’t want to be alone,” I speak the thought aloud, and realization causes the flush that’s been living under my skin to deepen.
“You won’t be alone. I haven’t left your side since you returned to me. I’m sorry I left you to begin with.” He reaches up and strokes his hand down the side of my face. He must seethe confusion on my face because he goes to drop his hand, but the hum in my chest is reactive to his touch, and the emotion that I’m getting from it is calm. A feeling of home. I take his hand as he drops it from the caress on my cheek, holding it in both of my hands. The way I did when I was waiting for him to wake up from the curse.
