Valentine left his bag in the room and headed back out. Quinn wolf whistled at him.
"Look at you! Don't you look handsome," she said and waggled her brows at him.
"Stop flirting. No time," Emyr chided. She tugged at Valentine's jacket and harness of knives. "Everything seems secure. Let's go."
"Be careful, all of you," Taranis said and nodded at Valentine. "You especially. We'll walk you out. I need to make note of whoever sees you leave."
"Good luck with your traitor, Uncle," Valentine replied. "Better you find them before I do."
"Settle down, killer," Quinn said and kissed his cheek.
They walked through the halls and out to a different launching area that was closest to Taranis's private wing. They were passing a meeting room when a tall fae with straight brown hair came out. He was dressed in fancy-looking robes, and Valentine guessed he was a lord.
"Ah, my king, I heard you had returned to the city," he greeted with a short bow. He eyed Valentine. "And I see you have brought home another wild stray."
"My kingdom will always welcome dragons from anywhere, Lord Afon," Taranis replied in a bored tone. "My queen and I will be staying for a time. Please inform the household."
Afon nodded. "And your new...friend?"
Valentine smiled at him, all teeth. "Don't you worry about me."
"I always worry about wild dragons in the city. I thought one was bad enough, but at least she hasn't returned yet," Afon replied, his eyes cooling.
Valentine snarled wordlessly at him, and the lord took a step back in surprise.
"Too much magic and not enough manners," Afon sniffed. "That's what you get from taking in ferals."
Valentine took a step forward, but Taranis gripped his shoulder and held him back.
"Perhaps you should be working on your own manners, Afon, dear," Quinn said brightly before she looked down her nose at him and walked off. The look of outrage on the lord's face at being dismissed had Valentine biting back a smile.
"As my queen says," Taranis told Afon and steered Valetine away from him. "And watch what you say about Yelena for your own safety."
They left the haughty lord red-faced and fuming. Valentine shook his head in disgust.
"You would think they would be used to Yelena's presence by now," he commented.
"They aren't all like that. Afon just thinks she'll go wild and turn on them at any moment," Emyr said. She grinned widely. "Yelena does nothing to reassure them that she's not going to. It keeps them on their toes."
Valentine understood that it was sometimes better to be feared than loved, and if they were scared of her, it meant they would stay out of her way. After meeting Afon for less than five minutes, he admired Yelena's restraint for not taking him down a notch.
The wind was cold when they reached the launching area. Owain disappeared into an adjoining storeroom and came out with a pack. "At least they have been keeping the supply rooms stocked in our absence."
"I made sure of it. I've been so bored, I've been reduced to checking weapons and stock supplies," Emyr complained. She moved away from the others and shifted effortlessly into a brilliant green dragon.
Taranis pulled Valentine into a hug and whispered in his ear, "Bring them back, and if you are pushed, release your dragon. Don't hesitate because if you do, Midir's men will kill you."
"I won't hesitate," Valentine replied, letting him go."Make sure your shit lords don't upset my auntie."
"Ha. I can handle those snotty pricks," Quinn said, tossing her hair.
Taranis only held her closer.
Valentine moved over to Emyr, who lowered herself so he could climb up in between her wings. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and tapped Emyr on her scales to let her know he was ready. Owain had shifted again beside them and carried the large pack in his claws.
Valentine held on as Emyr walked to the end of the stone platform and dropped over it. Her wings shot out, catching an updraft of wind, and she soared out of the ravine.
Valentine shut his eyes and let the roar of the wind drown out every other noise around him. He plunged down into his magic until he could see the silver thread of Yelena's power, still tied around his ankle. He didn't know if the connection went both ways, or if she would feel anything in her icy shroud, but he did his best to send her reassurance.
