She bites her lip and looks to me. “Is that okay? I don’t want to offend him or anything, but I don’t want to let Colbie go on herown. I can run if it’s a problem, but I won’t get there as quickly as you.”
“Are we offending him by riding him?” I ask, stopping before climbing up the dragon like Brodie told me to. “I don’t want one of the first things I do as queen to offend such a magnificent creature.”
Brodie shakes his head. “No, it’s an honor for Hunter to give you a lift. Trust me, he doesn’t mind in the least.” Brodie gives the dragon a sideways glance. “But mostly, shifters won’t let anyone else but their bond group or mates ride them. He said he would make an exception for Violet and his queen.”
Violet still looks unsure but agrees. Before long, the three of us are mounted on Hunter’s back, and my stomach is in my throat. I’m sandwiched between Brodie and Violet, with Brodie’s strong, warm chest against my back. He leans in, and his breath brushes across my ear, causing goosebumps to erupt on my arms. “Here we go.”
Hunter’s large, iridescent purple wings stretch out wide, and I feel his whole body dip as he uses his powerful legs to leap into the air. The wings flap up and down to gain momentum. I can’t stop the squeal of fright that leaves my mouth as we are jostled back and forth with the movement. If it wasn’t for Brodie holding me tightly, I probably would have slipped off. His arms around my waist and his thick thighs against mine hold me securely, and I try to do the same thing for Violet, but she has a hold of two large spikes that sit behind his brow ridge and seems more than comfortable.
“Easy,” Brodie murmurs, and one of his hands strokes my thigh. “I promise Hunter has never lost a rider. He’s actually a smooth ride once we get airborne. It’s just the takeoff and landing that’s a little bumpy.” My heart races as we lift above the forest and higher into the air. I shiver in the cold air and say a prayer of thanks that the rain has stopped for now, thoughit is still overcast. I look up and wince at the thought of flying through those clouds. Brodie must guess what I’m thinking.
“We’re not dressed for cloud flight, so he’ll stay below them. Hey, Hunter, the girls are cold,” he calls out, and all of a sudden, the surface I’m sitting on starts to warm, radiating toasty heat beneath my thighs. “He can at least make the ride slightly more comfortable for us. After all, he’s a living furnace.”
Hunter starts to move faster, streamlining his body, and the wind whips past our ears, making communication a little tricky. Instead, I watch the world go by and have an internal panic attack about what’s going to happen. The forest is large, and I gain a new appreciation for how far Archie ran on the day I found him. No wonder he was exhausted. We pass over a small village. In a large clearing in the forest, children run and laugh and wave at the dragon flying overhead, but finally, in the distance, I make out a large, white structure.
“That’s the castle,” Brodie says, leaning in close again so I can hear him. “It’s on the outskirts of the largest shifter city and will be your new home.”
We get closer, and Hunter finally starts a slow, circling descent into the courtyard of the huge structure. I can’t even begin to guess how many rooms the place has. My anxiety revs higher the closer we get to the ground.
“Everything is about to change. My life is never going to be the same, is it?” I lean my head against Brodie’s chest, forgetting where and who I am for a moment, just soaking in the comfort and strength he offers.
“Yes, it is, but I’m sure you will be nothing short of spectacular.” His words make me warm inside, and I get the urge to turn around and kiss him, so I do, placing my lips on his cheek.
“Thank you,” I murmur before facing forward again just as Hunter touches down gently.
Suddenly, we are surrounded by guards all carrying guns, but thankfully, none of them are pointing them at us. I feel a rush of panic, though, and grab Brodie’s wrist.
“Please don’t tell them who I am yet,” I ask desperately, and I feel his whole body stiffen behind me, but he slides off the dragon and holds up his hand to help me down.
“Fine, but if I can give you some advice—shifters admire strength. Don’t cower or hide from your destiny, Colbie.” He helps me down before turning and holding up his hands to the guards in a nonthreatening way.
“At ease. These ladies are with me,” Brodie calls out, and the guards melt back into their surroundings.
Violet jumps down, and in a flash, Hunter changes back. He doesn’t say anything, just starts walking toward the palace, expecting us to follow. I look around. Hunter has landed in a paved courtyard to the side of the castle, and there doesn’t seem to be much else here except for a building where I hear the whinny of horses. I’m assuming it’s the stable.
“There is a central courtyard Hunter could have landed in too, but that would have attracted a lot more attention. It was better to come in this way,” Brodie explains as we approach a portico that leads into the palace. Hunter opens the door and moves through, followed by Violet, but I freeze in place. Brodie steps up beside me and looks at me quizzically.
“What happens next?” I ask him, not looking away from the daunting entry. Brodie frowns and shrugs, running a nervous hand through his hair.
“Um, I’m not actually sure. I wasn’t around during the last coronation.”
I think about the book I read last night that is still on my bedside table. I’ll have to ask my grandparents to pack some of my things, or maybe they will let me return to do it myself. I mean, I’m not a prisoner, right? The book said that the momentthe newly chosen human crosses the threshold of the shifter palace, the magic that is their right will embrace them, and that the process will end when the queen is crowned. What the hell does that even mean? What freaking process?
I hear a commotion inside the palace and turn my attention back to what’s happening. I see people waiting inside the room, quizzing Hunter and Violet. Brodie’s hand on my arm brings my attention back to him.
“It’s okay, Colbie, you just need to trust the goddess.” His eyes are soft like he can hear my internal worries.
“Colbie?” A voice has me looking up. It’s Queen Mia, and her eyes are wide with surprise as they scan my body. “What are you doing here? Did your mother send you?” It’s then that I remember I still have the pendant on, so I lift it over my head and tuck it into my pocket, leaving my marks on display.
She gasps and places her hand against her chest. “Oh, dear child.” Her eyes fill with sympathy, and she takes a step forward and holds out her hand encouragingly. “Don’t worry, the four of us will help you every step of the way, but you need to take that first step. It’s the hardest, but we will catch you, I promise.” Her voice is gentle and cajoling, like she’s talking to a wild animal, and she’s not wrong to assume that. A very big part of me wants to spin around, hurry into the forest, return to my life, and pretend none of this ever happened, but then I remember Aramis’s warning. I can’t change this, so instead, I straighten my shoulders, and I see Mia’s eyes gleam with pride. I brace myself for whatever comes next and walk over the threshold of the palace and into my new life.
Brodie follows behind me, and I stop just inside a large foyer. Hunter is talking to a man whom I recognize as King Lucas, while Violet talks to the other two queens. I look around and feel my body sag when nothing happens. Obviously, I was worried over nothing.
I give Queen Mia a small, wobbly smile, which she doesn’t return. Instead, she gestures to Brodie. “Get ready,” she tells him as my body starts to warm, and I look down to the source of the heat to find my body is glowing. I wave my arms like I’m trying to get the glow off me.
“What’s happening?” I screech as my body seizes and white-hot pain explodes through my limbs. I can’t control myself as I begin to convulse, and I drop, unable to support my body weight any longer. I’m vaguely conscious of being caught, but the pain is too much. I squeeze my eyes shut and open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. My vocal cords are seized as well, so I’m silent as waves of agony roll through my body in a never-ending tidal wave. It’s too much, and I black out as my system overloads.
“Wow that seemed way worse than what I went through,” a male voice mumbles. “I remember glowing and pain, but I never seized like that or blacked out.”
