The earth begins to rumble. Small stones crumble from the mountain’s edge, plummeting into oblivion.
Prophyria approaches at a wild speed, and I suck in a sharp breath against the raging wind. Her thick, weathered wings beat fast against her sides as she lowers herself overhead. I dare one last look at Jace before I either make a successful mount or plummet to my death. He nods assuredly.
“On my mark,” he shouts, barely audibleabove the winds.
“Three.” My stomach begins to drop.
“Two.” I freeze, my muscles locking.
“One.”
I remain unmoving as I stare up at the underside of this massive creature. She casts a dark shadow above us, eclipsing what little light the sky offers. The heavy chain dangling from her worn saddle cuts through the air, threatening to take us out.
“Serena, now!” Jace’s voice snaps me into action. I launch myself forward just before the chain flies out of reach. The downbeat of her wings nearly knocks me to the ground as I dangle ten feet above the rock. But I latch onto that chain and hold on for dear life. Its aged rust cuts into my fingers as my weight takes me down a few inches.
The pressure of her upward trajectory alone is crushing. Grunting through clenched teeth, I drag myself up the iron links. Once I’m close enough, I swing my legs forward and brace my feet against her underside, using the chain's resistance to scale her body. My arms bleat, straining against the wind to maintain balance. A loud cry escapes me as I haul myself, higher and higher, until I can grab one of her spikes and climb the remaining few like a rock wall. I throw my leg over the half-disintegrated saddle and lift my head.
Then finally,finally, hands bloody and torn, muscles screaming in protest, I sit triumphantly on top of my dragon.
My dragon.
Our bond begins to shimmer in the darkness of my mind, like a glowing chain connecting my heart and head to hers. I grip the reins and pull, and Prophyria responds as if we share one mind. It feels as if we are one soul—she the extension of me and my will. We soar higher and higher, cutting clean through storm clouds. I glance around, terrified and exhilarated, as the opaque mist surrounds us. I loose a laugh whenwe come out the other side, and I look down at the mountain that now looks miniature from our altitude.
The moment I think about banking right, she obeys.
I let out a wild howl, and she does the same, her roar one of defiance and triumph and pure, unadulterated joy.
She is happy,I realize with a smile.
She has a rider. She has a bond again. She is awake and alive.
My power hums beneath my skin like a song to the tune of freedom and wild, wild will. I lose myself in the euphoria of the ride, the intense wind nipping at my nose and cheeks and hair. I savor the dips in my stomach as we dive and loop, decorating the bland sky with purple chemtrails.
Eventually, I steer us downward to where Jace waits, small as a speck on the cliff’s edge. As we near him, I can see the elation I feel echoed on his face.
An obedient purr reverberates through my body as I call to mind a landing. The wind pushes back Jace’s dark hair as we descend, casting the mountain in shadow. When we touch down, the ancient rock takes a moment to settle beneath us.
Prophyria’s wings gently tuck into her sides. I grip the chains and scale down her massive side until I can make the small leap to the dusty ground. I rise from my crouch to see Jace standing ten feet away.
One look at him, and I know.
I know that everything has changed.
I know he’s done fighting. Done pretending there is nothing between us. And so am I.
His shoulders sink helplessly as he shakes his head at me. We each take three long strides toward one another. He reaches for me at the same time I reach for him, welcoming me home into his arms. Our lips connect at the exact moment our bodies do, his hands finding my unbound hair, mine clasping his face.
The kiss is hungry, as if we’d both been starving ourselves for months. I want to drown in his campfire scent, bottle it, and drink it. My mind empties completely as his lips work their magic around mine. We hold each other so tightly it’s hard to breathe. But I won’t let go. Won’t allow one inch of space between us.
When he reluctantly breaks the kiss and pulls back to look at me—his hair messy, lips swollen, as I know mine are—I know we have crossed a line. And there won’t be any turning back.
The look we share is one of acceptance. Acceptance of the consequences. Whatever may come.
“You made it,” he whispers to me, smiling.
“Did you doubt that I would?” I ask as he leans his forehead against mine in a way that threatens to break my heart. He chuckles, golden eyes twinkling.
“You looked like a queen sitting up there on top of the most fearsome creature in all of Solterre.”
