“I can ride it with you. Maybe I—”
“Phin,” I hiss. “It wants toeatyou.”
“What?” He presses against my ankles.
“Run for the house.”
“Now?”
“Run!” I toss the ruby in the air, the sun refracting through it as Phin takes off toward the nearest structure.
The wyvern chitters as it watches the ruby, then turns its slitted eye toward the fleeing, squealing Phin.
“Calasterno!” I yell as it thunders past me, its mouth open and forked tongue wagging.
20
Beth
“He’ll be fine, right?” I absentmindedly stroke Iridiel, petting his precious mane. He doesn’t scold me about it anymore, and I suspect he rather likes it, even if I’m getting tangles in it or dulling its shine with my plain changeling hands.
“He’s a warrior.” He trots along the road, then veers onto a manageable path into the jungle. The trees separate for us, a light breeze sighing amongst the leaves.
“He’s a warrior, sure, but the odds on this battle don’t look so great. I mean, it’s an army of mostly undead. And undead can’t die, right? I mean, how do you even kill a dead thing? That makes no sense.”
“Wyvern fire can take care of them.”
“What about your horn? Do you think you could use—”
“My horn can only affect the things of nature. Vines? Easy. These trees? I could shine brightly enough that they shrink back and their leaves shrivel. The undead?” His withers prickle. “That’s not natural. It’s magic, and my horn can’t touch it.”
“So, we really are useless.” I wave to the two wyverns guarding the camp entrance.
“Speak for yourself. I’ve been pleasuring these lovely ladies almost nonstop to keep them happy. Sacrificing my beautiful body for the cause.”
“Big sacrifice on your part, you horny beast.” Clotty comes to meet us, her narrowed eyes on the sky.
“What is it?” I look up at the blue beyond the branches but don’t see a thing.
“Just a feeling in my bones.” She reaches up to help me down. “Come. Get some breakfast before we put the fires out for good.”
I slide off Iridiel and follow her to the campfire. She loads up a plate with pork belly, eggs, and fruit for me.
“Thanks.” I take it but find it hard to bring myself to eat.
“He’s going to be fine, lass.” She wraps her arm around me. “Have you noticed how big he is? How strong?”
“Yes, but he’s up against a necromancer.”
She points to my plate. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen you turn your nose up at food.”
“Not turning my nose up.” I force myself to eat a piece of cheese despite my churning stomach. “I love him, Clotty.” I meet her eyes, the wrinkles beside them more pronounced now that she’s lost so much weight. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t come back.”
“We’ll do what we must.” She picks up a sausage and pops it into my mouth.
I chew mechanically, my thoughts back in Cranthum with Gareth. But he’s probably already out on the field, or riding on the huge wyvern with danger ahead of him and blue sky above.
“I don’t know why I let him go without me,” I say around the sausage.
