Darian’s posture shifted again, and when he spoke, he had lost all traces of teasing. “Varyth wouldn’t take you anywhere that would truly harm you, Isara. Whatever else you might think of him, he protects what’s his.”
What’s his.
The words sent heat spiralling through me that had nothing to do with Caorath’s natural warmth. I shoved it down, focusing on the more immediate concern.
“That’s not reassuring when I don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“No,” Darian agreed. “But it’s the best you’re going to get until we land.”
I wanted to argue, to demand answers, to maybe see if I could convince Caorath to deposit us somewhere that wasn’t potentially lethal. But the dragon’s flight path never wavered, following Thessarian with a loyalty that spoke of years of partnership.
And beneath us, the landscape continued to roll past, forests giving way to stranger terrain, places where the very air seemed to shimmer with otherworldly energy.
We were definitely heading toward the Veil.
And whatever waited for us there, Varyth was determined I would face it blind.
“Darian,” I tried one more time.
“Nope.” He leaned forward to pat Caorath’s neck. “Nice try though. I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
I settled back against him with a frustrated growl, watching the world pass beneath us and trying to prepare myself for whatever fresh hell Varyth had planned.
Because if we were going back to the place that had nearly torn me apart crossing it the first time, it sure as fuck wasn’t going to be a pleasant afternoon stroll.
16
The dragons began their descent in wide, lazy circles that made my stomach lurch with each banking turn. Below us, the landscape had shifted into something altogether more unsettling—twisted trees that seemed to grow in impossible directions, patches of ground that shimmered like water, and in the distance, a familiar silver line that made my blood run cold.
The Veil.
We’d been flying for hours.Hours.My ass was numb, and my thighs ached from gripping Caorath’s sides.
But as we spiralled lower, something nagged at me. A discrepancy that didn’t make sense.
“Darian,” I called over the rushing air, my voice tight with more than just the altitude. “How long have we been flying?”
“Oh, about four hours or so. Why?”
Four hours. On dragon back. At the speed these creatures could fly.
I thought back to that first day, stumbling through the forest with my children, desperate and half-mad with fear. The memory of Varyth pulling me from the Veil, of the strange journey that had followed.
“When Varyth brought me from the Veil to Edrithas,” I said slowly, “we walked for maybe half an hour. Through the forest. That’s all.”
Darian’s shoulders went rigid beneath my arms.
“If it takes four hours by dragon,” I continued, my tone sharpening. “How the fuck did we walk there in thirty minutes?”
For a long moment, the only sound was the rush of wind and the steady beat of Caorath’s wings. Then Darian let out a long breath.
“Ah. That.”
“Yes.That.”
Another pause. Then, “You’re not going to like this.”
“I already don’t like it. Keep talking.”
