“I knew you would like it.”
We fly in silence for a while. I let her enjoy it. Just as she did on my back, she takes it all in, pointing out things now and then—the river mouth far off on the coast, the tiny speck of a rider on the road below.
A gust of wind pushes her off balance, and I hastily dart close to correct her, but other than that she needs no help from me at all. Though I do wish for the excuse to hold her close, this day is not about me. This is about her.
When we finally alight on the rocky ground below, I place my hands on her waist and gentle her descent, controlling it so she touches down as lightly as a sparrow. Then I release her and duck under the enormous wings of the glider to stand in front of her.
Now that we are still, my nostrils are full of her rich scent. Her cheeks are dark with the flush of excitement and her eyes bright. I step close. “Now may I kiss you, Yalina?”
She lifts her chin. “No. I will kiss you.”
I’m grinning as she raises on her toes, throws her arms around my neck, and captures my mouth. She kisses hungrily, with abandon. I allow myself to slide my arms around her and lift her to get closer, tasting and memorizing her perfection, and she doesn’t pull away.
Instead she demands more from me, opening her lips, teasing me with her tongue until I’m groaning with the need for even more. For the chance to give her pleasure, to join with her.
My cock thickens until it is nudging her belly, and finally she pulls away with a look that tells me she knows exactly what she feels.
But my carriage has arrived, and the footmen are waiting to fold the glider back into its sheath. With a sigh, I release her and undo the fastenings on the harness to remove the wings from her back. “You should kiss me again when we have time to be alone,” I whisper to her as I do. “There are other things I might demonstrate if you’ll let me.”
Instead of a reprimand, I’m met with a hungry look. “Perhaps I shall.”
Those three words are enough to keep my blood fired all the way back to the palace.
Jah’ruud
“A monkey! An elephant. The finest carriage that’s ever been built.” Kaelun is pacing the room, running his hands through his hair until it’s a wild mess. “That’s what a prince would give her.”
“She has a palace full of beautiful things. She wants honesty. She wants someone she can trust.” I grow tired of repeating myself. It is fortunate I am made of air or I might expend all of mine in the effort to make him understand.
“How do you know that?”
My mouth snaps shut. I can’t tell him I did more than spy on her. That we talked and I told her things I haven’t told another creature.
Kaelun sighs. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. She hated the falcon. This was so much easier when I could just be myself.”
I lift my brow, giving him a look that speaks more than words could.
He rolls his eyes. “OK I know, but she’s going to be so angry. You have to help me. Tell me what to say.”
“Just tell her—”
He cuts me off, waving his hand. “No, not now. Come with me. Stay hidden but tell me what to say so I don’t fuck it up.”
My heart plummets inside my chest. The way he’s worded it forces my hand, but that is the last thing I want. With a smothered sigh I nod. “Very well.”
“There’s a balcony to her room you said?”
“There is.”
“Good, because I can’t do this in front of her servants.”
“I do not think—”
He’s already halfway out of the room, so I silence my arguments, dissipating into mist and drifting morosely after him down the corridor. Kaelun jogs out into the courtyard and looks up, shielding his eyes from the harsh afternoon sun. Balconies jut out from several rooms overlooking the large courtyardgarden. The wide-open space is quiet. We are the only ones here. The servants and most of the palace have retired for an afternoon sleep during the heat of the day. They will rise again and stay up late into the night.
I drift close to Kaelun and whisper in his ear. “To your left. That one.”
It takes him almost no time to find a foothold and a way up to the ledge which is at least four times his height above him. He scales the wall with ease, wedging his toes into cracks I didn’t even see and using a plant as a rope. I can’t decide whether I want this to be a success or a failure. If he manages to win over Yalina, I’m one wish closer to being freed after all this time.
