“Oh, right.” I almost forgot the mission. “Yeah, let’s do that. The sooner we find Rune the better.”
“Hold on then,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist.
The world sways around me and we slip into the void.
DRAX
Mac clingsto me as we travel between realms, using my internal navigation to get us to the right spot. This is faster, butI imagine flying would be a lot more fun. Maybe I can talk him into it sometime.
When our feet touch solid earth again, he exhales but doesn’t release me. The air around us is cool and dense, and when I look up, I see we’re standing in the midst of a canopy of tree coverage as morning light filters through the foliage.
“It’s beautiful,” Mac whispers, also gazing up.
“Very.”
“How do you suppose we find the mage?”
“Hmm. We need a way to canvas the area. Maybe we can spot a cabin.”
Mac nods. “I can do that. Do you want to ride with me?”
I nod happily. “Oh, yes please.”
Mac steps back, tugging his shirt over his head. While we traveled, our glamour fell away, so he’s back in his t-shirt and jeans, which suits me just fine. He removes his jeans next, tossing them aside. I bend down to gather them up knowing he’ll need them later.
Once he’s completely naked, he meets my gaze, and I greedily take him in.
“You are beautiful, ma—Mac.”
He smiles shyly. “Thanks.” After twisting his neck back and forth, he blows out a smoky breath. “Ready?”
“Very.”
Mac crouches down, and right before my eyes, his legs thicken and elongate while his arms do the same. His neck stretches and his face morphs into a stunning beast’s, his human skin replaced with striking emerald scales. When his magnificent wings release, he lets out a moan that sounds like a mix between pleasure and pain. I watch in stunned silence until he taps his clawed foot on the ground, kicking up a bit of dust.
“Can you talk this way?”
“I can,” he says, but his voice is much deeper and far less human than it was.
I step closer, reaching out to run my hand over the dragon’s snout. He blinks slowly at me, the vibration spreading through me as his dragon purrs with contentment.
“You are beautiful too,” Mac says, but I know it’s the dragon speaking to me. I just sense it.
“I’m happy I’m pleasing to you, sweet dragon.” I rub his snout again and he leans into my touch, nuzzling against my palm. “It’s nice to see you fully.”
Mac opens his emerald eyes, blinking slowly.
“Do you like me, dragon?”
He nods, nudging my hand again like a cat asking for pets. “Climb up.”
I do so easily, finding the perfect spot between the horns that line his neck and back. I’ve never felt so small in my life, and it’s delightful. I don’t need much protection, but I certainly have it atop my brave dragon.
“Here we go,” Mac announces before taking three lumbering steps and flapping his huge wings.
We take off into the sky, soaring over the trees and scanning the wilderness for a cabin that looks like it could belong to a mage. It’s pretty desolate and unspoiled out here, so chances are good that if we spot a structure, it belongs to Rune.
The air rushes past me, blowing my hair around and giving me a sense of freedom I’ve never experienced in the underworld. This is wonderful.
