I sense her, my pet. The blood we have sacrificed.
My creatures, she has rallied.
With her, I will turn the tides.
I will finally have my revenge.
forty-three
Dove
With the wind blowinggales at the speed Saff has accelerated to, I am in no place to question Gideon about what he knows until Saff stops above a recognisable set of tree-covered, curved peaks, ominous grey clouds circling beyond.
She hovers in place just at the height line of the mountaintop. My breath catches at what I will find over the ridge, and my muscles lock up. Everything I once knew and loved is a part of the kingdom over the ridge. The sum of my life. A person from another lifetime. A scared girl who could not imagine a world outside of the temple.Now, I am riding on the back of a dragon with a dyre wolf warden—a very bare wolf shifter, at that.
As much as I don’t want to admit it, the beast behind me is invigorating to my senses, even to the point that I sense and taste his heady aroma on my tongue like his essence is pouring from his exposed skin through to my own when he gives me small, innocuous touches.
Shifting my scrutiny of the brown, calloused fingers gripping mine on the reins, I refocus on the lush foliage beneath us. On the heavy beat of Saff’s wings as she keeps us hovering above the forest. Everything has changed, yet nothing at all. I am still that girl from Haven, but I am also the brave woman who fights for what she feels is right in her soul. My story is yet unwritten, and with the strength of the godly creation underneath me, I am starting to see the value in wanting more of tomorrow.
We peg ourselves into holes without thinking of who we want to be or what we stand for, barely giving ourselves a chance to explore out of fear.Fear of what?
I will never forget the atrocities I have had to face within Haven, but I will also remember the people who made it worth it—the ones who helped make me. They live within my soul, and will live long after my body blends through the soil and roots beneath.
Within my beast’s firm grasp, I release Saff’s reins and place my hands over my slightly throbbing heart.Never forgotten.I say the words in my head, where she will hear them. The one person I fought for rotation after rotation until there was nothing left of her to struggle for. This life belongs to her as much as it belongs to me, and I owe her some excitement before we meet again.
“Where?”Saff’s voice is faint as she puffs through my reverie.
“Saff?” I worry.
“Where, human?”The call is urgent.
“Gideon, we need to know where to land now!” I rush out, hoping he understands my importance.
Without questioning, he answers. “Directly across the ocean. Beyond the horizon lies an island made of ash and bones. He keeps the egg there.”
No relaying required, Saff boosts one more time and is off, heading towards the deep sea.
Through the punishing wind, I grasp onto Gideon’s sturdy forearms and spin my head. “He?” I question.
Gideon strains. “Orion.”
He doesn’t provide any more information, and as our hair thrashes around us, I can’t find it within myself to continue to question him.I guess I shall find out.
This wolf, my beast, has only ever wanted to protect me. I can only hope that wherever he is taking us, we will be safe to complete our mission. That this is not a trap.
And if Saff does find her egg, she will finally be able to release some of that fire she has been building within her belly. I’m sure a fire-breathing dragon can beat whatever we are headed towards. I sink into the hardness bracketing me.
Below, the growing choppiness of the water starts to fill me with unease. The sea tumbles and ricochets like it does not know if it is coming or going.
Soon, the coast is out of view, and a black mass grazes the skyline like every nightmare come to life. However, something about this placecalls me to it, and I shiver at the knowing chill, letting the warmth behind me soak it up.
Saff slows, and another wave of exhaustion runs through her body. If there were a safe landing place, I would suggest she stop to rest, but our closest choice now is a rocky abyss of darkness. The closer we get, the more I notice that not one living thing seems to reside upon the island, as if the land itself is doomed.
Flying towards a black sand outcropping along the side of the island, Saff almost goes into a full plummet before somewhat pulling up and crashing against the sooty floor. Gideon has me tight within his grasp as our bodies jolt to a stop, a plume of ash surrounding us.
“SAFF!” I slide down the side of my intimate and run to her face. “What can I do?” I dig my hands into the unbreakable scales and push as her eyes close. “SAFF, wake up.”
Her eyelids droop completely. “No, Saff, please stay awake.”
