Ella hesitated but then nodded. Together, we got her to her feet. Then we helped Holly. The entire time, all the men stayed far back, but now Caz approached, slowly and cautiously.
“My name is Caz. These are my friends. We’re going to take you somewhere safe.”
“Not your home,” I said with emphasis, choosing not to call it the Ice Citadel. Thesewomen didn’t need that kind of shock right now. “Somewhere else, Caz.”
“Going home will be the safest place for me to take those off,” he said, pointing at the collar.
I blinked. “You can do that?”
“Yes.” He grimaced and met my eyes. “But it won’t be pretty. They’ll be in rough shape for a while. Days. Maybe a week or two.”
“Then wedefinitelyaren’t taking them home. They need space. Silence.”
Caz thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded. “I know a place. But it’s not walkable. We’ll have to fly.”
I looked at the other women, first Holly and then Ella. “Can you trust me? These men won’t hurt you or abuse their power.”
Ella shivered, glancing at Florian. “I don’t want to be carried like some animal.”
Dirk stepped forward, his eyes still shining bright. “You won’t. You’ll ride on my back. Like a true dragon rider. I swear no harm will come to you.”
Glancing from Dirk to me, Ella still looked uncertain.
“I rode here on Caz that way,” I explained. “It’s fine. Better than fine. You get tofly, El. Like, really fly. Trust me. It’s okay.”
After another moment’s hesitation, she finally nodded. Dirk jogged away from the group,turning to present his rear while he undressed.
“Showoff,” Caz growled, moving to stand between us and block my view.
“Don’t get jealous,” I said, swatting at him. “I don’t see him that way.”
“I don’t care. I’m not taking any chances.” Caz winked, but I could see his dragon lurking just below the surface.
I could have been irritated at his dominance and possession of me, but I wasn’t. Truthfully, the attention was like a comforting blanket. It was a change in the way people of power had treated me. It would be very easy to act like he was controlling me, or owning me, something I wouldn’t put up with.
But Caz didn’t do that. Caz wanted toclaimme. Cherish me. Worship me. And he wanted nobody else to do it. Because he didn’t trust anyone else to treat me right.
Ella took in the byplay, her eyes flicking back and forth, but she stayed silent. The questions were burning below the surface, though. I knew she couldn’t wait to corner me when we were alone and learn everything about what had happened since we were separated.
I couldn’t wait to tell her.
A dragon loomed up over Caz’s shoulders. Dirk was ready.
“Just walk up his wing,” I said, guiding Ella to the patiently waiting dragon, its silver-whitescales shining in the dim light. “Then find the seat between the spikes and plates and the smooth scales of his neck.”
Ella stopped just shy of putting her foot onto Dirk’s wing.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, shying back. “The collar knows I’m leaving against his will. It doesn’t like it.”
Caz snarled and stepped forward. “Get on the dragon,” he said, his voice full of alpha command. “Stay there until we land.”
Ella hissed in pain, but lurched forward against her will, settling on the base of the dragon.
“You, on his back,” Caz continued, pointing at Holly and then Kolar.
I lifted a finger, my mouth opening angrily, but something in his eyes stopped me.
“I’m sorry,” Caz said without waiting as he gestured behind me. “I didn’t want to, but we’re out of options. We’ve lingered too long already.”
