“Please.”
My breath catches. And my body moves before my mind can decide.
Yes, yes,yes.Because for days, I have been waiting. For this. For him.
I don’t ask anything else. I call for Calryx—and in minutes, we’re in the sky.
Calryx’s wings shimmer pearl-white in the late afternoon sun, casting a soft, iridescent glow as she soars high above the treetops. Below, the forest stretches wide and still, trees swaying in the warm breeze.
She’s been silent for most of the flight, but I feel her presence in the back of my mind—a hum of awareness, sharp and knowing.
Then, with a grumbling huff, she finally speaks.“I did not expect to spend my afternoon flying my rider to go mate.”
I choke on nothing.“Calryx!”
Her wings tilt slightly, and I don’t need to see her face toknow she’s pleased with herself.“What? That is what you are doing, is it not?”
I groan, pressing a hand to my forehead.“You don’t have to say it like that. And it could very well be another tortuous training drill he’s dragging me into.”
“Would you prefer I pretend otherwise?”Her voice purrs through the bond, smug and unrepentant.“Because I will not.”
I glare at the back of her head.“Remind me why I bonded with you again?”
“Because I am magnificent.”
I shake my head, exhaling.“Unbelievable.”
She rumbles, soft and smug, brushing against my thoughts with amusement.
And I swear—if dragons could smirk, she would.
Wind rushes past as I follow Thane through the sky, the thrill of flight curling through my chest. The world stretches wide below us, the outpost fading into the distance, nothing but endless mountains and open air surrounding us.
Freedom.
I don’t ask Thane where we’re going. I just follow him. Honestly, I think I’d follow him anywhere at this point.
Xaroth flies low, weaving between jagged peaks and skimming over winding rivers, until finally—he descends into a clearing.
The sky is painted in deep amber and soft rose, the last light of the sun stretching long across the trees as we land. The air is heavy with the scent of blooming flowers, rich earth, and the cool, crisp hint of water.
As soon as we dismount, Calryx and Xaroth take off again, their powerful wings beating against the fading light. I watch them go, their silhouettes cutting across the sky until they vanish beyond the treetops, leaving only the distant rustle of wings and the quiet murmur of the lagoon.
And then—it’s just us.
Suddenly, I’m nervous.
Because he’shere. He planned this. For once, there’s nothing standing between us. No training. No war. No expectations.
Just the air between us, charged and quiet andreal.
The water shimmers, catching the last streaks of gold before twilight settles in. The surface is smooth, mirroring the sky above in perfect, liquid stillness. Fireflies drift lazily along the shoreline, their soft glow flickering like scattered embers. The breeze shifts—warm and steady—rustling the tall grass and sending a ripple across the water.
And then I see it.
A blanket, laid out beneath the trees. A small spread of food arranged carefully, thoughtfully. A picnic.
A picnic.
