As Natasha watched, Sieval shimmered again, and then vanished completely. She looked down at the rock they’d extracted from the box, just in time to see a pale blue flash of light pass over its surface – so she assumed Sieval had, uh, taken up residence inside.
“Umm, just so we’re clear,” Natasha said as she picked up the rock – which was surprisingly warm – in her palm, “you were saying just now that you want me to ride you out to Sieval’s pond?”
“If that would be okay,” Kieran said, cocking his head. “You’re okay with heights, aren’t you?”
“Uh. I guess so.” Standing, Natasha followed him out to the entryway, and then out the front door. “I mean… I’ve never had a problem with them before, but then, I’ve never flown on a griffin’s back before.”
“Oh, you did, just before,” Kieran said, throwing her a grin. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already!”
Natasha laughed. “No, no, I definitely haven’t. I guess I was too busy being shocked at what was happening to think about it much then –thistime I’ll have my full wits about me, so I may have time to think about how far off the ground we are!”
“Maybe so,” Kieran said, “but you know I’d never let any harm come to you, Natasha. I wouldn’t have suggested it unless I knew it was completely safe.”
Somehow, in her heart, Natasha knew he was telling the full truth. And she knew she’d never doubt his word again – now that they’d gotten past the awkward part, she found she completely believed every word he’d told her. He’d obviously shown her pretty convincing proof of him being a griffin shifter, but she even believed him about them being fated mates, which was something she’d never really contemplated before. And to be honest, she hadn’t really thought aboutforever, either!
But hedidsay he wanted to spend this month getting to know me better… and honestly, he’s agriffin!How many men back in the big city can say that?!
Well, possibly some of them, Natasha thought, if what Kieran had told her about there being more shifters around than she thought was true.
But that doesn’t matter,she thought, as she watched Kieran shift once again, turning from the tall, broad,unbelievablyhot guy she couldn’t wait to kiss again into the massive, powerful form of the griffin.I don’t want any of those guys. I only want him.Not bad for something I thought was only going to be a vacation fling!
Carefully zipping Sieval’s rock away in a pocket of her jacket, Natasha climbed aboard Kieran’s back when he crouched down on the ground, looking back over his shoulder and crooning encouragingly at her.
His body was warm and his feathers soft as she held on tightly to his back – and then, with one swoop of his massive wings, they were airborne.
Natasha had to hold back a disbelieving laugh as they soared through the air, the chilly currents of the air rushing past her face. She’d been worried that this time, now that she was more aware of her surroundings and the fact that this most certainly wasnota dream, she’d be terrified of falling – but no. For being several hundred feet off the ground, Natasha felt completely safe where she was on Kieran’s back, looking at the world below as it passed beneath them.
The air up here somehow felt crisper and cleaner, the sunlight brighter and clearer. The green of the forests and the blue of the mountains with their snowy white peaks were somehow even more beautiful from up here – it was as if they were in a private world, made just for them, the only ones who would ever see it.
And to think, I almost missed out on all of this…
It seemed ridiculous that it had taken almost sliding to her possible death to get this… but then, she supposed, it wasn’t every day a guy told you he’d stood you up for your date because he was a magical creature whose powers were currently not quite in working order. Natasha had a feeling that once everything she’d experienced today caught up with her, she’d have quite a lot of thinking to do… but for now, she’d decided, she was simply going to enjoy the ride and let go in a way she hadn’t been able to after years of being, if she was honest, kind of a control freak.
Hard to think I can control everything in my life when I’ve just found out sprites and shifters exist… oh, and that I’m apparently the fated mate of a griffin!
Instead of being terrifying, however, Natasha had to admit the thought was kind of… freeing.
Or maybe that was just because it was hardnotto feel free when she was riding on a soaring griffin’s back.
After a while though, Natasha could feel Kieran beginning to descend, and she knew the exhilarating ride was almost over. Kieran swooped down in a wide circle, the trees looming up below them, but Natasha knew he knew what he was doing, and she didn’t experience even a moment of fear as he folded his wings, coming in to land through a small gap in the trees, which Natasha could now see was formed where they were growing around a large pond of clear, still water, fed by a trickling waterfall that tumbled over rocks furred with moss and ferns.
It was a beautiful spot – just the kind of place that a sprite from a fairy tale would live, she thought as she slid down from Kieran’s back, her hand resting over the pocket where she’d placed Sieval’s rock.
Looking around, Natasha had to admit she was completely enchanted. The sun slanted through the tree branches that drooped over the limpid pond, the ground dappled with light and shadow. The babble of the water was smooth and peaceful. It was more than beautiful – it was idyllic.
“Wow,” she murmured, as she made her way to the pond. “I have to admit, if I was a sprite, this is definitely the kind of place I’d live.”
“I used to love coming here when I was a kid,” Kieran said, once he’d shifted back into his human form. “Especially on hot days – it always felt so much cooler here, and we could wade or go swimming in the pool. It’s pretty deep out in the middle, and the water is cold. It was amazing after a long, hard flight… or a flight thatseemedlong when I was a kid. Now that I’m grown it doesn’t seem so bad. And I have to admit, I’ve really missed flying. It seems ridiculous I haven’t done it for so long.”
“Oh – and you shifted just fine before,” Natasha said. “Even though you couldn’t earlier. Do you think your powers are working again now?”
Kieran looked thoughtful. “Ithinkso,” he said after a moment’s pause. “My griffin certainly seems happier, that’s for sure. Maybe I reallydidjust need to confess to you, and to start taking my griffin’s concerns more seriously.”
“Its concerns?” Natasha asked, blinking.
“I’ve been neglecting it,” Kieran said, as he came to stand next to her, looking around at the beauty of the area. “It was right about that. And maybe it was just trying to get my attention by acting out. I can’t say Ienjoyedwhat it was doing, but… maybe it had a point. You try to suppress part of your nature and eventually it’s going to start rebelling.”
Natasha thought that made sense. “So… what do you think you’re going to do now?”
