“Missed you, too,” I wheezed. From the corner of my eye, I spied Rush rubbing his jaw, a puzzled look on his face.
I straightened and stared up at Myth. “Don’t hurt him,” I said, pointing at Azeron. “Or him.” I nodded at Rush. “Understand?” Myth turned what I could only call a scowl on me, his yellow eyes slightly narrow, his nostrils flaring.“Excellent. Now…what exactly are we going to do?” I propped my hands on my hips.
Rush slipped into the lair. “Want to ride?”
“It’s freezing. And I thought we were here to test his flame.”
His blond hair popped out of the dark lair, catching a bit of the golden lamplight spilling in from the street. “He needs to eat. Either you let him go alone, or we go with him. And the Hunt is still actively searching for a solitary black dragon.”
“Your father hasn’t given up?”
Rush’s scoff sent a swirl of white into the air. “My father doesn’t understand the wordsgive up.”
A twist of excitement and fear stirred in my blood. “Okay. But I don’t have a saddle.”
“Then it’s a good thing we keep a spare here.” He disappeared into the lair again. “It won’t fit perfectly, but it’ll keep you from falling off.”
“Marvelous.”
I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot as we saddled my dragon.
The training saddles were not as fancy as the sleek custom ones made to fit precisely. These were simple affairs, with seats designed to fit over most dragon’s ridged backs, stacked on the underside with cushioning and fitted with more loops and hooks than the professional racer’s saddle.
Myth twitched as we tightened the straps, but I muttered encouragement to him the entire time, promising him he’d get to fly. I sensed his excitement mounting, mimicking my own. In my chest, his eagerness echoed, bolstering my spirits and erasing all hints of exhaustion.
“Are you ready?” Covington asked, patting Myth on the side when the saddle was fixed and I was secured in it.
My feet tried to kick out, but they were strapped down. I hoped my skirt remained pinned beneath my legs as we flew.I had seriously misunderstood the evening’s activities. “I’m ready.” I leaned down to pat Myth. “And he’s about to explode.”
“Then let’s ride.”
I tucked the loops that I’d used to mount the saddle into the small pocket at the back and then tied up the pocket so they wouldn’t flap in the wind. The cold breeze nipped at my cheeks, but I was flushed with heat as I leaned forward to grasp the handles on the strap around his neck. “Ready, boy?” I whispered, my voice shaking with the breeze. A hot puff of air filled the courtyard, along with a few sparks that danced on the wind.
Then Myth spread his wings and took flight.
CHAPTER 26
One wingbeat, two, three, and we were above the rooftop. Two more, and we caught the breeze, full of chimney smoke and the faint bite of chemical smells drifting from the factories. I let out a scream of pure delight as we lurched forward. Myth’s emotions mingled with my own, and I felt so full of joy that I started to laugh. I couldn’t stop, half-shouting, half-laughing with every breath. With two more flaps, we were high above the city, soaring through the darkening night. Azeron rose beside us.
I glanced over at Rush. He was watching me, his hair whipping around his face, his eyes unmoving. Though my stomach was clawing its way into my throat, Rush’s steady gaze settled the turmoil inside me. He looked at home in the saddle, so much at ease that he only held one handle, his other hand hanging limply against his thigh.
He nodded at me, and I turned my attention forward. Knuckles white, I gripped my saddle’s handles as Myth banked over the city, dotted with the golden glow of lamps and warm windows. Fingers of smoke drifted up from a thousandchimneys. Few other dragons flew over the city at this hour, and it felt like we had the sky to ourselves.
I smiled and let out a whoop. Myth dove forward, tucking his wings and curling into a twist. A panicked yell clawed from my throat, and Myth leveled out, letting his wings catch an updraft. I could feel his heart beating a steady rhythm. This was what he longed for, even more than me. The rooftops beneath us looked small, like a child’s miniature city. This was where I belonged, too. Pressed forward in the saddle, I smiled at the city below us.
As we floated through the night, I let one hand drift from the handle and stroke Myth’s neck, the slightly bumpy scales a familiar texture now.
“Thank you,” I whispered to him, thinking of all the hours in my childhood I’d dreamed of flying.
After a half hour of circling over the rooftops, my nose was numb and my cheeks ached from the bitter cold. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes from the wind. Myth had flown directly for the forest north of the city, a little ways from the school but likely still on the school’s vast property.
Rush directed Azeron in front of us, cutting Myth off from the forest. He waved at us to follow, and soon, I spotted a field full of sheep. Rush pointed at the ground and nodded.
Myth didn’t need any more encouragement. He tucked his wings, and I nearly vomited as he dove for the sheep, coming up with one in his claws. The lurch as he climbed vertically back to where Azeron waited left my brain in a spiraling fog. Finally, I regained my composure and glanced at Rush, whose mouth was curled into a mocking grin. He made a circle with his fist, indicating it was time to head back.
A few minutes later, Myth dropped his kill in the courtyard a moment before touching down. I wanted to fly forever, but my muscles were shivering violently from the cold, and I needed to get inside.
Myth offered a low growl at Azeron and tore into the sheep. Cringing away from him, I found Rush staring at me.
