A knife flew past me, impaling her in the chest. Her widening eyes met mine. Gurgling, she collapsed on the ground.
Drask hugged his body against my neck while squawking out his fury in my ear. Soothing him with a pat, I rushed over to look down at her.
A pop, and she disappeared.
I spun to see who’d saved me but caught only the wispy trails of a ragged cape as the person rushed around the corner and out onto the main street. Racing to the end of the pass, I peered out but found only a few vendors pushing their carts through the street and a whiff of brimstone in the air.
With a sigh, I collapsed against the side of a building to catch my breath.
“Thanks, Drask,” I whispered, patting him and giving the side of his face a kiss. “You didn’t happen to see who helped me, did you?”
He cawed and ruffled his feathers before pecking my cheek.
“Yeah. I get it. Time to find the others.”
I met up with them as they were leaving the inn, and while Vexxion gave me an odd look, the rest barely glanced my way. After all, I’d merely taken care of a sudden errand upstairs. I took my bag from him, and we hurried through the village and back to the meadow to meet up with the dragons who already circled overhead, preparing to land.
Madrood hadn’t even reached the ground before I held onto Drask and flitted to the dragon’s back. I patted his neck andhung my bag from the spike jutting up from between his shoulders, staring forward as he settled on the grass for Vexxion to mount.
“Look at me.” Layla’s shrill laugh rang out as she scrambled up Glim’s leg and settled on his spine. “Only days ago, I was saying that I should visit the dragons, see if I could find a way to interact with them without fear. Was that only a few days ago? It feels like a lifetime. Now I can mount easily and ride on a dragon’s back all day without feeling like I’m going to throw up. My ass hurts, but I’m too ladylike to mention something like that.” As Zayde flitted to the spot behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, she winked my way.
I grinned, though I doubted it held much humor. I kept thinking about what happened, the fresh memory only barely shoving aside Vexxion’s latest rejection.
Reyla, Brodine, and Airia climbed onto the blue dragon’s back and arranged their bags on her spike.
Who saved me from Prager?
We took flight, soaring south over a vast forest and above wide, lush valleys. When we passed villages, few fae looked up, either occupied with tilling crops or used to seeing dragons overhead.
“Where did you go?” Vexxion asked by my ear. “I went upstairs, and you weren’t there. The window was open.”
“I ran an errand.”
“I searched the streets but didn’t find you.”
“I ran an errand.”
“Tempest,” he growled.
“Didyoufind me?” Had he saved my life?
“You bolted upstairs after the innkeeper pushed Prager out the door. I recognized the name. Don’t go near Prager.”
“Tell me about Prager.”
His arm tightened around my waist. “What did you do?” he bit out, his voice churning with anger.
“Nothing.” It was all I could do not to lean back in his embrace. “Pay attention to your own business.”
His snarl ripped out. “I’m making this my business.”
“You don’t have that right.”
“Did you endanger yourself?”
If only I heard concern instead of irritation in his voice. But whatever progress we might’ve made last night had flown out the window before the moon finished rising.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Nothing happened.”
