“We know the cost of giving our love.” My chest tightened at the emotion welling inside and thickening my throat. “Because we can die and so can those we love, we risk the heartbreak of loving someone. We also risk death.”
“Why is that?” she whispered, her breathing quickening.
I beheld her beauty as the first golden rays of the sun peeked above the horizon.
“For I know,” I confessed softly, “that I would risk my life for someone I loved.”
She gulped hard and held my gaze, her brow pinched. She didn’t want to hear the rest of what I held in my heart. It would only be a burden to her, for she couldn’t offer it back to me.
“Perhaps,” she said, “that’s why the gods don’t bestow their love on mortals.”
“Perhaps,” I agreed as the distinct sound of Grandfather’s footsteps returned to us.
He marched out onto the terrace and handed a satchel and a length of rope to Lela. She shouldered the satchel then examined the rope in both hands.
“What’s this for?”
“I assumed you’d be going on dragonback from here.” He arched a brow. “It’s too far in half-skin.”
Lela’s mouth opened with surprise. “Me? On your back? As a dragon?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “You’ll be perfectly safe, I promise.”
“I don’t think I can do that.” She shook her head, trying to hand the rope back to Grandfather.
He chuckled. “You’ll be fine.”
Then she snapped at me, “And where are we going? I thought we would stay the night here.”
“That’s not possible. Caesar knows about this place. He’ll have deathriders here by the end of the day. If not sooner.” I glanced up at the sky. “Another reason is that we need to fly hard and fast. They’ll not be able to track us if our scent is washed away by the sea wind.”
“Indeed,” Grandfather told me. “I’ll go by water to the mainland and by half-skin over Pannonia.”
“We aren’t going to Pannonia to where your sisters are?” she asked.
“No. Grandfather will get Junia and Marilla, then they will meet us in Britannia.”
“Britannia? That’s a world away.”
“Not for a dragon,” I assured her.
“Why there?”
“I know you will be safe there with some friends.” Somethinghalted my tongue in telling her more about where we were going. I was beginning to suspect something, but I could be wrong. I couldn’t get her hopes up if I was.
Her frown deepened, not quite satisfied with my answer.
“I promise. You’ll be safe there, far from Rome.”
She looked down at the rope in her hands. “We’ll fly the whole way?”
“It’s safest,” I told her. “We can go fast. We’ll stop in Hispania to rest along the way.”
Determination in her gaze, she gave me a stiff nod. “Is there enough room for you to shift here?”
“Over on the far side where the terrace is wider, yes.”
“Good luck, my son,” said Grandfather, squeezing my shoulder with affection.
