Elysian stepped forward before Ronan could answer. “There’s a faster route through Ryuu once we reach southern Luamis. Crossing the border will alert the active leader, Aero, to Ronan’s return. But he won’t be able to track us. Without interference it should take maybe two months.”
Elva winced as everyone, besides the dragons, roared in protest.
“Twomonths?” Ford sputtered. “As in eight weeks?”
Elysian moved back at the uproar, as Ronan said flatly, “Yes.”
Callum raised a hand to quiet them all, though the movement drew a wince. “The Brightwalkers could beat us there by then. If crossing the border alerts Aero anyway, why not just sift us?”
Ronan handed Inessa and Kanoa weapons, the pair loading them into saddle satchels strewn across the back of a bronzed stallion, before returning to his mare.
“Because when I sift,” he said. “He sees exactly where I land.”
“You don’t trust him?” Callum pressed, eyeing the last free horse as Ronan pulled himself atop his own.
“I trust very few as much as I trust him.” Ronan paused with the reins in his hands, urging his horse forward. “The Brights are slower and not accustomed to longer voyages, even on horseback. They’ll tire and drag. We have all trained for this, one way or another. We will beat them there.” His eyes shone as they swept over the group. “Familiarize yourselves with one another, it’s going to be an arduous journey. We leave in an hour.”
Swiftly at that, his dragons moved toward the rebels, intrigued by their delicately apprehensive statures. Inessa offered her hand to Verena, cropped hair spilling over her cheek as her eyes scanned her piece by piece.
Verena’s brows creased as she took in the scaled top barely covering Inessa’s chest. “Aren’t you cold?”
“No,” Inessa said, not a lick of heat in it.
Nodding, Verena pressed her lips together. “Dragons equal hot. Got it.” She flashed a thumbs up, earning an arched brow from Inessa and a twitch of emotion from Kanoa. That made her backpedal. “I mean hot as inwarm. Not hot as in—” She looked them both over. “Though, you are attractive, so technically I meant that too. But what I really meant was—”
Ford threw an arm over her shoulder, saving her from herself. “What she meant was clearly all dragons,” he looked Kanoa over, “well,mostdragons, are insanely ravishing and must run hot to dress like that in this weather.” He blew out a breath, raking his stare over Inessa. “Gods, you arestunning.”
Nezra rolled her eyes beside him, moving to where Gus and Wells kept an acceptable distance between themselves and the dragon siblings.
The compliment was disregarded and Ford frowned as Inessa turned to leave, exposing the smoothed muscles of her back. A bar piercing lay horizontal between her shoulder blades, the metal dulled in the light, rough skin melded over the center.
Ronan tasted the disgust off Verena before she even spoke. “Is that a resin piercing?”
Inessa halted mid-step, tightening the muscles around it, reaching for Kanoa’s hand. Their fingers laced, her exhale misting into the air.
“You are familiar?” The vague accent of her voice gave the question a haunting quality to it.
Verena’s nod was slow, certain in understanding. “Yes,” she said. Chin tipping toward the bar, her hand pushed the tail of her braid from her shoulders, “That feels likethis.” She tapped her temple. “Like you’re trapped. I can sense it.”
A rare curve touched Inessa’s mouth. In three centuries, Ronan doubted she’d met another who understood the prison she wore. He’d spent years searching for a cure for her. There had been nothing. Even taking out the bar would fix nothing.
“My father…” Inessa looked up at Kanoa, his focus fixed on her like she was the last living thing worth looking at. “He was a cruel dragon. He didn’t want a daughter, only a warrior.” She shook her head, squeezing her brother’s hand. “The piercing stopped my wings from growing, stopped me from transforming.” A wave drifted over her eyes, washed away with one blink. “I’ve never felt them outside my flesh.”
When she turned her eyes to Verena, it was a heaviness, one made from black, ravenous pools that dared her to shy away.
“My brotherfeltwhat he had done, even from miles away. So, he killed him.” Satisfaction lit up her face as she brushed her forehead against his. “It’s his proudest moment. And his greatest regret.”
Verena’s head shook until Inessa finished and said, “That he didn’t feel my fear in time to stop it.” She rolled her shoulders, the bar shifting with the movement. “No matter. I’m honored to ride my brother into battle. I do not need wings to be a warrior.” She took a few steps closer to Verena, looking her over, before glancing at Ford. “You would do best to remember that.”
Verena didn’t recoil a beat.
“So,” Ford cleared his throat. “Are you only into riding dragons, or would you settle for something smaller but equally as thrilling?”
He flexed his fingers, grinning, the hazel in his eyes flinching as Kanoa stepped forward with a low growl, sending Ford stumbling back. He tripped straight into Verena, who made matters brilliantly worse, by shoving him right back toward the snarling dragon.
Inessa looked Ford over with one cold and devastating look, bringing him down from the clouds with one statement. “Thrillboresme.” Taking her brother's arm, she walked away without a backward glance.
Verena stayed where she was, eyes following the siblings until they disappeared behind the horses. Ronan didn’t need the bond of the witch oath to feel what had shifted inside Verena.
