The fairy zipped through the open window and I was right behind her, running in an awkward T-rex kind of way. I was just ready to leap from the open sill, hoping I would fit my fat dragon ass through, when I felt a yank on the tip of mywing.
I screeched, looking back. Ardan had popped into my cage and was trying to hold me. Heat flared to life in my belly and I knew that if he did something to my wing, and I couldn’t fly, I wasdead.
Without thought I roared, showering the druid in dragon fire, scorching the tip of my own wing in the process. Once I felt the pressure on my wing lift, I leapt. The stone sides of the open window cracked as I pushed my weight through it, smashing my head against the top of the arch, but I shoved past the pain and resistance and then I wasfalling.
Oh shit.I forgot how tofly!
With a frantic whine, I flapped my wings upward towards the tiny butterfly of a fairy waiting for me. The tip of my wing was sore from my own fire but seemed to be flying fine. Looking down, I could see Ardan and a few of his men below, ready with harpoon guns.Oh hell no. Never again with those things. I flapped, higher and higher until I was next to the fairy, who darted forward away from the water and towards a forestarea.
“Get to the forest and I can offer you invisibility!” she shrieked, and I barely heard her tiny words over the roaring winds and shoutingdruids.
I risked a glance behind me and wished I hadn’t. Ardan was waving his hands in the air and a cyclone was brewing before him. Coming right for me. Shit! He could createtornadoes!
Of course hecould.
‘What’s happening? Are you out?’Logan’s voice was laced withanxiety.
‘Yes. You didn’t tell me a four-inch-tall fairy was coming to rescue me!’I shouted while the fairy dove into the tree line. I came after her just as the tornado crossed the grassy hill after us. What a shit-show. This was going to be impossible to get away from. Ardan was toopowerful.
‘Just follow her directions and meet us at the airport,’he toldme.
Sure. Easy. I’ll just ditch this tornado and this freaking teleporting druid and hop a cab to theairport.
‘Kay…’I told my mate. I didn’t want to worry him, and I didn’t need the distraction right now. There was nothing he could do for me up in theair.
I was about to ask the fairy what was next, because Ardan had blinked out of sight and was probably in these woods controlling his tornado, when she shot me with an arrow! This time, it was a pink flaming arrow. It stuck into my neck and I gasped, expecting to plummet to the ground or something. It didn’t hurt, just felt like an acupuncture needle orsomething.
She grinned, looking pleased with herself. “You’re invisible now!” sheshrilled.
Say what?I was going to have to take her word for it, because I could still see my wings flapping in my peripherals. I made it to the tree line and followed her lead on where to go. I had no idea where wewere.
Why didn’t she make me invisible before we left? I wondered. I mean, I was grateful, but it would have helped our escape. I couldn’t ask her in my dragon form, so I just kept flying, hoping I was in fact invisible, and that Ardan wasn’t fixing to shove that tornado right into me and shear off mywings.
“I can’t control invisibility magic without my trees.” She gestured below us, as if reading mythoughts.
Oh, right. Of course. She needed hertrees.
Isaac sure did have some weird friends, but she’d saved my ass from getting chopped into dragon sushi, so I didn’t care what peculiarities shehad.
My wings were tired already. Flying my big ass dragon body was akin to running, and I wasnota runner. The fairy was swooping lower into the tree line, and I risked a glance behind me to see the tornado had fizzled out and there was no sign of Ardan. Thank God for smallfavors.
Please let that douchebag be lost in thesewoods.
My tiny flying partner lowered into a small meadow where there was a black Jeep-looking off road-type of vehicle waiting for us. The top was open and it looked like there was no one inside. The tree line had ended, and with it, I was guessing, her ability to keep me cloaked. I lowered my awkward dragon body into the meadow, skimming a few trees with my large wingspan. When I landed on my taloned claws I looked down and took inventory of my bundle of clothes.Damn!I’d lost my bra somewhere in theflight.
“Shift. We must leave quickly,” she told me, while her tiny eyes scanned the woods behindme.
I did as she asked. She hadn’t led me astray yet, although I had to admit I wasn’t jazzed about going back to my human form. Without my staff I felt so … weak. At least my dragon could breathe fire and fly away. My bones cracked and shrank, and once I was fully shifted I looked up to see her gazing at my nakedbody.
Awkward.
“How tall are you?” sheasked.
What the hell?She was high, Idecided.
“Five-eight,” I told her as I scrambled into my clothes, going braless. I felt so naked without my staff. I couldn’t believe it was gone, reduced to ash. What the heck was I going to do aboutthat?
“Ohh that’s tall,” she cooed, lustily raking her eyes over mybody.
