Dax shook the melted wax off his hands, angry red welts coating his fingers after he’d made sure the fortress looked alive and full.
“When I said the fortress needed to be more lively, this wasn’t what I meant,” he grumbled and strapped the wings to his back. The ends of them had dried water stains from the lake, a reminder that this contraption was truly as unsafe as Ryker feared.
He pulled on the leather straps, looking totally prepared to face the sky again and decidedly unsure about it at the same time. “Ready?”
No.
But there were warriors, frightened civilians, and confused trolls who needed my help for the next wave of assault.
I didn’t fool myself that the Northern Clans would back down now, when they had the poison to scare and kill us into submission.
I fisted my palms and let Dax hug me from behind.
“Gods, you’re scalding,” he said.
“Power always has a price,” I muttered.
He looped a large belt around both of our waists, the holes to the buckle already groaning under the strain.
“If we die, you’ll have to face my parents and tell them you killed their daughter,” I said between gritted teeth.
My hands shook as I reached back and gripped the straps on his shoulders.
“I plan to spend my afterlife in peace and quiet, so we’re not dying today.” He inhaled sharply and caged me in his arms. “But if we do die, it’s been a pleasure. Now RUN!”
With that cheerful thought, we sprinted forward, my feet struggling to keep up with his longer gait.
The edge of the roof rushed into view.
My stomach dropped.
My knees froze, like they wanted to detach from my body.
But we weren’t stopping.
“Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN!” I screamed as Dax propelled us from the roof.
For a breath, gravity claimed us and we were cascading toward the ground.
My tendrils snapped forward, trying to grip anything to keep us from being squashed.
The mist flashed closer.
I didn’t close my eyes.
If death would come, I’d greet it.
Suddenly, the wind yanked us up toward the sky.
I screamed again, throat hoarse, lungs hurting.
The leather belt groaned under our weight.
Dax tightened his hold on me.
We both loosed a breath as the damn contraption carried us higher and further.
“It worked.” Dax gulped and let out a startled laugh. “It bleeding worked.”
