Page 119 of Of Masks and Fury

Sleeps well,he said from where he flew alongside us in his cinderhawk form.Safe with you.

As she always will be. Pherin, too.

Yes, my Pherin.

They were mates just like Isi and I, something not common among those bonded through the Rite. The fates decided, not us, and they’d chosen wisely.

After Gavelle and I had bonded, I’d watched it happen slowly, his protectiveness toward the fierce firecat female deepening from respect into something unmistakable. The same way my own feelings for Isi had shifted from awareness into something I couldn't survive without. The animals had just been less stubborn about admitting it.

I adjusted my hold, making sure the night air wasn’t chilling her. At least the frilly, flouncy wedding gown covered most of her body other than where she’d hacked off the skirt.

Kyreth soared beside us, Lexie in the front with Derren behind her and Kerralyn snoozing against his back. Lexie caught me watching and gave me a smile before calling out softly, “Everyone’s well. We’re tired but exhilarated.”

I nodded my thanks.

The wasteland spread below us now, the cursed stretch of dead land that marked Syllavar’s border. I’d mapped it months ago, watching its slow expansion with growing dread. But I’d also found something during those flights, a hidden pocket of life that had somehow survived the blight. An oasis waited ahead, if it still existed.

It had to. I needed somewhere safe to take Isi. A private place where I could properly care for her after everything she’d endured.

My jaw clenched thinking about it. The whip scars on her back. Whoever had tried to kill her at my court. The Skathe battle. The horror of discovering who her father truly was. And then the mockery of a wedding, designed to break her spirit and cage her forever.

But she hadn’t broken. She’d grabbed a sword and cut herself free.

Her bravery wasn’t forged in fire, it was the flame itself, and I’d willingly burn for this woman alone.

I’d known I loved her before today. But watching her hack off that hideous dress and seeing her threaten the guards and Lord Alfred with steel and absolute conviction had made me love her even more. I didn't fall. I walked into loving her with open eyes, knowing it would ruin me for anyone else.

She was strong enough to stand beside me. Fierce enough to challenge me. Brave enough to choose me despite the cost.

She shifted in her sleep, a small sound escaping her lips.

That sound went straight to my cock. I’d heard variations of it before. When I kissed her and when my hands brought her close to the peak. When she lay in my arms, after, unguarded and completely trusting. I wanted to hear it again. Wanted to discover what other sounds she’d make when I finally got her alone again, when I could worship every bit of skin her father had marked with his cruelty.

“What you do to me,” I whispered against her hair, knowing she couldn’t hear but needing to say it anyway. “Loving you means accepting I’ll never be untouchable again. Before you, I existed. With you, I finally learned what living means.”

She stirred at my voice, nuzzling deeper into my chest, and I had to close my eyes against the wave of tenderness that crashed over me. The world called me powerful, but she was the one who made me gentle.

I stroked her hair back from her face, trailing my fingers along her temple. “Easy, love. Lean on me. I won’t let you fall.”

She settled again, burrowing into my chest.

There.Gavelle’s voice pulled my attention forward.The canyon.

Relief flooded through me. The oasis remained, tucked between rock formations that protected it from the wasteland’s creep. Steam rose from the hot springs, visible even in the darkness. Bioluminescent plants dotted the canyon walls, casting everything in soft, ghostly light.

I guided Lakast toward the open area in the center. His talons touched down on the earth with barely a whisper.

Kyreth landed nearby, the others dismounting quickly.

I pressed a finger to my lips, gesturing for silence. Isi still slept, her breathing deep and even.

Lexie’s expression softened when she saw how I held her friend, her smile showing warmth and approval.

Derren nodded.

Kerralyn’s romantic heart showed in her eyes as she took in the sleeping princess in her king’s arms.

“We’ll rest here,” I said quietly, keeping my voice low. “Eat. Sleep. You’ll find hot spring pools you can bathe in near the stream over by that outcropping. We’ll continue flying at dawn.”