“Nothing. We’re just not used to being in dragon form for so long. It’s tough on the joints.”
I look at Raef, who’s rolling his neck in circles in an almost serpentine way. He grabs at his elbow and rubs it, wincing.
“Sorry. I didn’t know…”
“Don’t be,” Daegan tells me, grabbing my face and pressing his lips to mine. Neither of us seem to care that Raef and Rhydra are standing right there witnessing it. With so much at stake right now, it seems stupid to hold back anything. He lets go and shakes out his long legs that are incredibly thick with muscles. I get why now.
Besides, he did make me orgasm in the middle of a pleasure house. I think shyness is out the window.
Kezra’s signature trail of gold makes its appearance. She hovers nearby with not a word to say. Once in a while she does that, which is weird, because most of the time she has incredibly too many words to say.
She follows Rhydra and me as we take a moment to refresh ourselves away from the dragons. It’s too dark and too secluded for us to go far enough for absolute privacy, but a few paces away is close enough.
When we’re done their torches guide us back to them and we continue the journey.
“How did you guys know which way to go? I literally can’t see where we’re going.”
“Our vision is slightly better at night in dragon form,” Raef answers first. “Also, we have like… this impeccable sense of direction. I think we were meant to be excellent navigators… when we could fly.”
“Makes sense.”
We fall into step with the help of a few torches. Daegan grabs my hand and doesn’t let go, and in that small gesture, out here in the middle of nowhere, I realize how deeply I’ve fallen for him.
I can sense how tired he is in the way he walks, the way his shoulders droop just a little. Most people probably wouldn’t notice, but even with minimal light, I do. “Are you sure you don’t want to stop for a quick nap to refresh you?”
“No. I’m good.”
“What about Raef?”
“Raef is a fucking champion,” Raef interjects. Of course.
I laugh.
“How did you like the ride?” Daegan asks in a hushed tone. I know he’s talking about riding on his dragon back, but his words turn me on anyway.
“Loved it.”
“I know.” His smirk, illuminated by the warm light, melts me to my core.
“I’m an ickle bit tired, but then again, I’ve been awake for thirty days,” Kezra chimes in with a yawn.
“What? Thirty?” The alarm in my voice is thinly veiled.
“Oh, take a deep breath. Even mountains do.”
At the risk of facing her concerns about my hearing once again, I laugh and ask, “What?”
“I think Kezra is telling you to relax,” I can hear the smile in Daegan’s voice. Is he finally coming around to her? He didn’t seem impressed by her antics before. Then again, he was busy brooding and acting upset with me.
“Precisely. Right on the toad’s crown. I can go one hundred days without sleeping if I so choose. It would, unfortunately, be a disservice to my beauty, however.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that.” Raef is full of amusement.
Something rushes toward me from the darkness. I don’t hear it until it’s directly beside me, and I pivot at the very last moment, blocking Daegan from whatever the threat is.
Bright, haunting green eyes with large black circles in the center stare into my soul as whatever it is crashes into me with a shriek that rattles me to the bone. I’m staring into its wide-open mouth when I feel a sharp pain graze against my side, and I fall against Daegan with a scream.
I act slow at first, but I manage to grab my knife that’s already glowing with Kezra’s gold signature, and my hand lashes out like it has a mind of its own. My blade stabs the creature in its bright green eye as Daegan maneuvers around me and stabs it through the side with his sword. When he rips the thing away from me a safe distance, he chops its head off.
