Page 90 of Tears of Gold

He straightens. “Yes.”

Harper rolls out of bed with a groan. “Where are we going?”

“To the dragon’s mountain,” Erritt says, releasing me so he can eat.

“It’s not my mountain,” Skye counters.

Harper stares at me bleary eyed. “Please tell me yesterday was not a dream.”

With a laugh, I cross the room, throw my arms around his neck, and press my lips to his. He bends me over and kisses me with the desperation of a man reassuring himself his imagination isn’t playing tricks on him.

I know exactly how he feels.

∞∞∞

Skye makes us ride on his back for the ten miles or so trek, me clinging to his mane, wedged between Harper’s strong arms while Erritt complains about the indecency of riding on a dragon at all. My newest boyfriend caresses my stomach lovingly the whole way, and when Erritt quiets down, I feel him slip a hand around Harper’s waist, tucking it up against my back. I know Harper’s soaking in the joy of being able to touch me as he wants, and I’m enjoying it too, more than I can put into words. I press my hand against his in silent reassurance.

Skye points out pretty plants and a few forrest creatures we manage to startle. Judging by birds flying out of the trees far ahead, most wildlife disappears at the first hint of Skye’s presence, reminding me just how much of an alpha predator he is. I’ve never ridden a horse, but I imagine it feels similar to the rocking motion as Skye jogs forward, his twenty-foot length winding between the trees. The muscles in his shoulders ripple against my thighs with every movement.

After a few miles we spot our destination soaring above the treeline. As Skye said, it’s not huge, more of a rocky plateau rising out of a ridge. We ride as far as we can before the climb becomes steep and we risk sliding off Skye’s back, then he morphs back into his human skin and we take a narrow, rocky trail winding up the side of the mount. Although he stopped long enough to put on shorts and boots, Skye skipped on a shirt, and I spend much of the climb admiring the sway of his shoulders ahead of me as he leaps easily up the uneven rock steps, turning back to offer me a hand on the rougher sections. Harper follows close behind, occasionally pushing when Skye hauls me up a steep section, or turning back to offer Erritt a hand.

All of us avoid asking Erritt how he’s doing, but he seems to keep up fine, although he looks pale.

I pause on a shelf puffing a little as I turn to take in the vista spread almost at my feet thanks to the sheer cliff below. “This is stunning, Skye.” My legs are getting a thorough work out, but I love the way energy surges through me, rising to the challenge, along with the fresh breeze tickling my face.

He grins with pleasure. “Wait until you get to the top.

Although the primary color on the ground is green, it’s interspersed with light and shade and brighter yellows and pinks of trees in flower. Above, the sky gleams a brilliant, cloudless blue, the summer sun pouring down on the ridges and valleys stretching to the horizon.

I shade my eyes, looking back the way we’ve come to where the creek meanders across the landscape, a ribbon of sun-silvered blue. “That’s where the cabin is?”

“Yes, you can see it from a little higher up.” He reaches out and flaps his hand, beckoning me.

I turn away from the cliff edge, forgetting how treacherous the trail can be, and step on a piece of granite that tilts as I place my weight on it. A frightened squeak slips between my lips as I lean dangerously toward open air and the four hundred foot sheer drop tips up to meet me.

Strong arms jerk me back as Erritt materializes at my side. From the corner of my eye, I see both Harper and Skye lunge in my direction, a beat slower than the teleporter but Harper still manages to grab a fistful of my shirt. I cling tight to Erritt as icy adrenaline stings through my veins, sending my pulse spiking and cold sweat trickling down my neck.

“Whoa! That got my heart pumping!”

He brushes hair off my sticky face. “I’ve got you.”

“Thank you.” I press my face into his shirt, noticing a faint tremor in his arms as he crushes me to his chest.

“That teleporting sure is handy,” Harper says. “Even though you shouldn’t be using it.”

“Don’t start with that, you nursemaids,” Erritt chides. “Do I have to beat some sense back into you before you stop coddling me?” He passes me over to Harper, keeping himself between me and the cliff edge.

Skye chuckles. “You know it’s not you we’re afraid of right? The rogue and I just don’t want to have to report bad news to your real nursemaid. Right Harper?”

Harper shudders. “Definitely! Vanrey’s one scary prick.”

“Hey!” I smack his chest. “Vanrey’s nice! He’s not a prick.”

Harper traps my hand and kisses it before helping me up onto the next rocky step, melting away the last of the fear burrowing through my nerves. These guys have got me good.

The view from the top of the plateau is stunning, just as Skye promised and it’d steal my breath, if I had any breath left. I plop down on a rock under a tree, panting and Skye brings me a canteen of water, refilling it out of the air.

“Wow, that’s something alright,” Harper declares, shading his eyes. We might not be standing on a mountain, but it still feels like the top of the world.