Page 40 of Resurgent

“Get on your dragon, Miss Corvin.”

“Sir—”

“You have three seconds to get your ass on your dragon,” he commands, each word drawn out with his irritation.

“Three.”

“Or what?” I snap.

“Or I will carry you up there myself." He steps toward me, intent clear. "Two."

“You wouldn’t dare," I snarl, though it doesn't come out nearly as threatening as I'd hoped.

“One.”

His hands reach out, but I’m already climbing Tyr's leg, my fingers locked onto each scale as satisfaction radiates through the bond.

Hunter’s barely atop Kali before his arm moves, a sheathed dagger that I quickly catch with a questioning look.

“You should always have at least one weapon on you, just in case.”

“This isn’t one of mine,” I comment stupidly. Not only is he the one giving it to me to strap on, but with its intricate filigree hilt, Damascus steel blade, and 'Cha dèan sgàile cron ormsa' engraved between flowing lines starting at the pummel and stopping just an inch before the tip. I’m momentarily caught up in the incredible craftsmanship when, faster than I can blink, a small, black stone comes flying directly toward my face.

Barely catching it, I’m surprised to find it warm despite the crisp morning air. A thin silver line runs through the center, glowing faintly beneath my fingers.

“You realize most people explain or give a warning before they’re hurling hard objects.”

Hunter doesn’t even look up from tightening Kali’s saddle straps as he grumbles, “And yet, you caught both of them.”

I turn the stone over in my palm. “And if I hadn't?”

“Then it probably wouldn’t have felt very good when they hit you in the face…or when you had to climb down to get them only to climb back up.”

“What is it?” I ask with a huff of annoyance, though Captain Dickhead still doesn’t look up until he’s finished fiddling with Kali’s grip scales—the textured scales along the bottom third of a dragon's neck and where all riders learn to maintain so the scales remain healthy and easy to grip.

“It’s a communication rune so we can talk during flight without needing Tyr and Kali to play telephone.”

I glance down at the silver line again.

“And here I thought you were just throwing rocks at me.”

“Fresh out, unfortunately.”

“Dick.”

The corner of his mouth twitches as I stick the rune to the bone behind my ear like I just saw Hunter do.

“What? Our agreement was for ‘asshole.”

“That it was…”

“So where are we going?”

“Across the continent.”

I blink.

“I’m sorry, what? Today?”