Weston turned and leaned against the railing, an alpha in repose, a very rare occurrence. “That is what I’m banking on. I will back her with everything I have to see that it is done.”
TWENTY-SIX
FINLEY
Two days of travel later, we docked in the Flamma Kingdom, and I clutched Calia with sudden terror. If she left and didn’t return, my path to Nyfain would be cut off. If something happened to her, I wouldn’t have a way to get back to him, not if the demon king closed those portals.
“I will be back, I promise,” she said, hugging me. “I will be back, and I’ll have warriors with me. We will cleave our way to your prince if we have to, okay? You have my word.”
Still, my heart was in my stomach as I watched her walk up the docks, in search of travel arrangements that would take her and her sister to their home in the Narva Kingdom.
Weston left next, taking all the wolves but Hadriel. He’d hired a boat that didn’t need demon magic and would make sure anyone who lived elsewhere would get home. The goodbye he offered us was similar to Calia’s. He’d amass more strength and meet us back here.
“They mean it,” Hadriel said, rubbing my back. “They’re going to come back. This is the right way.”
It didn’t feel like the right way. As we traveled into the mountains, moving toward the dragon villages and farther and farther away from Nyfain, it felt like I was betraying him. He needed me. The kingdom needed me. And while I did see the wisdom in collecting a host of allies before we took on Dolion, the doing of it was slicing into my heart. If not for Hannon and the other members of our group who were making the same sacrifice, I couldn’t have managed.
My heart wasn’t in the smiles I offered people as we came upon the first dragon villages. My curiosity was only mildly sparked at the prospect of seeing how other villages lived. And when it was decided that we would accompany Micah to his village, one of fifteen in the dragon-occupied mountains, I couldn’t muster any excitement at the prospect of a much-needed rest after the long journey.
“I will see you soon, Strange Lady,” Vemar said as we parted ways. He gripped my upper arms and peered down into my eyes, all seriousness. “We will have a rest, we will organize, and we will free your kingdom as you have freed us. This I swear. Learn to fly, and by the time you have mastered it, we will be leaving again.”
“My village isn’t far,” Micah told us as we kept moving up the wide, rocky road.
We rode in horse-drawn carts and carriages. While the magical world had found many ways to magically pilfer various modern conveniences from the neighboring but oblivious human world, like electricity and radio, we’d never advanced enough for things like automobiles. Traders did cross the magical barrier between our worlds to acquire and bring back other commodities, like various types of steel or specialized tools and machines, but their efforts were limited by travel.
I assumed as much, anyway. My knowledge was passed down from my parents and the few books our small, never-changing library had about the neighboring world. Having been caught in the curse since I was seven, I had a shallow knowledge of modernity, at best. And while I wanted to learn more, I had other concerns at the moment.
Overhead, a dragon soared through the sky, its purple scales sparkling within the glow of the late afternoon sun.
“What color do you think your dragon’s scales are?” Hannon asked, his voice heavy with fatigue.
“I haven’t thought about it,” I murmured, watching the dragon cut through the blue above. “I feel like I’ve known her forever, but since she’s never taken an actual physical form, I don’t think about it much. Maybe if we’d grown up with people actually shifting I’d be more curious, but…”
I’m curious as all fuck, my dragon thought. I hope I’m not shit brown. That would be embarrassing.
Another dragon soared overhead, this one a lighter shade of blue than the backdrop. Its great wings beat at the sky, its flight straight, no frills or embellishments. It had somewhere to be.
Micah glanced back and caught me looking. A knowing gleam flashed in his eyes.
“We’ll get you up there tomorrow,” he said. “With someone to guide you through your first shift, you shouldn’t have any problems. And when you grow tired of flying, we’ll find something else to get your mind off things until we’re ready to act.”
“Like learning how to use that sword,” Tamara said with a grin, peering into the trees to either side of us before looking skyward and watching the dragon until it was out of sight.
“All I really know how to do is work with plants and hunt,” I said, noticing the healthy trees and plant life around us. The air was crisp and clean, a soft breeze mussing my hair. “I’ve never really had downtime.”
“Reading,” Hannon said. “You can do some reading.”
“Should we see if they have watercolor painting?” Hadriel waggled his eyebrows at me.
“There used to be a couple of very knowledgeable women who worked with healing plants in my village,” Micah said. “The whole collection of villages sought their aid in the infirmary. They used to be very selective about who worked with them, but if they are still around, I’m sure I could put in a good word for you. I have a lot of sway in these villages.”
I could hear the note of pride in his voice. The confident swagger. He was probably one of the most powerful dragons, and that gave him clout.
Little dwellings came into view. Micah slowed before stopping and sucked in a deep breath. He let it out slowly. “I’ve been away from home for so long. I’m both nervous and dying with anticipation.”
He started forward again, falling quiet.
“My dragon is anxious to get airborne,” Tamara murmured as we neared the edge of the village. Small fences enclosed little patches of land outside homes, the yards within flattened and cleared of rocks and dirt mounds.
“Mine too,” Lucille added.
“I’m surprised you guys didn’t do more flying on the way here.” I peered through a window as we passed, not able to see into the dark interior.
“We didn’t want you to take off running back toward the boat with your demon friends,” Lucille said, her tone light and teasing.
My mind was so scattered that I hadn’t even thought about the pack of demons holding up the rear. It had been decided that they’d stay with us for now, surrounded by the protection of dragons. Given they had essentially exiled themselves from their kingdom, they didn’t really have anywhere else to go.
At the edge of town, where the paths narrowed, too small for the carriages and carts, we climbed down and left them behind to be tended to after we found a place to rest.
Micah led us down a couple of really cute cobblestone streets, the houses beside us modest but well kept. We emerged into what must’ve passed for their town center, with a little park to the right and a winding path that led in front of little shops with glass doors or large windows. Flower boxes dotted the way and everlass grew in cracks or along the pathways, wild but mostly pruned.
I smiled down at one of the plants before bending to strip away a few leaves that were floundering on it.