Page 139

Chapter 39

Roksana

My tailbone throbbed where the scales had rubbed my skin raw. Every muscle in my body trembled, protesting the prolonged journey. Not that I could do much about it, since my clothes were stiff from the ocean salt. On top of that, exhaustion made keeping my eyes open nearly impossible.

Still, we were flying home.

Two days we’d been airborne, and I doubted my ability to endure. Right now, I was in a delicate balancing act between being conscious enough to hold on and delirious enough to see fantastical shapes in the endless blue water below. I looked again. Would they eat us if we crashed into the sea?

We won’t crash, Sanika. Sleep. I’ll keep you safe, Cinared purred, but he was tired, too. To fly at an altitude where I could breathe strained his muscles. He was used to gliding much higher.

The reason I hadn’t slept was the chorus of voices murmuring prayers at the edge of my consciousness.

Do you think they’ll disappear now? I asked, worried the constant voices would destroy my sanity.

Cinared’s concern bled through our bond.

I don’t know. The Leshy might advise you better. For now, shield yourself and try to ignore them. You still can shield, yes? he asked.

Yes, I replied, lifting my hand and concentrating. Emerald Aether still flowed beneath the skin. After I bound my power to the land, the incessant pressure had dissipated. However, the amount of Aether contained within me was far greater than I’d expected.

I want to tell Rey. What if these whispers drive me insane? Even if the gods disapprove, he has the right to know, I thought, closing my eyes. Why do I have to keep it a secret?

Cinared radiated pride when he answered. Yes, he should know. His mood shifted to one of malicious glee. Let me be the one to tell him. The old gods can blame me to their hearts’ content. Let’s see them try to censure me.

His wicked tone made me chuckle. ‘Petty revenge? I like it,’ I murmured, leaning forward and kissing his scales. ‘Thank you, Cin. You are the best dragon a woman could have.’

The quiet rumble from his throat told me he’d heard.

I’m the only dragon you’ll ever have. Now sleep, my heart. Your exhaustion makes concentrating difficult.

That was surprising, but it wasn’t something I could argue with. I leaned forward, wedging myself between his spikes while his flight pockets tightened around my calves. He could still sense my disquiet, and my mind filled with visions of crackling fire and enormous fireplaces stacked with resin-rich pine, its scent permeating the room. I drifted off to the soft vibrations of the dragon’s purr, wrapped in a love that filled every recess of my soul.

I cried out when awareness returned. Everything hurt. The green fields of Dagome spread beneath us, dotted with towns and villages. The air was no longer sharp and salty but mild with the sweetness of early summer. None of that mattered right now. I was on the verge of begging the dragon to land and let me rest.

How much time has passed since I said goodbye to Rey? It had to be at least a month.

‘How far?’ I swallowed to ease the croak in my voice. ‘How far away are we? I’d kill for a glass of water. Can we land somewhere near the river?’

‘Hold on for one more hour. We’ll be home soon. I already let Rey know we were coming,’ the dragon said, turning his head towards me, a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘He’s assembling a welcome committee. I might have mentioned you were worried about your friends.’

I might’ve been half dead, but I still threw my hands into the air with a wild cheer. Cin answered, blowing out a plume of smoke that left me coughing and laughing at the same time.

‘I’ll sleep a week after this. Keep that in mind when planning another war,’ Cin rumbled after we calmed down. ‘I’m too old for human squabbles.’

My mouth formed a perfect O before the sheer mischief in his mind convinced me he was joking.

‘You can sleep as long as you like. I’ll be busy in another bed,’ I answered in the same manner, and meant every word. I ached for Reynard with every fibre of my soul.

All this time, I’d avoided thinking of him—of his lopsided smile and the gentleness that washed away the horrors of war. Now I could allow myself to miss him.

Tears pooled in my eyes. I wiped them away, brushing my fingers through the strands of my hair. It was almost to my shoulders, an unruly halo of messy curls. Gods, I wanted to look pretty for him, not arrive with salt-encrusted hair, looking like a beggar in a ripped Tangrian robe.

‘No beggar ever arrived triumphant on a dragon.’ Cin’s rumble sounded deeply offended.

I chuckled, trying to smooth out the creases and look semi-presentable, but gave up when the fabric crumpled even further. ‘Sure, but I’d prefer not to have a crowd shouting All Hail the Queen when I barely have enough fabric to cover my arse.’

Cinared didn’t comment, his mind focused elsewhere. I assumed he was talking to Reynard. I didn’t mind and drank in the vista below. Truso proudly sprawled over the river and its small islands. The floodplains were in full bloom, carpeted with flowers. My heart lurched when Cin dropped lower, beating so fast I felt it in my throat.