AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And why would you do that?” He wraps an arm around me and pulls me in close to his side. “Caspian’s a beautiful creature.”
“Maybe because he can incinerate an entire stand of trees in a single breath?” I relax a little. The dragon doesn’t seem too interested in killing us.
Bastian laughs, releasing me and stomping through the tall grass toward the beast. “Now you’re offending him.” He pats the dragon on its side, garnering what appears to be a slight smile on the creature’s mouth. “He can incinerate entire forests in a single breath. Get over here. Caspian says he’ll take us home.”
My legs shake thinking about getting on top of a dragon. Riding a wolf was too much for me. “How do you know that? Can you speak telepathically?”
Bastian shakes his head and raises an eyebrow at Caspian. “Humans and dragons can’t speak telepathically. He’s lowered his shoulder. That’s how I know.”
Silly me to assume in this new world of supernatural creatures, powers I don’t understand exist.
I stand beside Bastian, looking up the massive wall of scales leading to the top of the dragon’s back. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Of course you can.” He scrambles up Caspian’s side to the top, firmly placing one leg on either side of the creature’s enormous back. Leaning down, he holds a hand out to me. “Come on. At this rate, the sun will rise before we make it home.”
I back up slightly to take a running start. When I reach the side of the dragon, I leap into the air and take hold of Bastian’s hand, slamming into Caspian’s scales. An annoyed grumbling comes from the creature. With Bastian’s help, I struggle to the top. I sit in front of him, my legs barely reaching each side of the dragon’s back, but the commander wraps an arm around me, using his other hand and his legs to hold on.
When Bastian gives the dragon the word, the creature lifts off, using its incredible wings to rise above the meadow into the night sky. We can see for miles. Glowing villages dot the landscape surrounded by vast swaths of darkened forest. I look to the north and see the glowing beacon of Avren rising like a guardian over the land. The lights of the luminescent forest appear dim next to the city’s bright grandeur. Reluctantly, I rip my eyes away from my birthplace and gaze to the south. The dark spires of the First City glow in the moonlight—an antithesis to the brilliance of the city in the north. But most in the wilderness know better.
All places hold their dark secrets.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Despite witnessing the beauty from a mile above, I’ve decided traveling by dragon is not my preferred method of transportation. My hands ache from gripping Caspian’s scales, and throughout the ride, I think a gust of wind might blow me straight off his back. Only Bastian keeps me grounded, his arm tight around my waist.
I’m still high on the adrenaline when I slide to the ground, thankful I’m no longer worried about my ankle.
Bastian bows his chin slightly to Caspian. “Thank you, dear friend.”
And with storm-force winds, the dragon lifts off, soaring into the night sky. Never in my life did I think I’d add a dragon ride to something I’d do before I died. It lifted my soul in ways I can’t explain while terrifying me at the same time.
“Do you do that often?” I ask as we walk the short distance from the meadow to the cabin.
“What?” He cocks an eyebrow. “Thank a dragon?”
I slap him on the arm, shaking my head. “No. Ride on one. It was like free falling with a safety net.” I clasp his upper arm. “Or dancing among the stars with a dangerous partner.”
“And do you do that often?” He stops and steps closer to me.
“What? Ride a dragon? You know it was my first time.” My pulse quickens with his nearness. Our bodies are now less than a foot apart.
“No. Dance with a dangerous partner?” The corner of his lip rises as his eyes drink me in.
“The others won’t be back until morning, right?” I swallow, unsure of how I want to proceed yet knowing my words probably acknowledge consent.
He lifts a hand to a stray wisp of hair falling over my forehead and tucks it behind my ear. “I’m counting on it.” A shy smile crosses his lips. “Are you sure your ankle’s alright?”
“It better be after the pain Ben put me through.” I lace my fingers through his and tug him toward the cabin. Fireflies dance among the trees and tall grasses, calling out to their mates. I want this man, but the tiny voice of Avren nags away in the back of my mind.
It is not right.
You are not of age.
You are not married.
Everything within me wants to plug my ears and sing at the top of my lungs to make them go away, but they won’t. The voices threaten to ruin my time with Bastian.
He unlocks the front door with the key around his neck. This time, he doesn’t bother with lighting an oil lamp. We head straight for the stairs, trusting in his navigational skills.
