“Should I rip out your eyes and show you how to properly use them instead?”
Several angels nearby turned, looking at the scene. Gossip began spreading like wildfire.
“Quazar…”
“What? You’d prefer I rip off his balls instead?”
I shook my head. There was no getting through to him.
“Can we get the food and go please?”
“Whatever you desire, my Starling.”
Quazar didn’t release the male until I collected the bag with our food and drinks.
“Be thankful she’s as sweet as your donuts,” Quazar snarled. He slammed the angel one more time, purposefully making sure his head rammed into the sharp overhang, before letting him go. Still holding my hand, he tugged me away through the staring crowd.
“If my wingmate isn’t a savage like that, I don’t want it,” I heard a female say as we passed. I snorted, shaking my head. Angels were nothing if not nosy gossips.
We weaved through the heart of the city passing flower shops, art stalls with colorful tapestries, and endless fruit stands. We also passed several scrollbook stores.
I shrieked.
“Can we go in?Please?”
I’d beg if I had to. I wanted to go in one and get lost for the rest of the dawn. Quazar’s eyes twinkled.
“Another dawn, Starling,” he answered out loud.
I pouted. He squeezed my hand.
“Ipromisewhere I’m taking you is worth it. Valoryen’s honor. Trust me.”
I sighed loudly. On purpose.
“Fine,” I grumbled clinging to our bag of food.
Quazar laughed to himself. “Little gangster you are. Killing the rot out of Stareaters one dawn, and pouting cause you can’t fly around and smell scrollbooks for hours another dawn.”
I looked at him and stuck out my tongue. “Piss off.”
He tossed his head back and roared with laughter.
I noticed we began flying away from the city center. Our wings carried us over the clouds to a starry area with endless greenhouses encased in glass and perched on a bed of starlight and clouds. The closer we flew, the wider my eyes grew. I’d never seen a sight so beautiful. And Ouanaviel Island was full of jaw-dropping scenery.
Quazar rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand as he brought me closer to what had to be a park in this city in the clouds. Towards the very end was a garden so mesmerizing I found myself tearing up.
The flowers were ginormous, standing tall and towering higher than some of the city’s towers. There were endless rows of the colorful flowers. Some of them had petals made of crystal. Others of glass. A few were covered in jewels. The rest either had gilded petals, ivory, or iridescent.
Quazar brought me to the garden encased in glass so clear I’d probably fly straight into it if not for him. He flew us down to our feet. I instantly kicked off my sandals. There was no better feeling than the brush of clouds against the bottom of your feet.
Quazar bent over, scooped up my sandals into his hands, before removing his boots and socks so he could walk barefoot, too. Holding our shoes in one hand, he tugged me along with the other, again squeezing my hand.
I realized that was his way of communicating his presence, his excitement, his fluctuating emotions. It was all through touch. I smiled at the thought. At the vulnerability. It was so simple yet so pure. And the connection was entirely ours.
We walked along the cloudy floor. I breathed in the refreshing, airy scent of the garden. I shook out my hair, loving how the breeze flowed through my strands. Upbeat music played throughout the garden. I couldn’t help but move my hips andshake my shoulders in rhythm to it. I tossed my hair, swaying along, completely forgetting the bag of food in my hand.
By the time I took a break, I lifted my head and found we’d made it to the other end of the garden that seemed to balance entirely on top of the clouds.
