“I. . . I’m fine,” I lied.
My muscles were shaking with the effort to keep my balance. Then I felt Tynan descending closer to the ground. He was looking for a place to land, because of me, because I could not keep up.
“I’m fine. I don’t need rest,” I protested.
“We all need it. Victor’s injured,” Tynan said and I felt really self-centered for not thinking about the others.
It was another half an hour before Tynan found a spot he thought was good enough to make camp. We ended up on top of a hill overlooking the valley. All four dragons started to transform.
I felt like my legs were not able to hold me, and I was so incredibly cold that the warmth of the sun on my skin made me want to stretch out on the ground, basking in it.
“You’re freezing,” Tynan cursed before taking my hands into his.
“Aren’t you going to extend your concern to me too?” Victor snorted.
“Can you be quiet and stay still?” Frid was examining his wound.
“I feel like you’re going to tear my arm off,” Victor mumbled.
“How did you know? That’s exactly what I was planning to do.” Frid drew out a strip of white material from her side pocket.
“How is it?” Tynan approached them.
“He’ll survive,” Frid responded.
“What happened at the tavern?” I asked, knowing that they probably discussed it among themselves while we were flying.
“I went to see Erin and they probably followed me back,” Tynan said in a low voice.
“Or the pigeon told on us.” Victor bared his teeth when Frid tightened the bandage on his arm.
“It’s possible.” Tynan exhaled and his eyes shifted back to the valley.
“What now?” I asked.
“We take a break and continue after the sun goes down,” Tynan said.
I nodded, too exhausted to ask any more questions. The next moment, I made myself comfortable on top of the grass, close to Solomon who was already lying down with his hand covering his eyes from the bright sunshine. I turned my head searching for Tynan. He ended up taking a spot by the edgeof the drop, overlooking the fields. He was going to watch over us while we slept, as if he did not need any rest.
Does he ever sleep?
I closed my eyes, convinced that I could not move even if I really wanted to. With a sigh, I reached up and covered my face with my arm, angling it in a way that the sun could not shine directly at me and immediately went out like a light.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
TYNAN
Iwatched as Frid inspected Victor's wound. He was complaining a lot, but for some reason, it felt like he was enjoying the attention. I frowned, hating that every time someone got hurt, the first thing that came to my mind was that I had to make sure it was not a bite. But the look Victor gave me when I did that made me feel shitty and absolutely worthless. And yet, I would do it every time, and hundred times more, to protect them. I expected everyone else to do the same thing for me when my time comes.
My eyes shifted to Alina and lingered on the outlines of her body, her hair, the soft sigh that escaped her lips while she slept. It was getting more difficult to stay away from her. I could not stop my eyes from returning to her. It took mealmost everything I had not to touch her when she was near. I could hardly control it. I had no idea if she liked my attention. It was possible she put up with it because of necessity. The situation was humiliating, for any man, and I hated to be a part of it.
I looked back at the valley. Very soon, we will be back in Darragh, the place I used to call home and the place that disowned all of us. I nearly forgot the feel of the cold, tranquil air up in the bluffs, the abundance of black, polished rocks, the fjords covered with ice and the mountain rivers. I used to believe that you only get attached to people, not places, but I was wrong. I missed these lands of mist and fog. The impossibly green grass that looked like it could not be real. The mountain range that created glorious patterns while I flew above them. My heart ached when I thought about the sunrises I used to watch from the top of the rock formations. So many things I had to give up when I left this place behind.
My tired gaze landed on the outlines of the dusty hills. I hated the sandy, dry wind and the endless struggle to survive against the beasts, even though I chose this life, and I would choose it again in a heartbeat.
It took us another two days of flying to reach the border of Darragh. I could almost taste the change in the smells; the thickness of the wind filled with moisture and the freshness of the mountains. Alina had looked frail and exhausted when she climbed on my back, and I promised myself that it would only take another day. I convinced myself that she could take it. Sol was even more quiet than usual when we saw the peaks of the black rock. Only Victor and Frid did not seem any different
“Damn, I didn’t think I would ever come back,” Victor said.
