“Follow me,” Hael said, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “And put up your hood.”
“That’s not going to help,” someone drawled. I pulled my hood up anyway, and forced my gaze away from the sky and toward the voice.
A male rider sauntered toward us. I recognized him from last night—he was the one who got me out of the brothel.
Hael rolled his eyes. “What do you want, Jaxs?”
“To warn you that you’re in deep shit.”
Hael’s back straightened. “He already knows?”
The male looked at me before turning back to Hael. “Yeah. Laxin and Cash told him within the hour, fucking dicks. Elion has known all night.”
Hael nodded, then started walking toward his dragon waiting in the grass. “Come on.”
“You should take the tunnel. He’s going to go harder on you if anyone sees her on your dragon.”
Hael didn’t say anything, just kept walking. I was still by the door of his cabin, having no idea what to do.
“Fucking Suns,” Jaxs cursed. “Hael, take the tunnel, are you deaf?”
“Nollie,” Hael shouted over him. “Let’s go.”
The rider came running up to us, making the Crepito rattle, but beyond the sound, the white dragon didn’t do anything as he approached. “Hael, listen to me. Elion’s already pissed, but thank the Moons, no one saw her leave with you at the brothel last night orhowyou freaking left. But if you make a scene with her now, everyone’s going to know. Don’t make your crime public knowledge.”
“Flying will be faster.”
“I don’t understand, what happened?” I asked, trying to sort through what they were talking about.
“Nothing,” Hael snapped, then looked over at me, like he was waiting for me to move.
“Uh-uh. Nope. Not happening,” Jaxs said, looking between the two of us. “Don’t even think about doing what you did last night.”
Hael’s jaw tensed, that was all the warning I got before he ran toward his dragon, jumping onto its hind legs before running the rest of the way up its back.
“I want to take the tunnel.”
Hael looked down at me. “Nollie, King Elion is going to have men waiting at the entrance. He’ll expect us to take them, and if we do, you’re going to be dragged into this.”
“Dragged into what? What’s going to happen?”
“She’s already going to be dragged into it,” Jaxs said, exasperated. He took a step toward us, getting too close to Hael’s dragon. The Crepito screeched, standing on its hind legs before he backed up with his arms in the air. “Okay, okay,” he shushed, then turned to Hael. “You can’t drop her off in her room. It’s too late for that. Even if you manage to, Elion’s just going to drag her back. It won’t matter, so at least be sensible and give yourself a saving grace by doing what he wants now.”
I looked up at his dragon, then to Hael. He was so daunting, so mesmerizing. He was positioned between two spikes running down the dragon’s spine, as if the dragon had been made for him, like he was an extension of it. Our eyes locked and I swore his looked more brown than golden right now.
“She’s not going to drop you. I promise.”
She—right. I kept forgetting his dragon was female, and that to drakins, they weren’t just another monster. On cue, the Crepito stood, outstretching her claw before gripping me in it.
I braced myself for the grab, but just as before, it was more gentle than I expected.
Jaxs cursed, but I barely heard it over the flap of wings. Then my body was lifted from the ground, wind instantly hitting my face as the cabins grew smaller and smaller the higher we rose.
I was slightly more relaxed this time compared to when I was first flown into Viven. For starters, I wasn’t as terrified of falling to my death—even though I still should be.
Just because I now had a few interactions with Hael, didn’t mean I could start trusting his dragon. They only tolerated the rider bonded to them.Thatwas made evidently clear.
But, at least, I knew she wouldn’t drop me. For whatever reason, whatever his motives, Hael wanted me alive… for now. I just had no idea why.
