We run to the balcony and stare into the darkening skies. The sun is setting behind the mountains, painting everything in shades of blood orange and deep purple—beautiful andominous. “I’ll shift once we’re high enough in the air, then carry you until we’re out of sight of the fortress,” I explain quickly, already calculating flight paths and wind patterns.
“What’s happening? What did you see?” Corvus asks urgently as we move toward the balcony edge, the evening wind whipping at our formal clothes and making my wings catch like sails.
“The wine had a sedative additive that, when combined with whatever I suspect was in the food, would knock us unconscious within minutes. I smelled the activator in the wine—it’s an old assassin trick Mom taught me to recognize.” I grab my mate firmly, wrapping my arms around him. “They were going to drug us and either kill us or hold us hostage for political leverage. Either way, we’re leaving. Right now.”
I spread my wings wide, feeling the wind catch them, muscles tensing for takeoff. “Hold on tight.”
We leap together into empty air, and for a moment we’re falling, the ground rushing up. Then my wings catch and we soar upward. Every beat of my wings burns with effort, carrying the extra weight of Corvus in my arms. The only thing I know with absolute certainty is that I need to get us out of here as fast as physically possible before they realize we’re escaping.
“How long before they check on us?” he shouts over the wind tearing at our clothes and the rushing sound of air past our ears.
“Maybe thirty minutes at most, if we’re lucky. Probably less.” I’m already climbing fast, using every thermal I can find. “I’m going to shift now—I’ll carry you in my talons until we’re far enough away. Do not let go no matter what.”
I don’t wait for his response and start shifting mid-flight, being extremely mindful of my grip on him so I don’t accidentallycrush him during the transformation. The change ripples through me—bones extending, scales emerging, wings growing to massive proportions. For a few seconds, I’m holding him awkwardly as my body changes size and shape around him.
Every beat of my massive wings takes us higher and closer to the shoreline. My muscles scream with effort, but adrenaline pushes me forward. I can feel the drug they gave me trying to pull me toward unconsciousness, making my thoughts slightly fuzzy, but I fight it with everything I have.
Once fully shifted, I twist my long neck, bringing my horned head close to the taloned hand that holds Corvus carefully. I feel him use his silver talons to gain purchase on my scales as he climbs with practiced efficiency into position behind my horn ridge.
When I know he’s settled securely, I climb higher into the darkening sky, using my black scales to blend into the night like natural camouflage. In the distance, I hear sirens beginning to blare—a harsh, discordant sound that carries across the valley like screaming.
So much for thirty minutes.
I guess they checked on us sooner than expected, or maybe someone saw us fly off the balcony. With a slight adjustment of my wings, I catch a strong thermal rising off the cooling land and stop flapping, gliding silently to conserve energy for the long flight ahead. The only sounds now are the waves of the ocean far below me crashing against the cliffs and the increasingly distant blaring of the fortress sirens.
Every once in a while, I flap my wings just enough to maintain altitude, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Stealth is moreimportant than speed right now. When I can no longer see the lights of the island behind us—when there’s only darkness and endless ocean in all directions—I push myself harder than I ever have before.
My wings burn. My muscles scream. The drug in my system makes everything feel slightly disconnected, like I’m flying through honey. But I push through it all.
I need to breach the western shore of our continent. Anyone who dares to follow us across that boundary will be attacked for invading our territory—an act of war that my fathers will answer with overwhelming force and centuries of accumulated fury.
Once Corvus is safe, once he’s on our soil and protected by our laws and our armies, I will return if necessary. I will wage war and defend my continent with extreme prejudice.
They tried to drug and capture the heir apparent of the Aurelian Isles. They tried to harm my mate. They violated every diplomatic protocol and sacred law of hospitality.
They’re going to learn why you don’t fuck with a wyrm black dragoness. And more importantly, they’re going to learn what happens when you threaten the daughter of two Great Wyrms who have been looking for an excuse to remind the world why they’re feared.
