“Even though I can sense that your fear hasn't eased, I still hope this can bring you even the slightest bit of some relief.”
“I hate being so scared, Jace. And the fear that consumes me now isn’t necessarily that of titles placed upon my name, but for what’s to come. Idina should be removed from the throne regardless of an ascension. No other bloodline in all of Velyra is suited for the throne. We ended the false heir, yet she remains. She’s clever…powerful, and cruel to her very core. Idina will do anything it takes to remain where she is. And the news of her son’s death will make her that much more dangerous. I fear for our people hereandmy people in the southern part of the continent, in and near Isla.”
“Perhaps it will remain a few weeks before she gains the knowledge of his death. It could buy us more time in preparation,” I offered.
“Not nearly enough,” she whispered, barely loud enough for me tohear over the rushing winds.
I peeked over the side of the saddle and was instantly overwhelmed by nausea at how high we were above the peaks. When my eyes lazily wandered back to Lia, I noticed she had an infuriating grin on her face, her dimples deepening as she sensed my hesitance.
“Scared, Commander?” she mocked.
A breathy laugh left me. “There she is.”
She scooted to the side of the saddle slightly and patted the space next to where she sat. “Come on, let’s have some fun for once.”
“Fun?” I repeated through furrowed brows as I crawled my way to her.
“I know deep down you remember what fun is.” She winked and leaned into me, her breath a light warmth on my ear. “Hold on tight, handsome.”
As if commanded, Nox shot through the sky in an instant, sending a rush of excitement coursing through my veins. I lifted my hand out for balance, but the wind was so strong it forced my hand back down on his neck.
With a powerful flap of his wings, we were lifted higher into the never-ending sky. The sensation of soaring through the open air was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and once I let go of that meddling apprehension that threatened me every time we were up here, I could finally understand why Lia loved it so much.
Her face was adorned with a beaming smile. She turned to meet my stare and laughed—the most magnificent, genuine, and life-filled laugh I had ever heard. If I were standing, it would’ve brought me to my knees. My laughter joined hers, erupting from deep within my chest.
Beneath us, the world unfurled in a breathtaking scenery of the rugged mountains. Jagged cliffs and ancient forests stretched as far as my mortal eyes could see, and even beyond.
The peaks below were dusted with a layer of the whitest snow, which glittered off the tips of the pine trees. This view…it was agiftto receive the sight of this—something that the average being would never witness.
“Hold on!” Lia yelled with a giggle, and my hands instantly gripped the front edge of the saddle.
Nox brought his wings tightly into his body and took a nosedive back down towards the peaks below. A shout or panic was about to tear through my throat when suddenly we spun—circling round and round before Nox tipped his body even further, hurtling us into a full flip. His wings shot out once more before his second nose dive, sending us soaring between the cliffs and their jagged, unforgiving edges.
The wyvern shot up from between the peaks, sending us into open air once more before he finally leveled out his wings and glided on the wind.
We both carefully sat up, and Lia wiggled her way up to the very front of the saddle, now sitting back on her knees as her body was nuzzled between mine and Nox’s neck. She leaned her back into my chest and lifted her arms out from her sides as the wind continued to race past us. I followed her lead and lifted my arms up to hers, lacing my fingers between hers.
I peered around her and caught a glimpse of her infuriatingly perfect face. There was nothing but pure love and bliss radiating in her eyes and down our bond.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, surrendering to the moment. All that existed was the endless sky unfolding before us, and my queen.
Avery
How many hours had it been since dawn? I had lost count, but judging by how painful my hips felt from rocking back and forth from the horse’s steps beneath me, I would say many.
I had overheard Zaela speak to Gage regarding moving too slowly, even with the horses, but not everyone could keep up on their mortal legs—mainly the women and children. The more people that jumped into the wagons, the slower the horses were able to pull them.
Every time I snuck a peek in Gage’s direction ahead, I often found that his own eyes were already lingering on me. The adrenaline from it would force me to swiftly move my gaze down to my hands on Matthias’s reins, but I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks beneath his stare.
“Gods, you’re embarrassing,” Finn huffed out from his horse next to me.
“Excuse me?” I asked between furrowed brows.
“Avery, you bat your eyelashes at any male that waltzes by you in the castle, yet this man comes along and you turn into a shy, giddy…thing.”
I scoffed in response. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Landon let out a chuckle from behind us, where he remained on his own horse.
