Page 40 of Where Broken Wings Fly

I kicked my legs back and forth, far too confident for how much of a descent lingered beneath me, but caring very little as something within me continued to strengthen, to grow.

“I believe a war is coming.” Raegan’s voice carried over our little levelled out clearing, making me swing my head over my shoulder to get a better look at him. He was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, facing Gliocas like they were two friends having coffee at a cafe. Urram was perched between us all, his wings parted just enough to let a soft wind caress the insides of the leathery material.

“I believe that, too.” Gliocas dipped his chin, a mournful shadow climbing over his eyes.

Raegan frowned, as if that wasn’t the answer he wanted. “How do I stop it?’

“What makes you believe you must stop it?”

He pulled his lower lip between his teeth, beginning to chew on the edge of it as he scanned Gliocas’ face. “It is my duty.”

“The weight of the world does not reside on your shoulders, Raegan. No matter how heavy you may feel sometimes.”

“The weight of the world, no. The weight of my people? That is my burden to bear. It always has been.”

Guilt festered in my mind as I listened to their conversation. I had yet to hear Raegan speak so freely, so comfortably with anyone. Even with Killian, Shea, and Niamh, there was some restraint to how at ease he let himself become. Yet with Gliocas, he was someone else entirely. There was something wrong about me getting to witness it.

“I know, young Prince,” Gliocas huffed as he set his head against the ground, the end of his snout touching Raegan’s boot. “I wish it were not.”

Raegan didn’t respond to that. A part of me wanted him to — a part of me wished to understand how Raegan felt about his position.

He set a gentle hand on the scales of Gliocas’ face, releasing his own soft sigh. “Thank you, Gliocas. I must return now. Worry not, I will be back.”

Those eyes of carrion slithered to Raegan’s face. “I know you will.”

~

After half-stumbling, half-falling the entire path down from the dragon's den, both Raegan and I collapsed into the first collection of meadow-grass that our feet crossed.

We both rolled onto our backs, our hands stretched out beside us, and let the sun restore energy to our bones for the remainder of the trek.

Songbirds sang within the blades, pecking and picking at the earth in a search for sustenance just as winged insects took to the skies, soon blurring against the vast spread of blue above us.

In that slice of paradise, I shut my eyes and let the world pass me by. I remained like that for several minutes, feeling as if I was absorbing something from the dirt beneath me, before I opened my eyes and felt the awkward silence enduring around us once more.

“Thank you.”

“What?” Raegan nearly choked.

“Thank you. For letting me come with you today.”

He didn’t say anything, only made a strange noise with the back of his throat.

“You were right, you know.”

I heard him shuffling in the grass beside me, but I didn’t dare to look towards him out of fear of losing the courage that I needed in order to say what I had to say.

“I usually am.” His abrupt comment was met with a shy chuckle as he cleared his throat. “Which words of wisdom are you referring to, though? Just so I can keep track, of course.”

I let a nervous smile pull at my face as I closed my eyes once more. “I am a coward.”

“Olivia, I–”

“No, you were right.” I couldn’t bring myself to face him, to acknowledge him as more than a figure that was simply within my vicinity as I offered the world my truth. “I wanted to escape. It’s taken me these few days to finally admit that the reason I jumped so quickly at Killian’s offer was because I wanted to escape.”

More movement shuffled the air beside me, but I wasn’t ready to look at him yet. “Is it really that bad out there?”

“No,” I said through a smile. “For most, it’s wonderful. It’s beautiful. That short life that you all lack is what makes it so magical – everyday is a day for living. Except I wasn’t.”