Page 42 of Where Broken Wings Fly

He did, however, relay the information to me as he grabbed my arm and shuttled us out of the Cluaineach castle, giving me hardly any time to finish changing back into my Choilltean attire before Shea and Niamh had the chance to ridicule the soft material of the Cluaineach clothes.

“What does that even mean?” I huffed to him from the back of one of the foxes, who this time accepted my request and now carried Raegan and I back towards where we left Killian and the rest. Raegan rode at my side, his body less familiar in the tight winding of Choilltean clothes that felt itchy on my skin. He returned to having his hair half pulled back, the other half voluminous enough to conceal his ears – which I had yet to ask him about. Crossing that threshold seemed years ahead of us, and we only had weeks left.

“It means what every decision those of Cluaineach make means – they’ll do nothing until the situation is dire enough that they are forced to act.”

“But at least they said they would side with Choilltean when the moment arises?”

“Lucky us,” Raegan groaned as he pushed some hair from his face.

“Can’t you just… you know… make them rally with you now?”

Raegan shot me a look that suggested our day yesterday was a thing of the past, that our temporary friendship had run its course and I needed to return to knowing him as nothing more than a prince.

That was fine by me. I was going to be back with Killian, soon, and the tension of my time with the Prince would also be in the past. I was even looking forward to seeing Niamh and Shea again.

As if my thoughts were capable of summoning them, all three could be seen just past the next settlement of grass. They were sitting cross-legged, positioned across from one another in a triangle where they played with something between them all. It looked to be some sort of game including pebbles and leaves. Pixie things.

Niamh shot to her feet first, her line of sight the clearest as Raegan and I emerged on the two foxes. Shea was next, hissing something at Killian that made his whole body snap towards us, the dark hue of his eyes brightening as he looked between Raegan and I.

Shea grumbled something beneath her breath before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a ring, flicking it towards Niamh who caught it with a cry of success.

“Told you she’d survive,” Niamh rubbed salt in Shea’s disappointment, the two of them ending a three-day long bet.

“Cluaineach wasn’t that bad,” I announced, hoping to somehow lessen the competitive streak that was rising between the two of them.

“They weren’t betting on your survival of Cluaineach.” Killian grinned as he stepped towards our mounts, offering me a hand. I took it, less gracefully than I wanted, and slipped down from the red pelt. Raegan landed with a thud a second later and sent the foxes on their way with a subtle whisper.

Killian abandoned me only for a second as he strode towards Raegan, yanking him into a brutish hug that ended with the two of them slapping one another's backs.

Killian took a step back and offered him a deep bow. “My Prince.”

“I’m gone three days and you learn manners?” Raegan tutted before moving past him and accepting hugs from both Shea and Niamh.

Snickering to himself, Killian returned to his previous position in front of me and squared his shoulders as his eyes roamed over my face. “Any troubles?”

“None I couldn’t handle.”

That wild grin of his was as radiant as ever as he nodded at me. “I hate to admit it, but I think I missed you.”

Blushing, I dipped my face and let my hair curtain my rosy cheeks. “You’re just a big softie, aren’t you?”

He shrugged, the turned up corners of his lips never settling.

I stepped closer to him, dropping my voice to a whisper. “I hate to admit it, but I think I missed you too.”

Placing a hand to the nape of my neck, Killian pulled me against him. I didn’t fight the strong arms that wrapped around me a second later. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

I hummed an agreement, and he released me a second later.

“Is it correct if I assume you have a thousand more questions?”

“I’m a little terrified at how quickly you’ve come to understand me.”

Killian winked, motioning with his head for us to return to the others. As we walked towards them, Raegan’s eyes met mine for a flash. Something resided in that shared glance between us, a pact of sorts, a promise of silence.

Behind them, standing proud and magnificent beneath a sky made just for them, was the small herd of pegasus’ that I had already accepted as an extension of the pixies around me. Leading them, head high upon a broad neck over sturdy legs was Rìoghail, a king amongst his kind as he let out a short snicker upon seeing Raegan.

Just behind him, flicking his head up and down to rid himself of pesky flies, was Gaoth. A coat of pooling moonlight that stretched from snout to tail, he was somehow even more impressive beneath the sharp light of midday.