Page 65 of My Faire Lady

She lifts her hands to the arch of Shadow’s back, and I wrap my cupped hands around the sole of her shoe, my thumbs brushing against the bare skin of her ankle. I lift, and she swings her opposite leg over Shadow, settling onto her back.

Lottie beams and runs a palm down Shadow’s coat. “I did it.”

“Yeah,” I say, lip quirking. “You did.”

Shadow shifts on her hooves, and I mount, swinging my legs up. They settle on either side of Lottie’s hips, and I swallow as I snake my hands around her waist, not missing the way her jaw clenches at my touch. Her back presses into my chest, and warmth blooms within me—my magic churning just beneath my skin.

“Are you ready?” I whisper against her ear.

A shiver runs over her body. “I think so.”

I grip the reins. “Hold tight, my lady.”

I press my heel into Shadow’s side, and she whinnies, bursting into a gallop. Wind whips through our hair and a smile plasters onto my face as Shadow lowers her head slightly, her hooves splashing through puddles and mud as we shoot toward the other side of the field.

Lottie tenses, but rather than grabbing Shadow’s mane, she wraps her hand around my knee, holding tight. My heart races nearly as fast as Shadow, and just as we’re about to slam into the far row of stands, she snaps out her wings.

They catch the air, and we shoot skyward.

Lottie yelps, and I readjust the reins into one hand, wrapping my free arm around her middle as we build altitude at a rate no aircraft could maintain. We pitch left, and the trees shrink beneath us, the buildings like dollhouses.

I ease back on the reins, and Shadow levels out, gliding on an air current. Wisps of clouds pass by, but the sky is otherwise clear as the sun rises on the eastern horizon and casts long shadows on the earth below.

Only now does Lottie release her hand from my knee, one blanched finger at a time. I lower my arm from around her waist, but she grabs my wrist and shakes her head, replacing my hold around her.

“Don’t let go.”

Her words send a shiver down my spine, and I pull her closer against me, her weight resting between my hips. My mind churns, warning me that this is not what we agreed upon, but I breathe her in, savoring her warmth at my chest.

“Do you trust me?” I whisper against the bare skin of her neck.

Her skin pebbles, and she hesitates, staring at the empty air beneath us.

“I won’t let go,” I add, splaying my hand over her front. “I promise.”

She nods. “Okay. Yes, I trust you.”

I press my heel into Shadow’s side and jerk the reins. She rears her head back, hooves galloping, then dips and folds her wings against her sides.

We plummet to the earth.

Wind snaps the air from my lungs, and my stomach rises into my throat. Gravity stitches Lottie’s body to mine, and rather than a scream, a smile pulls at the corners of her mouth as the buildings grow bigger, the trees taller, the ground closer.

My heart races, thrashing against my ribs, but despite free-falling through the air, I’ve never felt more alive.

This is the freest I’ll ever be.

The ground races closer, until I can make out the individual leaves on the treetops, and I pull back on the reins. Shadow snaps out her wings, and her hooves brush the shingles of the compound as she pitches left and sails over the roofline.

Lottie turns her face, and our gazes catch, her eyes sparkling. “Can I trust you, Scarlet?”

I hold myself back from pressing my lips to the hinge of her jaw. “Always.”

She smiles, and tentatively, she lifts her arms out at her sides, parallel to Shadow’s wings. Her hair whips around her head, and I keep my hold around her middle, steadying her.

Something in my chest catches, wringing my heart. There isn’t power churning beneath her skin, but she has a hold on me. She weaves life into everything she touches; a light among the stale life I’ve lived.

But I can’t keep her, and I never would. But as my thumb brushes over her bottommost rib, there’s one thing I know for certain. I’ll never feel this again—this consuming warmth that, for once, doesn’t stem from my own magic.