Page 39

“Somewhat,” I teased half-heartedly. “I was thinking we may need to beg for her help to cross.”

Nyah grimaced. “I don’t want to fight anymore scarlions. I’d rather take my chances above ground.” She looked to the alicorn that had walked beside Torvo. “We could fly.”

“They’ll be watching out here in the open,” I said, wishing it weren’t true.

“Well, let’s go, then. No use standing here waiting.” With that she turned and scrambled up the rocks not nearly as nimbly as if she’d been in what I thought of as her real body. Still, she managed, and I followed along with Torvo as the alicorn used its wings to half-leap, half-fly over the hill.

The sight that greeted me when we crested the top stoked the fires of hope in my stomach. A real laugh escaped my lips—a foreign sound. Galan stood at the bottom, leaning casually against the side of our sand dragon, Carn. It was the most beautiful sight I’d seen since I’d made love to Nyah.

I skidded down to meet them and crushed my old friend into a hug.

“Careful, these clothes were expensive,” he complained. “I don’t want you getting a month’s worth of dirt on them.”

“Same old Galan,” I said, holding him at arm’s length.

The impish gleam in his eye sparked as Nyah rushed toward him and flung herself into his arms. He couldn’t possibly know it was her, but he’d seen the princess at the Imrati. I noticed he didn’t complain or ask her to let him go. But he did look around, surveying the area over her head as Torvo joined us. That’s when I realized. He was looking for her.

“That’s Nyah,” I said, nodding toward the woman in his arms.

“What?” he asked, pulling back to take another look at her.

“It’s a long story,” she said, reaching out to stroke Carn’s orange scales. The dragon purred loudly in response. He might’ve been called a dragon, but he resembled more of an overgrown lizard and acted more like a dog than a ferocious beast, at least where Nye was concerned.

“Well, I can’t wait to hear it,” Galan said, lifting his palms and sailing to the top of the beast on a gust of air magic. “After I’ve filled you in on my story of course. Or weren’t you worried after I leaped off the edge of the world?”

A similar magic propelled me into the air.

“Terribly,” Nyah agreed as she set both of us down beside him.

Soon all of us were settled on dragonback, and Carn took off for the mountains in the distance. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like it may just be possible to win again.

Eighteen

Nyah

My heart soared with each giant leap Carn took across the deadlands. His beautiful fire-colored scales shone brilliantly in the sun, creating a kaleidoscope of dancing lights. I was more alive than I’d been in so long despite my body feeling awkward and…wrong. Leuruna was petite, and though I was far from large and imposing like a mountain elf, I had more muscle tone and curves. I supposed she rarely left her rooms, and now that I realized the effect it had on her body…

Refocusing my thoughts on the man in front of me, I once again reached over and hugged him tight. Seeing Galan alive felt like a blessing I hadn’t dared hope for. When he’d jumped from the edge of the sky kingdom to escape Balram’s guards during the Imrati I thought he couldn’t have made it. Yet here he was, dressed in silky violet robes, blond hair longer but still falling in soft waves around his face, and smiling brightly like nothing had ever happened.

I could see it in his eyes, though. There was something dark there I’d never noticed before, something that haunted him. I supposed we all had that look now. I squeezed harder, and he grunted, falling to the side like I had used too much strength. Impossible in this body, so I laughed at his theatrics.

“Tell us how you survived,” I said, still not releasing him completely.

Galan put an arm around me with a swift glance at Rivven to gauge his reaction, but Rivven just sat there, quiet with a measured expression on his face. “It’s quite a harrowing adventure, Nye. If I’d have known that’s what it took to earn your affections, I’d have done it ages ago.”

I laughed again. It felt so good to pretend we were all okay. Maybe we were, at least for the moment.

“I used every ounce of my abilities to ride the wind down, and I didn’t try to control any air currents until I was too close to the ground for comfort,” he explained.

“Smart,” I said, reaching over to tuck a stray hair behind his ear, but he jerked away, covering the side of his face with his palm. “I’m sorry⁠—”

His piercing aqua eyes found mine, and his shoulders sagged, though he kept his signature smile on his face. “It’s okay. I’m still not used to, well, here.” Slowly he removed his hand and pulled back his hair. A crooked scar, still red from healing, zigzagged its way past his ear to his neck where it disappeared beneath his collar.

I bit my lip but tried not to react further. He was clearly self-conscious about it.

“Sexy,” Rivven said, and I turned toward him to find a crooked grin on his face. “Trying to compete? I bet you have a great story to woo the ladies.”

Galan relaxed, letting his hair drop. Rivven had known exactly what to say. He was a true friend. He cared far more for those in his circle, as small as it was, than he let on. I thought of his sister and the way he hired people to protect her when he wasn’t there. The grumpy exterior hid a very large heart, and I wanted to kiss away every bruise even though I knew that was impossible. Especially in this body.