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“Well?” I asked.

“I am healed.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

He folded his wings and walked towards me. The happiness remained in his eyes.

“Will you fly with me?”

My attention moved to the wing that had failed him less than twenty-four hours ago. On one hand, I was tempted. Flying looked amazing. But I also didn’t want him to exhaust himself so soon.

“How confident are you that you won’t crash?”

“More confident than you appear to be.”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“I will keep the flight low. If my wing hurts, I will land. I promise.”

I looked at Cairn.

“He is an excellent flier,” he said. “And he would never put anyone else in danger.”

“I don’t need him to vouch for me,” Sten grumbled, but shot Cairn a grateful look nonetheless.

I had climbed the ladder without knowing what waited at the top. Surely flying with a recently unpetrified alien couldn’t be much worse.

That wasn’t as reassuring as I’d hoped.

“All right,” I said. “But low means low.”

Sten stepped closer. “May I carry you?”

“Yes. I don’t think it works any other way, do you?”

He slid one arm behind my back and the other beneath my knees. His tail wrapped around my thighs, securing me against him.

I put my arms around his neck. “How tightly should I hold on?”

“As tightly as you wish. But rest assured, I will never let you fall.” Sten smiled. “Ready?”

“No.”

He launched anyway.

A scream escaped me as the ground dropped away. I buried my face against his neck and held on with all my strength.

His chest moved with laughter beneath me.

“Don’t worry. This is low,” he said.

I forced myself to look.

We were no higher than the roof of the lodge. It was still high enough to kill me if he dropped me, but Sten’s hold was firm. His tail remained wrapped around my legs, and his wings beat with an even, powerful rhythm.

The lodge fell behind us as he flew towards the loch.

Cold air rushed over my face. My fear gradually eased, replaced by something closer to excitement.