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“Spartan?” I glanced up at the menacing creature that didn’t feel so menacing to me anymore. “I can feel him,” I confessed. “I don’t know how, but I felt his emotions just now. He wanted the pain to end for me.”
My words caused a ripple of shock to travel over Kimgston’s harsh features and he blinked, trying to comprehend. Yet, I wasn’t sure what had surprised him more, that I could connect to the Dragons that way, or my admission of pain. He seemed like a man who didn’t allow feelings to plague him or even let them show.
“Is something wrong?” Evie asked, reaching us with the others, but Kingston quickly recovered, shaking his head. “Nothing. Let’s set up a quick camp to wait for theland ridersso we can head back home. I don’t want us to spend more time here than we have to.”
The creatures left my side, returning to the previous posts. Asher stared at me with a keen and curious gleam in his eyes but didn’t say a single word.
“Why are they calledland ridersinstead of horse riders?” I asked, interrupting his observation. “Same for you. Whysky ridersand not Dragon riders?”
A slow grin stretched Asher’s mouth and he slightly turned his head, though his eyes remained on me. “Hey, guys! Braxton doesn’t know why we are calledsky riders… Want to show him?”
“Yeah!” they all shouted and laughed.
“Princess, would you join us?” Asher invited, pulling her attention away from her guardian.
“Try to keep me away.”
“Come here, before you accidentally get killed.” Kingston’s hand yanked me from the Dragons’ side just as the others began to mount them, and he took me to the campfire set several feet away, forcing me to the grass.
“Sure, I’d love to sit down,” I retorted, crossing my legs under me and inciting a scowl. My lips twitched when he huffed.
My attention lifted to the skies when the others began to take off, and I sensed Kingston’s ride, Spartan, coming to rest near us. His protectiveness coursed through me, fierce and unrivaled, and I knew he wanted to make sure we were both safe while the others were gone. He wouldn’t let anything happen to us.
The creatures’ majestic nature briefly took me aback… until I realized what was happening above us. The six Dragons took their places among the clouds in a specific formation, with Luna and Evie spear-heading them. They slowly flew along the mountain circle while they prepared for something, and I wished I knew what it was.
I didn’t have to wait for long. Their speed suddenly increased, and the Dragons turned, making their riders fall off them.
“Evie!” I gasped, trying to jump to my feet but Kingston held my shoulder, stopping me. His menacing growl told me the nickname had pissed him off, and his jaw tensed, but he didn't say anything.
When my gaze desperately searched for her, I realized with a start that they hadn’t fallen. They had jumped. The warriors’ forms spun in the air like professional acrobats, soaring from one trapeze to the other—except their trapezes weren’t made of metal, wood, or plastic. They were scaled flesh, magic, and bone.
Swiftly, the Dragons switched places along the sky, weaving through the air just in time for the riders to land on a new one. The men and women expertly rolled to a stand on the creatures and ran over their bodies again—laughing and filled with adrenaline, before leaping once more. With another switch, they landed on a different Dragon, and turned to repeat the maneuver, heading to the next.
One after the other, the Elevated Warriors twirled above us, performing tricks the most prestigious circus performers would kill to learn. My eager eyes finally found multihued golden strands swaying in the wind, freed from the braid, and I witnessed Evie land so naturally above Athina, that it seemed she had learned to do that before she could even walk.
Utter awe returned to me, but only for the woman who had claimed a place in my bed, and now carved a steady path into my heart.
Landing into a cartwheel, Evie stood, rushed to Athina’s side then turned, giving her back to the sky. Her arms opened as she let herself fall back off the red Dragon, and my stomach lunged to my throat, but I couldn’t look away. Gracefully, her body flipped backwards, once, twice, three times, until Luna appeared directly below. Evie’s feet touched down on her once more.
With a summersault, Evie finally took her place on Luna’s neck, and gripping the reins, she led her ride out of formation, but someone else took her place.
Luna and Evie dove towards us while the others continued to ride the clouds, and the sound of her exhilarated laughter filtered through my being, awaking my every nerve ending.
“Okay, youhaveto teach me how to do that!” I yelled, turning to face Kingston with wide eyes. “I want to be asky rider. I belong up there with them!”
Heartbeats thundered in my ears from excitement, and part of me wondered if I had finally lost my marbles, but nothing had ever felt as right as that statement.
I belonged with the Dragons, in the sky.
The bronzed-skin giant glanced sternly at me, as though considering my crazy request. When he slightly nodded, happiness crashed into me and I stood, rushing to meet Evie—Luna had finally touched ground.
“That was so fucking cool!” I yelled, making my way to her with Kingston on my heels.
“I know! There’s nothing as incredible as being up there and—”
A high-pitched sound stole her words from my ears and scorching pain crashed against my being. Unable to hold me, my legs gave out, making me stumble to the ground.
“Braxton!” Evie yelled at the same time that Kingston’s hands gripped my arms, but I couldn’t respond.
