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19
BRAXTON
“You already learned tosky ride?!” Evie asked, startled. “How many hours did the morning have??”
Laughter escaped me as I shook my head. “Sorry, Baby. That is not what I meant.”
“Ha! Honey, he wishes he already knew how tosky ride,” Imogen added, coming to our side. “First, he needs to learn how to mount a Dragon mid-flight. Not everyone dares to do it,” her knowing gaze went to the Elevated Warriors, who chuckled at the insinuation, “butyoucertainly must.”
“That is fun,” Evie offered. “Dangerous, but fun. I learned it early on, so it easily became second nature to me.”
“It’s easier to learn the younger you are,” my new mentor agreed. “Kids are fearless—reckless—so they lunge themselves at things without a second thought. Your challenge, darling, will be to let go of the innate fear we acquire as ‘rational adults.’” She made air quotes with the words, making me grin. “There is nothingrationalabout mounting a Dragon, so you need to let go of any and all self-protective instincts you may have.”
“I can do it,” I assured, way too excited about the prospect. Evie always lunged onto Luna after she started to fly, and it was both the coolest and most badass thing I had ever seen. Hell yes. I definitely wanted to learn how to do it.
Besides, I could heal, so…
“There is nothing wrong with the way he mounts his ride now,” Asher interjected. “It is the way we all do it. Couldn’t you use this time to teach him something more valuable?”
Holy shit.
I wasn’t even on the receiving end of Imogen’s glare, and I was still taking a step back. Her fiery red eyebrow arched so high that it disappeared into her hair.
“Excuse me?” The question was loaded with attitude, and I may not have all the experience in the world with women, but I was smart enough to know that question was never a good thing.
The warriors took a step away from Asher, eyes wide that screamed ‘you are on yourown’.
“I mean. I-I’m just asking. You know, cause Raithian-so, and, since—”
“Listen carefully, darling, because I will only say this once. First,” she lifted one finger at him, “Iam in charge here. Not you. Not the princess. Not the chief. I am. So, do not even try to look at Kingston because I outrank him, and hewillnotbe able to save you.”
Asher’s head froze mid-turn, as he was doing exactly what she warned him not to do. Kingston lifted his hands, in a‘I’m not intervening’gesture.
“Second,” she continued, “Since you seem so eager to contradict me, you will now have to learn it alongside Braxton, so drag your commander ass to his side.”
Exchanging a glance with Evie, we pressed our lips together, trying our best not to laugh, but oh, this was too freaking hilarious.
“And third,” the last finger shot up, “you might think it a waste of time, but that is the fastest and most efficient way to mount a Dragon during battle. And furthermore, Braxton will learn that technique, even if it is the last thing I do, because his father was the one who invented it.”
“He did?!”
“He was?!” Evie and I asked at the same time. The knowledge shocking the humor out of us.
“Holy shit,” I whispered in awe. “Dad was totally the shah.”
A warm smile cut through the hardness Imogen’s features had acquired as she scolded Asher. “Yes, he was the shah. Now, you can’t very well call yourself the Harbinger of Justice’s son and not be able to mount a Dragon like he did, can you?”
“No, ma’am,” I replied with a grin.
“Good. Then prepare to learn how to do things the right way. The way your father did.”
“Hell, yes.” My gaze went to Tharion.“What do you say? You up for this?”
His answer came in the form of a memory, and I saw my father in full armor, sword in hand and a cry of war in his lips as he ran full throttle towards his soulmate. Already above the ground, Tharion flapped his wings while dad jumped, his boots landing on hard bone, not the membrane. As the wing lifted again, it catapulted him all the way to Tharion’s back, where Dad ran to straddle the natural saddle on his neck.
The image played in a loop a few times, focusing on the moment dad jumped and landed on the talon, showing me how to time the jump and catch the wing in the right way.
“And if you think I didn’t see you holding back laughter as I handed your commander his snooty ass, you have another thing coming.” Imogen’s voice brought me back just as the memory faded. “All of you, form a line. You need a lesson in respect.”
