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'They showed you the egg … or at least, tried to …' He trailed off, presumably asking himself what Fyia had been pondering since the moment the Fae'ch had agreed to show her. Why? Staying up all night at the party had been too easy a test, which meant they'd wanted to see the egg too. But, why?
'They lost a bet,' she said with a shrug.
He gave her a disbelieving look, and she rolled her eyes.
'I can't work it out,' she said.
'Hmmm,' said Cal. He refused to pet his bear, regardless that she was nudging him hard enough to push him backwards.
The bear gave up on Cal and turned back to Fyia, nudging her instead. Fyia scratched her, but the bear kept pushing, becoming agitated.
'Leave her,' said Cal's sharp voice. He stepped between Fyia and the bear, facing his Cruaxee down. Fyia shuddered. She knew the strength of her own Cruaxee bonds, but she didn't know if Cal's worked the same way, or if his magic was as strong …
Fyia felt for her own bond with the animal, and the bear snarled. Fyia immediately let go, but the bear pushed Cal aside and growled in Fyia's face, then shoved her hard, sending Fyia sprawling to the ground.
Cal was up and on his feet in a moment, standing once more between Fyia and the terrifying animal. She felt a searing heat through her bond with the bear, and the animal shied back. She lowered her head, then turned, slinking back into the trees.
'I told you she's dangerous,' said Cal, offering Fyia a hand. Cal's face had drained of color, and he ran a hand through his hair.
'She's … something,' said Fyia, watching the bear's retreating form.
'She likes to remind me she has a mind of her own every now and again,' he said, then looked Fyia over, guilt gripping his features. 'Did she hurt you?'
'I'm fine. A little shaken, I'm not too proud to admit, but unharmed. Although, if I stand out here much longer, I might lose a few toes to frostbite … aren't you cold?' She wrapped his cloak more firmly around herself, not wanting to give it back.
He smiled and shook his head. 'We should get back inside. We'll just eat whatever's left in my cloak.'
'No need,' said Fyia, her gaze turning to the sky. An enormous eagle appeared above the trees—easily the biggest Fyia had ever bonded—and Cal's eyes went wide as the bird landed. 'He'll fly us back to Anvarn.'
Fyia leaned into Cal's warmth. He'd wrapped his cloak around both of them as they sat atop the great albatross eagle. Between his body heat and the eagle's, she could almost block out the freezing cold, made so much worse by the chill of the wind as they drove through the air above the trees.
'You're sure he can make it with both of us?' said Cal, eyeing the ground below.
'I wouldn’t be up here if I wasn't,' said Fyia, her tone sharper than she'd intended. They could already see the outline of Anvarn in the distance, and Fyia's stomach plummeted. She'd enjoyed her day of freedom. She couldn't remember the last time she'd spent a whole day with only one other person, and as it turned out, Cal was a person she was happy to spend time alone with. Even though she knew it was madness, she wanted more.
She breathed him in, inhaling a long breath, forcing his scent into the depths of her lungs. Then she concentrated on committing to memory every tiny nuance of his touch. The way his thumb traced the line of her lowest rib, the flex of his muscular thighs against her as he balanced, the occasional brush of his stubble-covered jaw against her nape.
Was she imagining it, or had Cal's arms just tightened around her? Had he too just sucked in a lungful of air, his nose pressed to her neck? Was he doing the same? Committing her to memory?
She turned her head to see his face, and his lips captured hers before she had a chance to take him in. She moaned into his mouth, because this was exactly what she wanted, but knew she shouldn’t have. Her whole body reacted to his touch, melting into him.
He sucked her bottom lip, and she tipped her head back, giving him access to her neck, but he pulled away. Fyia tried to tug him back, but his words froze her in place.
'There is a way to seal our kingdoms together. One that could work for both of us,' he said, his lips pressed to her ear.
Fyia twisted as far as she could, watching him for several flaps of the eagle's wings, letting his words sink in. 'Marriage?' she said, making sure she understood.
He nodded, and a trickle of excitement filled her stomach. She smiled, and he kissed her again, a long, lingering kiss, showing her what could be hers.
'Think about it,' he said. 'We both have worse marriage prospects, and you're tolerable, I suppose.'
She swiped him, but he sat up straighter, his posture becoming regal, and Fyia turned her gaze forward. The town was close enough now to make out people moving this way and that, setting up market stalls for the day.
A hunter emerged from the woods, carrying a carcass around her neck, and Fyia felt an affinity to these people and their way of life. It was a harder existence than in her lands, to be sure, but something about it called to the animal within her.
The eagle set them down a league from the town, so as not to startle the townsfolk. Cal and Fyia watched him take off into the sky, flying back the way they'd come. Fyia sent her gratitude through the Cruaxee-bond before releasing the eagle, marveling at its sheer power and size.
By the time they made it to the town hall, a small crowd had gathered, watching them with interest. No doubt word had spread that the foreign Queen and their King had disappeared. Speculation was surely rife.
