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My nieces squealed from somewhere behind us, breaking my trance and turning my veins to ice. “Are they alright?” I asked, looking over his shoulder, panicking when I saw nothing but endless wispy clouds.
He slanted a smile. “They’re fine.”
“Take me to them,” I pleaded.
“Of course.” He let out a sharp whistle before diving through the clouds.
I held my breath, cool air turning my hair into whips that lashed my face as we descended at an alarming rate.
We broke through the clouds, Blaze following behind us, carrying my two beaming nieces, and my heartrate slowed to nearly normal.
Nikkos’s wings snapped open, and we glided toward the ground like a flower petal floating through the air until he gracefully landed. He gently set me down, steadying me with a hand on my arm while helping me stand on firm ground, quite opposite Draevyn’s rough dismount.
I thanked him with a smile, while still clinging to his arms. I could tell by the gleam in his eyes he was hoping for something more than a smile. I bit my lip, heat flushing my cheeks when I thought about kissing his full lips.
But then Aurora and Ember were tugging on my skirts.
“Isn’t it beautiful here, Auntie?” Aurora asked me, awe ringing in her words.
I wiped a smudge of dirt from her nose. “It’s breathtaking.”
The lake was indeed beautiful. It was nestled on top of the mountain, a large, inky pool that had barely a ripple, mist rising off the surface and wispy clouds traveling across it like a slow-moving herd of sheep. The earth surrounding the water was as black as midnight with iridescent grains reflecting the misty morning sunlight. Several small copses of trees were scattered around the lake, as if their creation had been an afterthought. Or maybe the elements had been too tired to finish.
And standing beside a campfire on the sandy soil was none other than Draevyn with that swollen nose and now a blackened eye. I felt his gaze on me like the heat from a thousand sun flares, shocked when he offered me a slight smile. “Hey.”
Was Draevyn talking to me?
I looked at Nikkos who offered me a reassuring smile. When I turned back toward Draevyn, he still looked at me expectantly.
“Hey,” I said, my voice lacking inflection.
He wiped his hands down his pants, nodding toward the skewered fish roasting over the fire. “The fish will be ready in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” I shrugged, not knowing what else to say.
My feet felt frozen in place as he walked up to me. “Is it okay if we talk?”
I wrapped my arms around myself and instinctively pressed against Nikkos. “I don’t feel like talking.” And why would I want to talk to him after everything he’d said and done?
“It won’t take long.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, his wings drooping. “Promise.”
I was painfully aware of Nikkos and Blaze not making a sound as they stood beside me. Even the girls had gone quiet. For their sake, I’d hear him out.
I heaved out a long breath. “Fine.” I gave him an expectant look. “What?”
He motioned toward the trees behind us. “Will you walk with me, so we can have a little privacy?”
Regrettably, I pulled away from Nikkos, instantly missing the feel of his warm skin against mine. I repressed a shiver without Nikkos’s body heat to warm me. I had no idea what force of nature compelled me to go with Draevyn. He kept pace beside me, his hands behind his back, the tips of his black feathers tickling my arm. I looked over my shoulder at Nikkos and Blaze, their hard stares boring holes through the back of Draevyn’s head while the girls pressed their hands to their hearts, staring after me as if I was walking into my own grave.
He stopped behind a narrow tree, barely big enough to conceal him. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior,” he said. “I realize now your parents might not have killed my parents.”
My jaw dropped. “Might not?”
“Th-they didn’t,” he sputtered. “Your siren voice is too strong.”
I glared up at him while pulling my cape tightly around me. “So this means you won’t try to kill them?”
His shoulders fell. “I won’t, and I hope you can forgive me for everything.”
