14. Jace

Chapter fourteen

Jace

We soared through the open air on Nox’s back as he glided through the clouds above the Ezranian Mountains. Lia sat on her knees at the nape of his neck, at the very front edge of the saddle, as the wind tousled her hair around her face.

Lia glanced back at me. She slid down the saddle and wrapped her arms around her knees, holding them tightly to her chest as our stares remained locked on each other.

“You seem better, lighter. However, I can’t help but notice a lingering sense of dread from you. What’s going through your mind, my Lia?” I asked.

Her chin tilted upward to the clouds above as she pursed her lips. “Too much.”

She looked back at me to see my stare remained on her as I waited for an actual answer.

“I’m excited to finally see the sanctuary that has allowed the mortals to remain as safe as possible. And I’m relieved that Avery and Finnian truly didn’t hold any grudge or ill-will toward me for Kai’s death. So, luckily, I no longer feel like a complete monster.”

My eyes narrowed in on her. “Lia, nothing in this realm could convince any of us that you’re a monster. And if it’s the title you fear and do not wish to bear, I will gladly hold it for you. Utilize me for all your needs, whether that be your mate and partner or executioner. The only thing I’m longing to see more than you sitting on that throne is to watch our enemy's blood pool at your feet.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but I continued. “I know you’re more than capable of doing that yourself, but I’m here for you to not carry the weight of it alone. You, my Lia, are the crown, and I will gladly be your sword.”

Her lips curved in a soft smile as she watched me speak the words. “I know.”

“Even though I can sense that your fear hasn't eased, I still hope this can bring you even the slightest bit of some relief.”

“I hate being so scared, Jace. And the fear that consumes me now isn’t necessarily that of titles placed upon my name, but for what’s to come. Idina should be removed from the throne regardless of an ascension. No other bloodline in all of Velyra is suited for the throne. We ended the false heir, yet she remains. She’s clever…powerful, and cruel to her very core. Idina will do anything it takes to remain where she is. And the news of her son’s death will make her that much more dangerous. I fear for our people here and my people in the southern part of the continent, in and near Isla.”

“Perhaps it will remain a few weeks before she gains the knowledge of his death. It could buy us more time in preparation,” I offered.

“Not nearly enough,” she whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear over the rushing winds.

I peeked over the side of the saddle and was instantly overwhelmed by nausea at how high we were above the peaks. When my eyes lazily wandered back to Lia, I noticed she had an infuriating grin on her face, her dimples deepening as she sensed my hesitance.

“Scared, Commander?” she mocked.

A breathy laugh left me. “There she is.”

She scooted to the side of the saddle slightly and patted the space next to where she sat. “Come on, let’s have some fun for once.”

“Fun?” I repeated through furrowed brows as I crawled my way to her.

“I know deep down you remember what fun is.” She winked and leaned into me, her breath a light warmth on my ear. “Hold on tight, handsome.”

As if commanded, Nox shot through the sky in an instant, sending a rush of excitement coursing through my veins. I lifted my hand out for balance, but the wind was so strong it forced my hand back down on his neck.

With a powerful flap of his wings, we were lifted higher into the never-ending sky. The sensation of soaring through the open air was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and once I let go of that meddling apprehension that threatened me every time we were up here, I could finally understand why Lia loved it so much.

Her face was adorned with a beaming smile. She turned to meet my stare and laughed—the most magnificent, genuine, and life-filled laugh I had ever heard. If I were standing, it would’ve brought me to my knees. My laughter joined hers, erupting from deep within my chest .

Beneath us, the world unfurled in a breathtaking scenery of the rugged mountains. Jagged cliffs and ancient forests stretched as far as my mortal eyes could see, and even beyond.

The peaks below were dusted with a layer of the whitest snow, which glittered off the tips of the pine trees. This view…it was a gift to receive the sight of this—something that the average being would never witness.

“Hold on!” Lia yelled with a giggle, and my hands instantly gripped the front edge of the saddle.

Nox brought his wings tightly into his body and took a nosedive back down towards the peaks below. A shout or panic was about to tear through my throat when suddenly we spun—circling round and round before Nox tipped his body even further, hurtling us into a full flip. His wings shot out once more before his second nose dive, sending us soaring between the cliffs and their jagged, unforgiving edges.

The wyvern shot up from between the peaks, sending us into open air once more before he finally leveled out his wings and glided on the wind.

We both carefully sat up, and Lia wiggled her way up to the very front of the saddle, now sitting back on her knees as her body was nuzzled between mine and Nox’s neck. She leaned her back into my chest and lifted her arms out from her sides as the wind continued to race past us. I followed her lead and lifted my arms up to hers, lacing my fingers between hers .

I peered around her and caught a glimpse of her infuriatingly perfect face. There was nothing but pure love and bliss radiating in her eyes and down our bond.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, surrendering to the moment. All that existed was the endless sky unfolding before us, and my queen.

Avery

How many hours had it been since dawn? I had lost count, but judging by how painful my hips felt from rocking back and forth from the horse’s steps beneath me, I would say many.

I had overheard Zaela speak to Gage regarding moving too slowly, even with the horses, but not everyone could keep up on their mortal legs—mainly the women and children. The more people that jumped into the wagons, the slower the horses were able to pull them.

Every time I snuck a peek in Gage’s direction ahead, I often found that his own eyes were already lingering on me. The adrenaline from it would force me to swiftly move my gaze down to my hands on Matthias’s reins, but I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks beneath his stare.

“Gods, you’re embarrassing,” Finn huffed out from his horse next to me.

“Excuse me?” I asked between furrowed brows .

“Avery, you bat your eyelashes at any male that waltzes by you in the castle, yet this man comes along and you turn into a shy, giddy… thing .”

I scoffed in response. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Landon let out a chuckle from behind us, where he remained on his own horse.

I turned to face him. “Do you have something to say, lover-boy?”

He snorted. “You two are ridiculous…but I agree with Finn.” His lips twisted into a smirk, but he refused to look me in the eye.

“Well, I’m glad you seem to be healed and normal once again enough to tease me.” I paused as I shot him a look. “And I am not a shy, giddy thing , you imbeciles.”

“Not typically,” Finn chimed in. “But this handsome human comes along and suddenly you’re just that in his presence. Has the great and beautiful Avery found someone who makes her nervous?”

“No,” I rushed out. “I just have never had a chance to…act out on…actually never mind.”

The two of them burst into an obnoxious laugh, forcing everyone’s stares in our direction, including Gage’s.

“I hate you both.” My grip tightened on the reins.

Their soft, wicked laughter surrounded me, forcing me into a bravado of false bravery.

I cleared my throat quietly. “Um, Gage!” His neck instantly snapped around to look back at me from where he was several feet ahead, next to Zaela and Veli.

He instantly circled back and approached me and my horse .

“My lady, Avery.” Gage smiled at me, and my heart raced as my breath caught. I cursed my brother in my mind for antagonizing me into this.

My mind instantly blanked on what to say as he stared up at me with caring, warm eyes.

“Do your feet hurt from our travels?” I whispered.

Finnian instantly barked a laugh, making my jaw tick, but I refused to look at my brother as he teased me.

“What was that?” he asked gently.

The corners of my lips tilted up. “There’s room in the saddle. It was built for two.” I paused as his smile fully formed. “That is, if your feet begin to ache.”

An unbearable silence blanketed us as he continued to gaze up at me, walking alongside our horses.

“My lady, are you asking me to join you atop Matthias?”

“If you wish to…the invitation remains,” I answered.

He grinned up at me. “I would be honored to share a mount with you.”

In one swift movement, he gripped the front of the saddle with one hand and effortlessly swung his leg up the other side, planting himself directly behind me.

My eyes widened as the heat of his chest pressed into my back. My entire body went stiff.

“Are you comfortable, Avery?” he whispered into my ear, a knowing wickedness lingering in his words.

A shiver ran up my spine. “Yes,” I answered softly.

My brother and Landon felt the tension as it shifted around us like a mist and immediately commanded their horses to trot ahead of us, giving us privacy—or as much privacy as possible in our current surroundings.

"You know, Avery..." His words caused a tingling sensation to run through my body. “It’s very kind of you to consider my aching feet.”

I tried to speak, but words refused to come.

He chuckled in my ear, seeming to sense how incredibly awkward I was around men. “Tell me about you,” he said as his arms wrapped around me and took hold of the reins.

I craned my neck to look over my shoulder and was almost left speechless once more as I met his stare. “What do you wish to know?”

“Everything,” he answered without hesitation.

My breath caught, and heat rushed to my cheeks. “Well, where should I start?” I let out with a nervous laugh as I leaned into his chest.

Before he could answer, a deafening shriek erupted from the sky above us, forcing us all to snap our gazes up to the tops of the peaks.

Nox was spotted up above, high within the clouds, and then came barreling down toward the ground. We continued staring as he started performing multiple flips and dangerous moves while navigating the sharp, jutting edges above.

The laughter of children and awe-inspiring noises from the adults echoed down the never-ending lines through the path. We all moved forward swiftly once the wyvern left our sight.

I faced forward once more, about to continue telling the handsome man at my back my life story, when Zaela whipped around from the front where she had been with Veli and came storming towards us .

My whole body stiffened against Gage, and he gently squeezed my knee above my dress.

He brought his lips to my ear then, and whispered, “Don’t mind her. She’s just ridiculously overprotective. And that scary look she wears is also just her face.”

A snort left me at his attempt to lighten the sudden shift in the mood. Zaela’s eyes narrowed in on me then, and I felt the intensity of her stare as she crossed her arms once she was halfway to us, a scowl adorning her face.

A short chuckle left Gage as she approached, and it both irritated me and left me entirely confused regarding their situation.

“Zae—” he started, but he was cut off.

“What are they doing?! The whole point of them taking Nox was to get a head start,” she shouted up at Gage from our side as she began to walk alongside Matthias.

“It seems that they’re just having a bit of fun,” I said as I continued to look straight ahead. “You should try it sometime. They also likely left a few hours after us once everyone entered the passage.”

I felt the weight of her gaze boring into the side of my face.

“I was not speaking to you, Princess.”

“Zaela. That’s enough,” Gage interjected, a bit of bite I had never heard from him in his tone.

I didn’t even bother trying to hide my smirk, and now Landon and Finn were slowing their horses, falling back to eavesdrop on what was about to unfold.

“I simply stated a fact that I wasn’t speaking to her and came here to directly talk to you. The Commander’s Second.”

Gage let out a laugh, and I hated that it made me upset he was entertaining her.

“You have never referred to me as such. What has gotten into you?” he asked.

“Absolutely nothing. I need to know why they aren’t miles ahead of us.”

“Well, I would assume what Avery said was correct and that they’re having a bit of fun. The two of them deserve it, no?” he replied.

I turned slightly and glanced at her in time to see her eyes soften at his words. Why did she hate me so much when Lia was so sure of her not having feelings for Gage? He said she’s just overprotective, but to what extent?

“Fine,” she huffed. “I’m just tired, and my feet ache. Must be nice to have a mount,” she retorted with a slight sense of teasing. She then waded through the surrounding travelers and aimed for the front.

“Is she truly always like that?” I asked.

Gage was quiet for a moment, and I cursed myself for letting that slip out.

“Zae means well,” he said quietly with a sigh.

Suddenly, the warmth at my back was absent, and he swung his leg back over Matthias and leapt down from our saddle, leaving me alone once more.

My heart started racing .

“I should be at the front with her.” He looked up at me as he walked alongside. “It will still be many hours before we are out on the other side.”

I gave him a short nod in response, fixing my face into neutrality to hide that I wanted to burst into a fit of angry tears for her ruining that moment between us.

He reached up and gripped one of my hands as they rested on my lap. The callouses from his years of sword use and battle training were rough against my palm.

“And Avery…” I reluctantly looked back down at him. “I still wish to know everything.”

The corners of my lips tilted upwards as my heart fluttered. Gage pressed his lips to the back of my hand briefly and then stalked forward to join Zaela and Veli at the very front, maneuvering around Landon and Finn.

The warmth of his kiss lingered and I couldn’t help but stare down at where his lips met my skin.

I loathed that my brother and Landon were right—I had become a shy, giddy thing. However, I also realized that what I hated even more than what I have become…was the sight of Gage walking away.