36. Chapter 34 Arden

Chapter thirty-six

Chapter 34: Arden

I 'm flying for what feels like ages. It's an odd sensation. I can feel the fatigue of my dragon as if it's my own, but it's also separate. My dragon isn't used to flying, so we have to occasionally pause and rest. I feel like I'm not in control, and maybe I'm not. I wonder if it's something that comes with time, or if she'll always be at the helm when I'm in this form.

I know from the day I rode with Zorvan that flying is a lot faster than walking, but not nearly as fast as teleporting. It took us a couple of hours to get to the rendezvous point with Nevidian all those weeks ago, and it only took us about twenty minutes to fly back.

From what I remember of the maps in the library, Solardin's capital city is a two week walking trek from Feldorn castle if they were drawn to scale. If it was, I'm looking at almost a three day flight if I don't stop at all.

After about twelve hours of flight, my dragon needs a longer break. We land in the forest, hopeful that we put enough distance between us and Solardin. The others hop off my back and unpack some things. I try to get my dragon to give me control, but she refuses.

"Can I talk to Arden?" Camus asks a couple of times, and each time, like a petulant child, my dragon refuses.

Please just let me out for a bit.

I know it's unfair of me to ask. My dragon has been locked inside of me my entire life. just a tiny speck in my soul that was begging to be free. Now that she's out, she's scared to go back inside.

I won't let you get locked inside for that long again. I promise. Once we get to Feldorn, we'll figure out a way for me to let you out as often as you want. Please just let me talk to our mate?

Nothing.

"I understand that you don't want to let her out. I'm not sure how this works, but if Arden can't hear me, can you pass on a message?" Camus asks.

My dragon snorts in response.

"Arden, I don't know if you can hear me, but we're only a few hours flight out from the nearest town in Feldorn, and you'll need to convince your dragon to let you shift before we get there. I can't go in asking for heat suppressants. I could probably send the girls, but they'll peg them as vampires. So we really need you to come out."

As if I don't know that .

Turns out, being a floating consciousness in a giant dragon is not as much as it's cracked up to be. Not being able to communicate with my mate is driving me insane. If I were with Zorvan, that may be a different story.

My dragon snarls, and Camus backs up a few feet.

What is your deal?

Her communication with me isn't words like I would expect. Rather, it's feelings. Even so, I can discern exactly what her deal is.

Zorvan?

There's a combination of anger and sadness when I think about him. It's very similar to my own feelings about him. The constant ache in my chest won't let me stay angry, so I vacillate between the two emotions. Grief is a complicated beast.

She curls up and lays down. Camus slowly approaches, and reaches out with his right hand to pat her on the nose. Or maybe that gesture was for me.

"You're beautiful," he says. He comes over to where my enormous underside is, and carefully steps over my tail. He nestles up against me between my tail and my belly.

"Goodnight girls," he says to the other two.

Llewellyn and Solina call soft "goodnights" from their bedrolls on the other side of the fire, and we settle in for sleep.

Once dawn hits, my dragon has hunted and fed, and the others have had breakfast, they load up and we take back to the sky.

After a couple hours of flight, Camus pats my dragons back and I urge her to fly to the ground. The thundering sound of her feet hitting the ground echoes through the woods.

"Okay, big girl. You really need to let her out," Camus says.

"Come on, please?" Solina begs. "I really don't want to have to explain why I need heat suppressants."

I promise, once we're out of the village, I'll let you back out.

There's a pause where she considers her options. Then finally she relents. The pain of the shift sears through my body once more as I shrink back down to my fae form.

I suck in a gasping breath as I heave on all fours on the ground. Camus throws a blanket over me, and rubs my back.

"How was it?" he asks, voice soft.

"Painful," I admit. "Possibly one of the worst pains I've ever felt. I hope it's not like that every time. But it was also incredible."

He helps me to my feet and wraps the blanket around me. "I'm sorry there wasn't more I could do to prepare you or help you through," he whispers in my ear after pulling me into him.

"It's okay. I at least got to be with you when it happened." I smile at him, then grab my clothes and continue, "Alright, who all is going into the village with me?"

All three of them raise their hands, then Solina says, "It's not safe for you to go by yourself. Cyndair has spies everywhere."

"Fine with me. I was fifteen feet from three of my mates when I got abducted last time. I don't want to take any chances."

I pull my pack over my shoulder and wait for Camus to lead the way. Hopefully none of the villagers saw me in the air. We'll find out soon enough.

As we walk the road into town, we get weird looks from everyone around. I'm close to going into heat. I'm sure some of the shifters can smell it.

"Arden!" a woman calls from a shop toward the middle of the town.

My brow furrows. "Did she just call for me?"

"I did! Now get over here before anyone else sees you."

I glance at Camus who is scowling at the woman.

"I don't trust her."

"I mean, I don't either."

The woman walks toward us with her cane out in front of her. and it isn't until she's about fifteen feet away that I see her eyes are completely white. Camus' shoulders relax just a bit, and he squeezes my hand.

"Seer," he says.

"Yes, now come with me. Please."

She feels around for my hand, and takes it in hers. She nearly drags me back to the shop she had been standing in front of. Once we're inside, she closes and locks the door.

"We don't have much time. It's imperative that you fly straight from here to Feldorn. You'll understand why when you get there. Here, take this," she says, and hands me a pill. "I took the liberty of procuring your suppressant so you didn't have to waste time searching for it."

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable taking this..." I say.

"Why would taking one from the alchemist be any different? You don't know either of us."

"She has a point," Camus says. "I mean, you could just not take it, and see what happens during your heat."

"Absolutely not. I'd rather risk poisoning from a stranger." I snatch the pills out of her hand and throw them back. "Hopefully I took them fast enough."

"Alright. Now get back on the road. Chop chop," the woman says, pushing us back toward the door. She shoves the other three outside, and grabs on to my shirt. "Listen, things are going to be hard, and dark from this point forward. But as long as you have those boys by your side, you can conquer anything. Zorvan is going to ask you a very important question in the next few days. When he does, tell him yes. Now go, save Sangaris."

She doesn't give me the opportunity to protest before she shoves me out the door after the others.

"What did she say to you?" Solina asks.

"That I needed to go save Sangaris. So I guess let's get out of here."