CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY

Sturrm

When the dragons finally have the celestial lyrics recorded, I rush through packing our things. We still need to get the crystals back to Moon Blade Village so Gerna and the others can work on preparing the new deathsleep antidote.

Selena gives the dragon younglings one last round of hugs and scratches and joins me where I stand with Dash and Bellavesaria.

“How do you want to do this?” Sheevora booms in her deep alto. She cocks her head, one giant amber eye fixing on the unicorn. “I’m not sure you can ride on my back without access to your elfin form. ”

“Oh!” Selena spins to look at Dash, her tone worried. “I didn’t think of that!”

“You want me with you?” His voice holds a note of vulnerability instead of playfulness, and I remember him saying he never fit in with either unicorns or pooka. A pang of empathy goes through me. I too know what it feels like to stand on the outside looking in as others live their lives.

But my wonderful, welcoming bride has changed that for me, and her good heart’s determined to change it for him as well. She throws her arms around his neck. “Of course I want you with me!” She glances at me and widens her eyes in a message the unicorn can’t see. “Don’t we, Sturrm?”

I owe Dash a debt. I never would have reached Selena in time without his help. And for all his teasing of me, he never divulged my secret to her. He’s been a good companion. I say, “We do.”

“You should go on dragon back,” he says. “I’ll follow. It will take me a while without Selena’s healing magic, but I’m still faster than a regular unicorn.”

“I don’t want to leave you behind.” Selena’s arms tighten around him, and she shoots me another loaded glance.

I’m torn. Getting to Moon Blade Village today would be best for the quest. But it wouldn’t be true to Dash, and abandoning him would upset Selena. He clearly means a great deal to her. Besides me, he’s been her constant companion since she first got to Alarria. Moon Blade Village will welcome her with open arms, but for her, it’s still a village of strangers. She’ll be comforted to have Dash with her .

Realizing this gives me all the answer I need. “No. We leave no one behind.”

Her answering smile is the sun breaking through clouds, warming me with the bounty of her happiness.

We ride for hours, Dash galloping tirelessly as the landscape slips past us in a blur. He runs harder than ever before, as if spurred on by his desire to prove we made the right choice in not abandoning him.

My moon bound’s happiness is all the thanks I need. She nestles back into me, her body fully relaxing and allowing me to support her and keep her in place.

Time after time, I bury my nose in her hair, breathing in its sweet scent. Our bath washed away most of the smell of my orc seed, making me long to coat her with it again. For now, I comfort myself knowing she wears the jacket I made her. Seeing it on her rouses my primal instincts. I have clothed her in my things. She is mine .

We stop for a quick lunch, the unicorn ripping huge mouthfuls of grass from the ground of the clearing. He grinds them between his teeth as quickly as possible, movements speedy as if he’s starved. This run is taking a great deal out of him, and I must admit I cannot fault his dedication.

Selena nibbles on the leftover meat the dragons gifted us, her eyes darting repeatedly to the sky, looking for our last companion .

“It’s all right if we don’t spot her,” I say. “We don’t expect to until evening.” We’d mapped out a course before we left the dragon cavern, picking a noticeable landmark to aim for each day.

“I know.” But her eyes return to the sky, hoping.

“She’s probably ahead of us,” I say. “Already waiting.”

“The hell she is.” Dash snorts, tossing his head.

I shrug. “She’s a dragon.”

“She’s a youngling ,” he says, sounding affronted.

Selena bites her lower lip to hide her smile.

We take off again, the unicorn running even harder than before.

To pass the time, Selena and I sing. We practice the Moon Goddess song a few more times through, me wanting to make sure I have all of the unknown words completely correct. Then she asks me to teach her a song, the one I sang for her that first night to chase away her bad dreams, the one I sang to her only this morning as I held her in my furs.

So I sing each verse of Under the Apple Tree until she learns the lyrics. The first couple of times she sings it with me, mimicking the melody in her higher register. Then we begin to harmonize, her voice dancing with mine, dipping and soaring in a playful way I’ve never tried with anyone before.

Together, we create a new version, her sweet soprano soaring to delightful heights as my baritone carries the main tune, dipping lower upon occasion to punctuate a particular turn of phrase.

We finish the song through, and I squeeze her close, singing the first verse into her ear one last time .

Come, lay thee under the apple tree,

And I’ll eat your fruit all night.

For you are the lovely lass for me,

Who bathes my heart in light.

Never have the words been truer, for my moon bound bride is the sun of my heart and life.