28. Jasmine

As Jasmine watched the guys loading the equipment onto the small, precarious-looking helicopter, her shortness of breath returned, but this time it wasn"t because of the thin air or the altitude. She had never flown in one before, and the thought of being suspended in the air in such a tiny craft made her stomach churn with anxiety.

"I feel you, sister." Margo wrapped her arm around Jasmine"s shoulders. "I would be scared to fly in that bucket with a rotor, too, but I heard your boyfriend is an excellent pilot." She shifted her gaze to Negal, who was loading their backpacks into the craft. "He"d better be. He"s flying my mate too."

"He"s good." Gabi wrapped her arms around both of them. "You can"t beat immortal response time," she whispered so only they heard her. "You"re in good hands."

When the men were done, they came back to kiss their mates goodbye, and Jasmine climbed into the helicopter.

Edgar, already in the pilot"s seat, motioned for her to sit next to him, holding up a pair of headphones for her.

Jasmine hesitated, her eyes darting to the window and the vast expanse of sky beyond. She would have preferred to stay in the back, away from the dizzying views, but she forced herself to overcome her fear and settled into the seat beside him.

"Scared?" Edgar reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"A little bit. I"ve never been in an aircraft this small."

"You are in for a great experience," he reassured her with a bright smile. "Just buckle up, put the earphones on, and enjoy the ride. It"s nothing like flying in a commercial jetliner. You feel it in a craft this size."

That was what Jasmine was afraid of. She didn"t want to feel it. She wanted to feel like she was on the ground.

Once the doors were closed and those staying behind had cleared the area around the craft, Edgar started the engine, and the helicopter roared to life. When they lifted off the ground, vibrations coursed through Jasmine"s body, and as the craft tilted and swayed in sharp angles, she squeezed her eyes shut, her hands gripping the seat in a white-knuckled grip.

Was Edgar doing that on purpose? Did he think that she enjoyed this rollercoaster?

"Jasmine, open your eyes," Edgar urged. "You"re missing out on the beauty below."

Taking a shuddering breath, she forced herself to open her eyes and blinked against the bright sunlight streaming through the windows.

As her vision adjusted, she gasped at the sight that greeted her. The enormous plateau stretched before her in a vast expanse of untamed wilderness. The landscape"s dominant shade was that of dark dirt, but small patches of green dotted it, the low-growing shrubs clinging to the rocky soil. Many valleys had rivers running through them, adding to the breathtaking picture below.

From this height, the Himalayas didn"t seem so far. The sheer scale of the mountains was something to behold, filling Jasmine with a sense of awe at their untamed beauty and scale. Where the plateau was only dotted with vegetation, the mountains sprouted semi-dense forests at the bases. Jasmine noted how the tree line was repeated on every slope.

She could make out more details in the terrain as the helicopter flew lower. Herds of yaks grazed on the sparse vegetation, their shaggy coats blending into the muted colors of the plateau. Occasionally, they passed over a small village, the traditional Tibetan houses clustered together like colorful beads on a string.

Although the plan was to skip ahead by air ten miles at a time and land to get an updated scrying reading, this initial flight also helped them get a general sense of location and the lay of the land ahead.

Despite the incredible views, to Jasmine the flight seemed to drag on forever. Every gust of wind, every slight shift in altitude made her heart race and her palms sweat. She focused on her breathing, trying to stay calm and remind herself that Edgar was an excellent pilot who knew what he was doing.

After what felt like an eternity but was, in fact, less than half an hour, Edgar began to descend, aiming for a tiny spot on top of the peak they had marked on the map the day before. The flat patch was barely large enough for the helicopter to land on, and Jasmine held her breath as they touched down, the skids bouncing slightly on the uneven ground.

Edgar kept the rotors going as Aru disembarked and offered her a hand to help her down.

He rushed her away under the spinning rotors. "How are you doing?"

She chuckled. "Glad to be out of that flying toaster." She inhaled the dry, thin air. "I think I"m getting used to the altitude."

Edgar had been right about his venom bite helping alleviate her symptoms. It was a miracle cure-all, and she was grateful for the relief it had provided.

"Ready to do your witchy magic?" Aru asked.

"Yes, sir." She pulled her scrying stick out of the inside pocket of her jacket.