Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

" T ry to use your entire body when flying," Malachi instructed. "You will your body to shift forms, yes, but we also move our human bodies when willing our other form forward. We move with it, into it."

That made sense. I had seen Amory shift and it felt like her human body shook slightly just before her tigress form came out.

"You can do it so fast, though." Calling my wings out and willing them back down still took me more than a minute to manage. If not more so.

"It will come," he assured me. "Again."

So for the third time, I took off running, jumped into the air, and willed my wings to appear. This time they actually did, and I shoved my shoulder blades back as Malachi had instructed me.

Immediately, as if I'd had them my whole life, they began to beat, lifting me higher and higher. I was getting used to how to hold my neck so that my head didn't snap backward with the force of them.

"Well done," Malachi said from the ground beneath me .

Before bonding to Esta, I loved flying with the shifters in Dra Skor. The rush of it similar to what drew me to wave riding so often. Maybe it was the adrenaline high, maybe it was the change of perspective. Things were way less overwhelming when you knew you could rise above them. To realize that I could fly myself now, all on my own?

It was a gift I was never going to take for granted. Ever. I doubted this was ever going to get old either.

"Take another lap around the meadow and let's work on that landing."

I did as he said. Normally, I wouldn't like taking orders like this. I hadn't taken orders like this in a very long time. But this gift was something that I could not squander. I needed to learn it and learn it quickly. So despite my royal upbringing, my royal bratness, I listened and focused, letting Malachi teach.

Did I like people telling me what to do? No. But I did trust Malachi.

This time I came in lower and didn't need to tuck and roll, but I had tucked my wings in too early again, and the result was that I had to think fast and make myself a step down with my magic.

"Better, but that's cheating," Malachi laughed.

"At least I didn't need to roll this time," I countered.

"One more time, Prince," Malachi urged.

"What is it with all this ‘prince' talk all of a sudden?"

"You are soul bound to our queen, you will become king consort, thus have the official title of a prince in Dra Skor. You'll be a Dra Skor prince as well as a Wylan one. I figured I should just get used to saying it."

I cocked my head. "You know I don't care what you call me, Malachi."

He grinned. "Yes, but I also know how I refer to you will set the tone. "

I gave him a nod of understanding and shifted my weight from foot to foot. I had yet to be fully alone since sprouting wings, and all I wanted to do was stand butt naked in front of a mirror and see what they looked like. I felt the constant urge to move them side to side and touch them. I also wanted to feel water on them, should there be a shower big enough.

I was obsessed. There was no other way to put it.

"Once more?" I repeated.

He gave me a nod.

It took me a full minute to concentrate hard enough, but they were soon gone, like a candlelight I put out, they were there one minute, gone the next.

I inhaled deeply and took off at a run, calling my wings back out.

This time as I landed in the meadow, I fell to a crouch, but it was still an improvement. I wasn't nearly ready enough to go flying patrols with the shifters in Dra Skor, but at a painstakingly slow rate, I was making improvements.

Training was second nature at this point, either with my body or my Enchantment, so learning my second Enchantment was the first thing in, I couldn't remember how long, that I truly had to work at. Even wave riding had come naturally to me.

I had to admit that the challenge was a welcome one. One I knew I would give both my time and effort to. Not for the people of Dra Skor and their opinions of the Prince of Wylan having dragon wings, but for me .

"How do you feel?" Malachi asked as we finished up.

"My shoulder blades hurt like hell," I admitted.

"Your human body has to carry the weight of your wings," Malachi offered. "While I do not know what that feels like personally, I can imagine that it will take a while for your human body to strengthen all the proper musc?—"

He cut off because my head snapped to the side .

"What is it?" he asked, immediately tensing into soldier mode.

"It is my mate," I smirked. More loudly, I added, "I can sense your mischief, you know."

"Damn bond," I heard Esta mutter before a blast of her power hit me. It felt warm and was gone as fast as she'd sent it.

"Direct hit!" Jorah cheered from where she hid around a nearby tree.

"But a horrible one," Esta added.

I spun toward them to look at Esta. "Would you really like to start this, Es?"

"I—" her eyes trailed along my wings. "No. Why are you so good at it?"

"The gentle and small amounts of palm magic are far harder to master," I told her. "You'll get there."

"You two are going to be a lot to be around in the coming weeks, aren't you?" Malachi asked.

Esta crossed her arms as she walked over to us. "You know you could always get your own significant other to flirt with, Malachi."

I choked on a laugh before moving behind Esta. "Do you know what form your magic is yet?"

She shook her head.

I stood behind her. "I want you to send a breeze. Not a heated one, just a simple breeze. But think of it moving slowly. As if dipped in molasses. Slow, slow, slow."

She inhaled sharply, and I didn't know if it was because of my breath on her neck or because of her magic stirring.

"And if it's still moving too fast, which might happen, I'll send out my own to slow yours down."

Without any other urging, she sent her magic out of her fingertips, to sweep toward the forest and turn back toward us. It was much slower this time. I could see the blueish purple streak had wings .

So as promised, I sent out my own power to hers, to slow them further.

Sure enough, as soon as I did, the blue and purple magic slowed together enough to reveal that the wings were attached to a raven. One to match my own as they flew together.

"A counter," Malachi said. "You get a dragon's strength, wings; she gets your raven one."

"We match." The grin that crossed my face was unstoppable.

Esta laughed. "Who would have thought after our bonding that I'd be the one with a tiny bird."

"You were stuck with me no matter what, even if I was the tiny dragon." I brushed a kiss to her cheek.

"Naps are going to be required for all," Jorah stated as she gestured for the castle. "You two get some rest before you leave for Dra Skor in the morning. And this calls for celebratory cookies."

"Not going to argue with that." Malachi immediately followed her toward the castle.

I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. It looked like Jorah's cookies gained her yet another admirer. I wrapped my arm around Esta as we followed them toward the castle.

"I wish we could stay for longer," Esta admitted, eyes taking in the castle. "I've been asleep for a good portion of our trip."

"We will handle a few things in Dra Skor and then we will come back," I promised.

"Your home is lovely, Keir."

You are my home now, I told her down the bond. The rest are just places I find comfort in. Both Wylan and Dra Skor can and will be that for me.

"But first homes are special," she argued. "This place built you into what you are today. A man I couldn't be prouder of."

Every time she said she was proud of me, I wanted to grab her enemies by the throat and thrust a dagger straight to their jugulars. There was absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for this woman. All I could manage to put into words was, "Last homes are special too."

We were in Nerede, ready to board for Dra Skor. I knew I would return to Wylan, Esta with me. She was right, this was the place which had built me. The place where we had bonded. Yet my future was leading me elsewhere.

"Come find your adventure on the open seaaaas," John sang deep and strong as he headed up the dock.

I snorted a laugh. That sea shanty may annoy me most days, but the message and tune to it was too catchy to not also adore.

I told John he could stay in Wylan if he wanted, but he'd insisted on seeing our project through. Two of the crew members behind him were carrying his trunk, grunting and groaning beneath it.

I sent thick strands of my Enchantment out to lift and help them. "What all did you pack, old man?"

He spun to me and looked at me from over the top of his glasses. "Oh, just some light reading."

"You call this light reading?" one of the men groaned.

"Books," I stated. "Of course, you would."

"One must stay up on his studies if he wishes to maintain the title of Great Mind Seducer," John deadpanned before boarding the ship without another word.

I shook my head. "Unbelievable."

Jorah and Esta were hugging and saying goodbye, so I scooped up Warrick to do the same.

I knew I would return to Wylan, hopefully sometime in the near future, but it didn't make these goodbyes any easier.

"You take care of Wylan, favorite nephew," I told him.

"You take care of your wings!" Warrick whispered, a small and strong arm wrapped around my neck. "Better train up so that you can take me for a ride next time."

"You've got it, little man," I grinned.

I put him down so he could say goodbye to Esta and moved to hug my brother.

"What do you say?" Esta said, crouching down to his level. "I know I have to leave in a few minutes, but I thought you might like one last ride?"

Warrick's eyes tried to leave his head. "Oh, yes please!"

She had asked us earlier, and Krew had let the crew know. Esta was going to fly with the ship a bit when we departed anyway. So she shifted right there on the shore next to the dock. I scooped up Warrick and we went for one last short ride together.

As we landed and Warrick jogged back over to Jorah and Krew beaming, I saw Jorah swiping at her tears.

"Jorah?" I asked.

"This is what healing looks like," she whispered. "For the entire realm. And I could not be prouder of us. All of us." She gestured toward the ship, now waiting for me. "Go on. Go hunt down that traitor and make them bleed."

I snorted a laugh. We'd gone from tears to blood in record speed.

"We love you," Krew added.

I dipped my chin, too overcome by their words to say it back, though they definitely knew it.

Standing on the deck of the boat as we left Wylan, my breaths coming out in puffs of fog, I watched Esta fly ahead of us before circling back around.

I called my wings out as I stepped up to the side of the railing. And then I was flying, climbing higher and higher to fly next to her.

If she wanted to fly, I would fly at her side. For all of two minutes until I got tired, anyway .

Malachi was next to me shortly after, probably wanting to fly also before being cooped up in the ship.

I grinned as the three of us flew alongside and around the ship. From the shores of Wylan we likely looked the size of ravens, flying with the boat. We were such a misfit group. The dragon queen. Her lover. Her general. And yet I had never had as much confidence in the three of us as I did in that moment.

It was time. Time to head back to Dra Skor. Back to whatever waited for us.