Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

M alachi was in the sky coaching me. I had John and two crew members throwing some breezes and random objects at me. I wanted to try to use both of my Enchantments together. One of the Enchanted crew members, prick that he was, enjoyed throwing a bread loaf at me as I practiced flying alongside the ship. Between my wings, the breeze the ship was sailing in, the things being thrown at me, and my first Enchantment also flaring and begging to be used, it was a lot to take in.

But I had asked for this, masochist that I was.

I dodged a strike of what looked like lightning from John with my wings, veering sharply around it. Then I had to beat my wings and climb high to avoid the spray of cold sea water John was sending up into the air. I realized two beats later it was too late for the loaf of bread flying at me. It smacked with a thud against my wings.

I grunted, lost my control over my wings briefly and fell, landing in the water only momentarily before I was back up and flying again. And dammit if that water wasn't cold. So I used my magic to warm and dry me while simultaneously getting ready for the next attack. I could have normally caught myself with my first Enchantment, but the sharp pain of my wings being hurt had been the predominant thought. It was hard to remember what to do in that moment. Using both at the same time was going to take some practice.

The laugh of the man on the boat only made me angrier. I smiled. He wasn't the only one who knew how to throw a loaf of bread around. I may not be great at flying yet, but I sure as hell had mastered my first Enchantment.

So the next time he threw it at me, I caught it with my own palm magic and swooped down at the deck. I tackled him at the feet, then flew into the air, dangling him upside down with me.

"The point," I gritted out, "is to help me train. Target my wings again, an unnecessary cruelty, and you will find yourself in the water. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the man stated, arms flailing.

I rotated him so he didn't fall headfirst and dropped him, not caring if he hurt himself on the way. I also dropped the bread and let it smack him. Fortunately for him, it hit him in the stomach, slightly above where I had been aiming.

"Ready for a break?" John asked. The rest of the deck had gone quiet watching the exchange.

"No," I snapped. "If he can hit me with a loaf of bread, imagine how something much sharper would hurt." My wings ached just considering it. I wanted to go back and kill the men who hurt Esta and Serkan all over again.

Ten minutes later, I was sweating generously, but getting much better at using both Enchantments together. I couldn't beat my wings and send my magic out with the same thought yet, but I was getting there.

"What is this ?"

I knew she was there before I saw her.

I wrapped the bread in my blue power and launched it back at the crew man, him having to duck to avoid smelling bread for the foreseeable future. "Little busy, sweetheart."

"Your anger woke me."

"Yes, well, I took a little tumble," I explained as I shot around the breeze John sent up, my wings beating strongly. "Hurt my pride."

"He's a bit sensitive about the wings," the bread man added.

"Of course he is," she snapped. "Do you have any idea how much muscle is involved in protecting and using them correctly?" A pause. "Of course not." Then she spun to me, "And you ? You're just going to let him disrespect you like that?"

"Better him than Zaire?" I called out.

Malachi moved in to land on the deck so I followed suit.

"And no, Your Highness," the loafer answered. "He did not just allow it, he rightly dropped me on my derriere."

"Enjoyed it too," I laughed as I landed on the edge of the ship.

"Have you lost your mind?" Esta asked me, her human nostrils flaring oddly similar to how her dragon ones did.

"Me?" I asked. "He's the one throwing around perfectly good bread for kicks and giggles. An utter waste."

Esta took a heaving breath and brought her hand up to pinch her nose. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Like an utter fool, I decided to state the obvious. "I'm training."

"You're being reckless ."

"No," I argued, striding for her, eating up all the space between us. "Just having and occasionally using this gift you've given me is not enough. It is mine , because of you . I cherish it. And I will not just use it, but master it. So I will train and I will not stop until I am exemplary at both of my Enchantments. There is no other option for me."

"I—" I could feel her respect for me down our bond in her hesitation. "Fine. But you cannot master it in only a few days. It takes us years to become adept at flying. "

"Watch me," I argued, taking one last step so that I was an inch from her, close enough to feel her every breath. "We don't have years, Es."

"His rate of improvement is steady," Malachi chimed in, now from his human form. "What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in work ethic."

I never took my eyes from Esta; she never took hers from mine. We were in a standoff. I would give her the realm on a platter if she asked for it, but I would not allow her to sway me in this. I would work hard at flying and using my wings, the gift she'd given me. Asking me not to felt like a disrespect to our very bond.

Finally, she inhaled deeply and rested her hands at her hips. "Ever my annoying moon."

I grinned and kissed her hard. "Nothing is a match for the strength of the sun. I am merely trying to keep up."

"Stop flirting," she commanded.

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "But is it working?" I already knew the answer to that question, which made asking it all the more fun.

"Undoubtedly."

Malachi chuckled from behind me.

"Now that you are done scolding me, would you like to fly with me?" I knew once we arrived in Dra Skor that flying with Esta would not be able to happen for a while. While we kept our bonding a temporary secret.

She rolled her eyes but supplied, "Among other things," just before launching into the sky in her dragon form.

Dra Skor loomed on the horizon. We had only left for ten days. Ten days in which so much had changed. And yet I knew as we returned what we would find: the same civil war on the brink of spilling over, those exhausted dark circles and haunted looks among the Enchanted not yet healed—a sign there was much work left to be done, and a castle with more secrets than shadows.

It was far warmer here than it had been in Wylan, that was the first thing I noticed. I could finally breathe without seeing my exhale. The second thing I noted was that Dra Skor wasn't burning. So that had to be a good sign, right? Nana Mallick had kept the country from fizzling into full on civil war in our absence.

With a sigh, the land coming into sharper focus, I willed my wings away before someone could see them. I still didn't have the best control over them, far less than I would like, but I was slowly improving, or so Malachi encouraged.

"We will take trips to The Drak." Esta tucked herself under my arm, her hands on my stomach. "I promise to let you keep training as often as we can."

"While keeping it a secret," I added.

"For now," she amended. Her head snapped toward the shore. "Amory."

Without another word, she stepped forward to shift and head to the shore. I understood that Amory would not be here to greet the ship unless something was wrong. Unless there was news of sorts to deliver upon our arrival. We'd received three letters while away from Amory, none of them with anything of grave importance.

Had something happened since the last letter? Or had she intentionally kept some information out of the letter, knowing that no matter the issue, we could not really rush our return?

I let out a sigh. I could now fly with her. I would have liked to. But here I was, a spy just like Nyx and Zaire. My true nature a secret.

We weren't even back to Dra Skor yet, couldn't even make it to the docks before something else was happening. Another fire to put out. My own dread and Esta's filled me with worry. Could we not leave at all without something big happening?

Come along, my prince, Malachi offered.

I mounted Malachi, thoroughly annoyed I couldn't use my own wings yet but pushed it aside. There was work to be done.

We quickly caught up, landing just after Esta did.

Esta didn't bother to shift back to her human form, neither did Malachi. I realized it was because they suspected the worst. If Amory had bad news, they were already in their warrior forms, ready to take to the skies. Ready to defend, destroy if need be.

"Welcome home," Amory greeted with a tight smile.

"What is it?" Esta demanded.

Amory took a breath as if to steady herself. "Last night, Morana disappeared. All we found was a pool of her blood in her room at Halikaara. It seems likely she is dead."

Of the two biggest suspects I believed we had, one just went missing with a bloody mess left behind? It seemed our traitor had finally unmasked themselves.