7. Jaega

Confusion swirled inside Jaega. Waking up curled around Fersen had been the greatest pleasure life had offered him since his beloved mate had been so cruelly taken away from him centuries ago. The enchanting smell of him, which fluctuated alongside his ever-shifting color spectrum of shifter markings, was intoxicating. Jaega's dragon was more than ready to claim Fersen as theirs.

But Jaega had no right to mate Fersen. It was fortunate that Fersen hadn't been upset or distressed by Jaega taking such liberties with his person in his sleep. When was the last time Jaega had slept so soundly and awoken with such a warm glow in his heart?

They were thoughts best left alone. Jaega acted normal during breakfast, before he led Fersen outside of the camp. Once they were in a wide enough space, Jaega transformed into his dragon form. He was mindful to stay small for Fersen to mount with ease. Once he was certain Fersen was secure, Jaega expanded into his bigger size and took flight into the sky.

He relished Fersen's excited whoop of joy as they ascended high above the trees. Jaega rarely gave others the pleasure of riding him in his shifter form, so he savored each of Fersen's awed reactions.

With his dragon in full control, there was no place for conscious thoughts. It was cowardly for Jaega to admit he was relieved that he didn't have to dwell on what had happened that morning, but it didn't make it any less true.

They flew for a few hours before Jaega's dragon sensed Fersen's hunger. He landed them near the mountains, close to Arenvale. Once Fersen had safely dismounted, Jaega shifted back to his normal form. "Did you enjoy the flight?"

"It was amazing!" Fersen said in a rush of words. His excitement was palpable. "I thought running through the forest freely was the best joy life offered, but flying is the most incredible thing I've ever experienced."

"I am glad you found it so exhilarating and not scary."

"Why would I be afraid? Even if I fell, I know you'd catch me." The certainty in Fersen's voice made Jaega's dragon purr in his cage. It pleased them that Fersen had such explicit trust in them as a protector. "There was nothing to fear."

"Indeed." Jaega's dragon continued preening, but there were other things to focus on. He summoned a bag of food and two canteens Grisden had prepared for them earlier.

They both made themselves comfortable under the shade of a large tree. Jaega passed the bag to Fersen to let him have the first pick of what he wanted to eat and his own canteen.

"Where did you get this from?" Fersen asked as he pulled out some bread and fruit before passing the bag back to Jaega. "Thank you."

"Of course." Jaega took out meat jerky Grisden had included for him. "Our Enchanters can make anything magical. At the castle, we have enchanted armoires, from which I can summon anything I can picture in my mind. The servants at the palace refresh the food daily while I am away on my travels."

Fersen blinked in astonishment. "Wow, I didn't even know such a thing was possible!"

"I have no idea how it works myself, but our Enchanters are clever at making the impossible possible." Jaega took a few more bites of his lunch. "I also have a private armoire that only I can use. Not even Grisden has access to it, although I trust him with everything."

"Your Enchanters really are amazing." Fersen leaned back against the tree trunk as he continued eating. "I thought I was good at magic, but they make me realize I don't know very much of anything in comparison."

"I imagine you are self-taught since you lost your parents so young," Jaega said.

"Most of what I learned was from Olina, but she wasn't the strongest magic user. Once she left, I learned a lot from trying things on my own to see if I could manage it."

Jaega pulled another stick of jerky out of the bag. "How long ago did she leave for Kunushi?"

It took a moment for Fersen to do the math. "A little over a hundred years ago. It seems like it's been a blink of an eye and an eternity, all at the same time."

The dragon shifter chuckled. "Yes, time is funny like that."

Fersen's expression turned serious. "I'm just glad Olina wasn't there when King Decius's men grabbed me. I don't want to imagine what horrible things they would have done to her."

"Then do not dwell on such awful things," Jaega encouraged him. "Today is too lovely for such heavy thoughts."

Fersen smiled, making him even more beautiful in Jaega's eyes. "You're right." He sighed in contentment. "There were some dark nights when I thought I'd never see the light of day again, so it's the best kind of heaven to enjoy such a sunny day outside. I'll never be able to thank you enough for rescuing me."

"Your happiness is thanks enough." While Jaega meant those words, his dragon rattled in his cage at the thought of leaving Fersen alone and unprotected in the forests of Morven. Who would keep him safe from harm if another evil person found out about his heritage and wanted to kidnap him? They were disquieting questions that Jaega had to push from his mind. He had no claim on Fersen, so he had no right to insist that the unicorn shifter come back to Valzerna, where he could keep an eye on him. Under Jaega's watchful protection, nothing bad would ever happen to Fersen again.

"How far away are we?" Fersen took a sip of water from the canteen. "I can't really judge from that high in the sky where we are."

"We should reach the Reflorna and Morven border by nightfall. I would suggest we stop for the night and continue to your home fresh in the morning."

"Would you mind if we set up camp in the forest and not in one of the towns?" Fersen rubbed the back of his hand with an anxious expression. "Being in a city with so many people makes me really uncomfortable. I'm too scared someone will notice what kind of shifter I am and cause problems."

It was an understandable concern. "It was actually what I was planning to suggest we do."

Relief washed over Fersen's expression. "Good. I'll feel a lot safer that way." He hurried to correct himself. "Not that I don't think you can protect me! I just prefer not to tempt fate."

Jaega's dragon preened once more at hearing Fersen praise their prowess at protecting him. But Jaega did his best to ignore it. "I have no desire to put you in harm's way, even if I can defend you from anything. I will seek a cave for us to rest in tonight." It would be easier to guard Fersen that way. Being out in the open was too dangerous, especially when Jaega's instincts feared something ominous was lying in wait for them at Fersen's home.