Chapter Forty-Four

CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

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A GUST OF WIND RATTLES THE SHUTTERS, STIRRING ME from sleep. I reach out, expecting Cayden to be there, but I'm met with nothing but a cold and empty space. I glance toward the fireplace, where a crackling fresh log pours heat into the room, but his clothes are gone.

"Cayden?" I call out, hating how vulnerable I feel when I don't get a reply, and sip some water to aid my raw throat. Footsteps bound up the steps, and I ignore the pain in my ribs as I grab a knife off the bedside table. The door creaks open, and Cayden quirks a brow as he takes in my crazed state.

"Was the sex that bad?" He kicks the door shut and sets the breakfast tray on the table, throws two cloaks over a chair, and sets a burlap sack on the ground. Clearly, he's been busy . . .

"Terrible. Absolutely horrendous."

"Is that so?" He licks his lips while cradling my face. His proximity eases my nerves and ignites something wanton in me.

I reach out to grab his belt loop, pulling him closer. "Yes."

He tilts my chin higher and lowers his lips to mine. I press my thighs together as his tongue dips into my mouth, stroking and teasing me. Butterflies erupt low in my belly, and I sink into his hold just as he pulls his mouth from mine and smiles down at me in accomplishment.

"Always a demon." I glare at him. "What's in the bag?"

"Apples, angel." He grins, hoisting me in his arms and placing me on his lap, waving a cup of coffee with a dash of sweet syrup in front of my face. "We have plans after breakfast."

***

We exit the inn after Cayden settles the bill, and he gestures to a pair of horses tied off by the entrance.

"By the gods, is Cayden Veles, esteemed Commander of Vareveth, stealing horses?" I swing myself into a saddle and grasp the reins. "One night with me and you're already corrupting your pristine morals."

He glances over his shoulder and winks. "My soul is only yours to corrupt, love."

He leads us toward the tree line behind the inn, not glancing back at the remains of his childhood home as we leave the village. I hope he found a sense of closure in the flames. Living with loss is akin to having a poorly stitched wound that never goes away and bleeds when you least expect it. Lush evergreens stand tall in the forest as we leave the Etril behind, and I veer left with Cayden, utterly astonished by the view.

White, rocky mountains span before me, making me feel like a tiny speck in the world in comparison to their grandness. The snow-covered cliff Cayden brought me to comes to a peak before a steep dropoff, overlooking the bluest lake I've ever seen. I inhale a deep breath, firmly believing that simply being in nature can feed the soul.

"Call upon the dragons," Cayden says, dropping the bag of apples at my feet. "You mentioned that one of your books said they like fruit, so I nabbed this in the stable."

"No honeybuns?"

"Not this time, love."

Giddiness parades through me and I squeal as I jump into his unexpecting arms. He stumbles back before recovering, wrapping me up, and chuckling. "Thank you," I say, kissing his cheek.

I kneel in the snow, but I don't do anything before a shadow rises in front of the cliff like steam from a kettle. Calithea's silver gaze is on me while she perches on the edge and nudges the bag of apples with her snout, stomping her feet in excitement and sending snow tumbling below. Staring up at her, I get a flash of how tiny she used to be and shove down the sadness stemming from all the years missed.

"Not yet, sweet girl." I hoist the bag in my arms, but her forked tongue springs out to steal a rogue apple from the ground. "Calithea!"

She swallows it whole before diving off the cliff, angling her white-tipped wings to spin in the air while calling to the others. They appear in an instant, their vibrant scales even more beautiful against the wintery backdrop. Venatrix's pink and gold markings along her back glitter in the sun like she was always meant to embrace it.

Delmira is the second to land in front of me, and I slide a hand down her sky-blue scales. Her markings are sunflower-colored swirls on her chest and down her ankles. She circles me, launching herself above my head when I toss an apple in the air.

My heart slowly mends in their presence, and the bond strengthens in my chest like a blacksmith is welding us back together. Our souls are forged from the same flames; nothing can unweave me from them. It's one thing to dream of dragons, and another to watch them dance. Sorin is pure emerald with black-tipped wings and horns, twirling with Basilius, the only dragon without a single marking. He's entirely lavender.

I throw an apple as far as possible, watching them zip through the air, hot on Venatrix's tail as she catches it. I clap my hands, cheering for her as she corkscrews higher than the others. Cayden chuckles behind me, sitting against a tree as he watches the show. Sorin catches the second apple and presses his forehead against Venatrix's, his emerald eyes coated in a cocky victory.

I make sure Delmira, Calithea, and Basilius get plenty while the pair continue waging a war filled with shoves and chuffs. Once they catch on to the fact that their pettiness is cutting into their treats, they call a ceasefire and swoop back into the game. We continue until the bag is empty, but they continue twirling and gliding, diving into the lake before springing into the air again with eels hanging from their mouths. Well . . . not Sorin, he yelps when Venatrix tosses one at his face and presses his forehead against mine while he pouts.

I didn't think it was possible for a dragon's face to reflect so many emotions.

I try my luck at climbing onto his back, but he shies away. A little needle prods at my heart when I catch the uncertainty in his gaze, but I offer him a reassuring smile and slide my hand down his neck. I'll fly when they're ready, but I'm happy to take a seat beside Cayden and rest my head on his shoulder while we watch them.

"If anyone could turn lethal, fire-breathing beasts into oversized dogs, it's you," he mutters.

"You adore it." I poke him in the side. "Taming beasts is my specialty."

He rolls his eyes, not missing my hidden meaning, and dryly states, "My adoration for you increases daily."

I flinch when Basilius kicks Calithea in the head, but she quickly recovers and smacks him with her tail. "Do you think the others are all right?" I ask quietly.

"I do." He squeezes my thigh reassuringly. "Imirath's focus will remain on us, and they're traveling in the opposite direction with travel papers. Finnian and Ryder are probably driving Saskia mad by now."

I laugh nervously. "I suppose you're right, but we should leave now to have ample daylight while we ride."

"As you wish, love."

We dust the snow from our pants and climb onto the horses again as the dragons fly overhead, always in my sight. I adore how clingy they're being. On the rare occasion the trees clear around us, a dragon will fly beside me, glancing at me from the corner of their eye. I'm eager to take them to a place that feels like home, wanting to cherish every moment with these sweet beasts.