Chapter 33

Stella

"This lever here controls your ascent and descent. Pull up to rise, push down to lower. Keep it smooth, or you"ll get a jerky flight."

Oz nodded, his eyes following every one of Perseus"s movements, committing them to memory. His jet-black hair framed his chiseled features, casting shadows that accentuated the intensity in his eyes. Those eyes, like molten gold, were entirely focused on the task at hand. When he looked up at me, I saw the panther inside him. The corner of his lips quirked up ever so slightly. It was all cat, a feline smirk that told me I was the ball of yarn he was looking forward to playing with.

I pressed my thighs together, eager to get up in the air so that I could be alone with my panther. Perseus continued, pointing to a series of buttons and dials.

"These dials control your speed. The Pegasus can go fast, but I"d start slow until you get the hang of it. And this button here"—he tapped a red button on the dashboard—"is your emergency stop. Only use it if you absolutely need to—it's got a bit of a jolt."

Oz grunted in response.

"And keep an eye on the fuel gauge. If it hits red, you"ll need to land immediately or risk crashing. Magic can only do so much in this world."

"What"s this do?" I pointed to what looked like a hand-sized television screen.

"It"s for communication. But it"s defunct." Perseus clapped his hands together. "All right then, you"re all set. Safe travels, and maybe keep the flying to the clouds, huh? Draws less attention."

"Thanks, Perseus," I said. "For everything."

He opened his mouth. Then appeared to think better and closed it. Instead, he opened his arms and gave me a squeeze. I squeezed him back. Perseus let me go and turned to Oz. Once again, he spread his arms wide and gave Oz a sultry grin. I"d caught the inventor checking out my man"s ass a couple of times in the last few hours.

Oz grunted and turned away. He reached out a hand to me. I looked at his large palm. There were calluses and cuts spread out along his life line. My fingertips landed on the end of that lifeline. I reached until I was at the beginning of the line. Then Oz"s hand clamped around mine.

The wicker basket beneath my feet felt surprisingly sturdy as I settled into the belly of the Pegasus. From above came the gentle warmth of the burner flames that would fly the contraption. The burner ignited with a soft whoosh. The ground beneath us slipped away as we ascended into the sky. With each passing moment, the world below grew smaller, the distant horizon beckoning us onward.

And then we were flying.

For effect, Perseus had the horse's wings beat, though they were completely ineffectual as part of what made the machine fly. It was all gas and sparks and gears, things I didn"t know about. Not because I was a girl; because I was a witch. Magic ruled everything around me.

The view took my breath away. No Man"s Land stretched out beneath us, a tapestry of human ruins and natural beauty, its scars and rough edges softened by the distance. From up here, the world was peaceful, serene, a contrast to the dangers and struggles we"d faced on the ground.

I leaned back, allowing myself to be mesmerized by the vast expanse of sky around us. The air was cooler up here, a refreshing change from the stifling atmosphere of the city. It was a rare moment of tranquility, a brief escape from the chaos of our lives.

Up here in the clouds, every worry fell away. Oz"s black hair danced in the breeze. Had it grown longer in the few days that we"d known each other? The stubble on his chin certainly had darkened. It made him even sexier.

He turned from the controls and prowled toward me. I inhaled with anticipation, ready to pick up where we had left off in the hotel room. There was no way we could be disturbed by someone picking the locks or coming after us now. I was finally going to sink my teeth into my panther.

Oz reached for me. Then past me. There was a strap behind the seat. He pulled it forward and over my torso. I heard a click. I was trapped in place by the seatbelt.

"Kinky," I purred.

"I want to make sure you"re safe." His voice was barely audible over the hum of the engines.

"We"re in the air. No one can even reach me."

There had been a dragon in these parts not long ago. But that fire breather had been closer to Portland. And I didn"t think it ate people… on purpose.

Oz smiled as he sat down beside me. He didn"t buckle himself in. His gaze returned to the horizon. The weight of his responsibilities remained heavy on his shoulders, even though we were airborne.

"Hey, Oz? Wanna join the mile high club?"

"Stella," he warned.

"It"s a full moon tonight. I"ll be in heat. Figured we might as well get a head start."

He turned to me then. His index finger traced my brow. There was barely an inch between us. I moved to close the distance but was thwarted by the seatbelt.

Oz grinned.

"You are a kinky bastard, aren"t you?"

His grin mellowed as he traced from my cheekbones down the slope of my nose. "I"ve been thinking about that."

"The kinky things you"re going to do to me?"

"We won"t make it to Portland before you go into heat."

"If I go into heat. I"ve never shifted."

"You"ve been in heat since the moment we met."

"Hey!" I swatted at his chest.

Oz caught my hand and pressed a kiss to each fingertip. "What if we went to Earth and Emerald instead?"

I shrugged, savoring the feel of his lips against my fingers. "You"re in charge of the destination. All I care about is that I"m with you."

There was a look I had never seen on a man"s face before. Oz brushed the hair out of my face, then cupped my cheek. "I"m going to spend the rest of my life deserving you, Stella."

"I"m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you smile."

Miracle of miracles, a small smile landed on his face. It was big and wide and beautiful. I was instantly addicted to it. I was going to do whatever it took to get myself a hit of his smile every day.

I gasped dramatically. "There it is. I"m winning already."

He chuckled. It was the first time he"d laughed. It was a wonderful sound. And I would get to hear it for the rest of our lives. I was a lucky girl. So, of course, that"s when the Pegasus jerked sharply.

Oz was flung to the side. I remained exactly where I was, held in my seat by the belt. Oz quickly righted himself and grabbed for the controls. His features went from concern to frantic. I could feel why. The horse was now flying in a different direction.

As Oz struggled to regain control of the Pegasus, the flying machine"s behavior became increasingly erratic. There was a flicker and a pop emanating from the defunct television screen. Perseus appeared in a flurry of static.

"Stella, Oz," Perseus"s voice crackled through the speakers, his expression grim. "I"m sorry, I really am. There"s a bounty out for the two of you. The Crimson Roses will be waiting for you just outside of Chicago."

The words hit like a physical blow. The mix of betrayal and shock was a gut punch. I"d thought we were safe. What good were my visions if they led me directly into danger?

Oz"s hands tightened on the controls, his jaw clenched in anger. "I knew I didn"t like you."

"Well, I like you," said Perseus. "So I put in a failsafe. There"s a manual override. It"s under the main control panel. It"ll let you land the Pegasus a few miles away from where I told them you"d be dropped off. It"s the best I can do."