by E. L. Todd
The fire died away further, but her hand felt warm in his, like she had her own personal flames. Her eyes closed for a moment, feeling a sense of peace overwhelm her, an affection that made her happy. It was always that way with Rush, like he could bring the power of the forest everywhere he went.
“Cora?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you block us for so long?”
Her eyes opened, seeing the nighttime sky above her, her peace destroyed by the question. Her breathing immediately increased, picturing the conversation with her uncle in her mind. Grief swept over her, sorrow for someone she didn’t even know. “I…I was going through something and just needed some space.”
Rush accepted her answer without another question. “I’m always here if you want to talk.”
“I know.”
Silence trickled past, seconds turning into minutes. “We should leave tomorrow.”
“For the hideaway?” She released the tension in her lungs, relieved for the change in subject.
“Mist Isle.”
“Don’t we need a ship?”
“Now that we know the way, Flare says he can make the journey.”
“Are you sure about that? How far away is it?”
“Pretty far. It took us over a month to get there by ship. But it might only take a day or two by dragon.”
“That’s still a lot…after everything you’ve been through.”
“I trust his judgment. If he says he can do it, he can.” His thumb brushed over her hand, rubbing the callused skin from where she gripped the branch in her training sessions.
“What about Bridge?”
“It would take too long to sail. We’ll see them when we get back.” He turned his head and stared at her with his blue eyes, still bright despite the lack of light.
She turned and met his look, recognizing that intense expression immediately.
Her breathing increased once more.
Her body felt weak.
She already knew what would happen before it even happened.
His fingers released hers, and he rolled onto his propped elbow, holding himself above her. With their faces close together, he started his hand at her knee and slowly grazed to her thigh and then her hip.
Her blood pumped like drums, her lungs sucked in a breath automatically, and her lips parted just the way they had the last time he kissed her. Her mouth prepared for his kiss to land, ready for their mouths to combine with the softness of two clouds.
His mouth dropped to hers, fitting perfectly like lock and key. A breath was given to her lungs, a swipe of tongue next.
Her mouth mimicked his, her hand immediately cupping his face, some of her fingertips digging into his hair. The breath he gave her was returned, along with the tongue. Heat spread through her extremities and then her stomach. Her neck burned. Her lips were on fire.
He moved farther over her, maneuvering her leg over his hip so they could come closer together. He layered her mouth with slow and purposeful kisses, feeling her lips like he wanted to memorize each one, treasure them.
Her fingers dug farther into his hair as she deepened the kiss, kissing him like she knew exactly what she was doing, like this felt like the hundredth time—not one of her first.
He broke away for just a second, turned his head the other way and rubbed her nose with his as their eyes locked on each other. Then he descended and kissed her again, this time with greater speed and intensity, his hands gripping her body with masculine squeezes, his big hands getting so much of her every time.
The trance ended unexpectedly. Reality rained on her like hail from a storm. That gnawing pain that had been in her stomach for months returned, this time accompanied by guilt and sorrow.
Her hand pressed against his chest, and she pushed him back.
His lips pulled away, and with the same heated gaze, he looked at her with concern. “We can take it slow. That’s fine with me.”
She pushed him farther back, getting him off her completely. “No. I just…” She looked at the ground because it was too difficult to say these words while looking at him directly. The words weren’t on her tongue like they normally were. Now it was a struggle to choose the right way to say this. “I just want to be friends.”
He pulled his hand away from her thigh then turned still.
The silence continued forward, so she forced herself to lift her gaze and meet him head on.
Stoic. Stony. It was like nothing happened at all. “Is it because of him?”
“Who?”
“Callon.”
It took her a moment to recover from the accusation because it was so far off. “No.”
His hardness remained, adopting a stone wall in place of his normal features.
The silence was unbearable, the tension mounting until it was insufferable. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be.” Every word came out like an arrow, pulled on the string and released, hitting an invisible mark. “It’s fine.” He lay down on his cot again, his eyes on the stars. “Let’s just forget about it.”
When she woke the next morning, Rush was gone.
The campfire was dead, the morning sunlight filtering through the leaves and branches overhead. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, like she had a bad hangover from the night before.
Flashbacks of last night came to her.
“Ugh.” She cringed at least three times. “That was so bad.”
She wanted to push out her mind to Flare to ask where they were, but she didn’t.
It would be awkward.
And it would be awkward for a while.
Around noon, Rush returned, his pack over his shoulder, his chin tipped to the ground to avoid eye contact. When he came to the campsite, he dropped the contents on the ground. “I got some medicinal flowers and extra leaves. Thought we could make more canteens.” He took a knee and sifted through the items.
He tried hard to make it less awkward, but that only made it more awkward. “I don’t know how to do that.”
“Your bowls work pretty well.”
“I didn’t make them.”
“We’ll figure it out when I get back.” He straightened and returned the empty pack to his shoulder. “We’re going to need water more than food for this journey.” He turned to depart.
“Rush?”
“What?” He halted but didn’t turn around.
“I know you said you didn’t want to talk about it—”
“Because there’s nothing to say.” He turned back around and made eye contact with her for the first time. “I’m a man, Cora. You turned me down, and I took that rejection like a man. It changes nothing between us, not our friendship or camaraderie. It’ll be weird for a few days, but let’s just get through it and go back to normal. Agreed?”
She didn’t have any other option but to nod.
“I’m going to get more stuff.” He turned around and continued on his path. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
At nightfall, Rush transitioned into Flare, and they prepared to leave.
Cora wore both packs on her shoulders because there wasn’t a place to tie them up. She climbed on top and grabbed Flare in the right spot, riding him becoming second nature after they’d left Rock Island.
Flare opened his wings and took off.
She held on tight, suppressing the scream she wanted to release. What if the Shamans follow us?
Flare’s deep voice replaced Rush’s. You can chase them off, remember?
Oh yeah…guess I can.
He gained altitude above the clouds then glided, heading in the direction of the island. Flare was quiet, and he hadn’t said a word to her all day.
She could feel his distance, feel the change in their relationship. He told you what happened.
He tells me everything, Cora.
Now you’re mad at me. They’d been apart for so long, and once they came together, it should have been a warm reunion, like when the sun reappeared in the sky and g
ave light to the flowers in the meadow. Instead, it was sword against shield.
I’m not mad at you because you don’t want to be with him.
Then why?
I’m mad that you lied.
I didn’t lie—
I’ve seen you and General Callon together. I see the connection you share. He abandoned his post to help you, and he didn’t do that out of the goodness of his heart. There’s only one reason he would have done that.
She kept her body low against his because the wind was harsh when he flew at this speed. Her nails continued to hold on to the scales, inside the grooves near the base. We do have a connection…but it’s not what you think.
Then explain.
If she told Flare, he would tell Rush. And she wasn’t ready to share that information. It’s just not, okay? Believe me or don’t believe me, I don’t care. But I’m not a liar.
Then why won’t you tell me—
Because I don’t want to.
Flare slowly withdrew his hostility, like claws leaving her flesh. Silence passed, the intensity of his sour mood decreasing by the minute. Then what is the real reason, Pretty? Because I know how you really feel about Rush. I can see it. I can feel it.
She stayed quiet, unsure how to respond to that.
Why won’t you tell me?
Because…I don’t want to talk about it.
Now or ever?
I’m not sure. When she’d stepped foot inside Eden Star, she could have been met by her father, a man who could have answered all her questions, given her something she’d been missing her entire life. But Rush had killed him—denying her that opportunity forever.
She knew he was a different person, a good man, but just as Callon said, that didn’t change what had already been done. Once she had her own personal loss, she understood how difficult it truly was to forgive and forget, to move on, to be in a place to let the past go.
The following day passed as a blur, scorching sunshine in her face the entire way. Cloud cover was in their favor, shielding the ocean below them so passing ships had no idea about the fiery red dragon that traveled across the skies.
By nightfall again, she grew tired, lying on top of Flare with loose fingers.
Sleep, Pretty. If you fall, I will catch you.
She couldn’t fight the urge to close her eyes anymore. They shut, and she drifted off instantly, her limbs giving an involuntary jolt because her mind fell asleep quicker than her body.
It seemed like she’d only just closed her eyes when the coldness hit her.
Her clothes turned damp, her hair slick. Water drops formed on the skin of her hands and cheeks. Muscles began to shiver to produce the heat that had been stolen. The fatigue wasn’t strong enough to keep her under, and her eyes cracked open.
Nothing but mist.
She blinked a few times before she righted herself. When she looked the other way, the mist was there. It was in all directions. Thick like a wall, physical to the touch like heavy clouds. It was dark, but the moonlight illuminated it, creating a dense fog. “Where…are we?”
Mist Isle.
“They weren’t kidding about the mist, huh?”
Flare glided in the mist, his wings cutting through it like a hot knife in butter. Minutes passed, and they still hadn’t made it to the other side. An island wasn’t visible. No mountains. No trees. No dragons.
When he finally broke through, the silhouette of the mountains appeared. Moonlight shone on the grass surfaces, on the canopy of trees. Everything else was dark, just a solid mass with no details.
She looked up and saw the stars. “They’re so bright here.”
Yes. It’s the most beautiful place in the world. He glided to the island and landed on a slope of grass, like he’d been there before, then immediately lowered himself so Cora could slide off.
She got to her feet with the packs, and Flare folded his wings. Instantly, he changed, Rush taking the reins.
Cora looked up at the closest mountain, her head tilting back as she watched it point to the heavens. Mountains in Anastille were different, with gentle hills that led to wide and soft mountaintops. In Mist Isle, mountains met ocean, a perfect fusion of two unusual elements. “I can’t even see, and I know it’s beautiful.”
He opened his pack and got ready for the night, laying out his bedroll and fishing out his canteen. “If you think this is beautiful, wait until morning.” He lay in his bed and snacked on the food they packed, eating whatever he could find without discrimination.
After she took a look around, she unpacked her things and got ready for bed. “It’s ironic. I couldn’t keep my eyes open—and now I’m wide awake.”
Rush lay still and looked at the nighttime sky, one hand behind his head while the other held his half-eaten apple. He took a bite and chewed quietly, his eyes reflecting the celestial glow that shone upon him.
“Is Flare okay?”
He finished chewing his bite. “Just tired. It was a lot for him.”
Things weren’t quite what they used to be, but they were definitely better after they hadn’t spoken for a few days. Cora didn’t revisit the conversation or issue another apology. “He has deep affection for this place.”
Rush stilled, holding his apple without taking a bite. It was close to his face like he was about to finish it off, but he slowly moved his arm away, his fingertips spinning the apple around absent-mindedly. “Yeah…he does.”
She got into her cot and rested her head on her pack, her bedroll several feet away from Rush’s. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
The apple was brought to his mouth for another bite. “Not get burned alive.”
“Then we should avoid the scrambled eggs fiasco.”
A light chuckle escaped his lips involuntary. “Bad joke.”
“You laughed.”
“Yeah…it was a good bad joke.”
Thirty
Dark Magic
“Are you sure it’s smart to make a fire?” Cora sat across from Rush, the black pot over the flames holding the contents of their breakfast. The potatoes sizzled and softened, the herbs added flavors, and the pine nuts gave it a crunch.
Rush sat with his arms on his propped knees, his sword on the grass beside him. “We’ve got to announce our presence somehow, so…” He gave a shrug. “And none of this is smart, by the way. Ashe told me not to return—and I did it anyway.”
“But do you ever listen?”
He gave another shrug. “Once in a while…depending on my mood.”
She chuckled and pushed the food around, waiting for a few more seconds before the fragrance wafted toward her. She pulled the pot out of the fire then split it between two bowls. “This smells good.”
“It’d smell better with charred bear on top.”
“You really need meat for breakfast?” She handed the bowl to him.
“I’m a man and I’m a dragon. Yeah, I need meat.”
“I used to think the same thing…but realized it wasn’t so hard.”
“Oh no…”
“What?”
“You’re going to push your elf agenda on me?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I’m just sharing my experience with it. They forbade me from hunting in their forests, and for a while, I was hungry all the time, but then I guess I just got used to it.”
“Used to being hungry all the time?”
“No.” She stirred her food with her fork and gave him a playful glare. “I just stopped needing it.”
“I was always that kid who wouldn’t eat my vegetables. Drove my mom crazy.”
“You probably drove her crazy anyway, so…”
He chuckled before he scooped a bite into his mouth. “Always.” He kept his eyes on his food, and slowly that smile fell, his joy replaced by sadness.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah…me too.” He continued to eat, his eyes down. “She deserved a lot better.”
Unsure what to say, she pushed her food around, her heart i
n her stomach.
Rush ate in silence, his eyes over the edge of the cliff and to the ocean beyond.
“You never told me how you were captured.”
“That’s a long and stupid story.” He scooped his fork inside and got a serving of potatoes and snap peas. “I tried to sneak into the castle on my own and take out the guards, but then General Shithead showed up…”
“General Shithead?”
“You must not have seen him. Trust me, you would know if you had.” He took a few more bites. “He replaced me when I left the empire. My father will only give him a dragon if he proves himself, and the way for him to do that is by capturing me. So, he has it out for me, basically. One on one, we fought, and I nearly had him…and then Lilac decided to…” He used air quotes. “Come to my rescue.” He rolled his eyes. “Sabotaged the entire thing. They were going to slaughter her if I didn’t surrender, and since she’s saved my ass a couple times, I had to do it.”
“That must be frustrating, but she was just trying to help.”
“I specifically told them to stay at the boat.”
“Well, you don’t listen to anyone, so how do you expect anyone to listen to you?”
His eyes turned back to her, a sheen of affection in his gaze. “Touché.”
“So was your father on the way when I got there?”
“I’m sure he was. If you’d gotten there a few hours later…maybe a day…it would have been game over.”
“What did the steward want?”
He chewed his food and continued to push his potatoes around, his eyes down. “Just to be a shitty uncle…”
Her time in captivity hadn’t faded from her mind, only disappeared temporarily when she found peace in Eden Star and when Flare wrapped his mind around hers. The steward was desperate for answers and had been willing to beat her to death to get them. When Flare dropped down and ruined all those plans, his victory had been stolen. “It was me, wasn’t it?”
Rush’s hand halted in his bowl, and he continued to look down into the contents. After a pause, he resumed his movements, stirring everything around because he had no appetite. He eventually set the bowl to the side altogether. “I didn’t tell him anything.”
