Chapter Thirty-Eight
Return
“We are about to descend,” Minea warns. “The Emperor is waiting on the lawn, where it seems he has brought an audience.”
“Fuck,” Varic sighs, lowering his forehead over my temple. “Remember to keep your eyes closed and breathe steadily. Minea will go slow; however, the landing may still be jarring.”
I nod and brace for impact.
“Relax your muscles.” Varic releases some of the tension from the fingers laced with my own. “Believe me. You will feel it so much more if you tense when we land.”
Soreness radiates up my arms and legs as I try to release the tension while Minea cants his head down and angles for the ground.
Wind whistles over Varic’s shield until Minea’s paws touch down, and a stinging pain jolts up from the bottom of my legs all the way to my skull, regardless of how soft the landing.
I scan our surroundings and gratitude swells in my chest since Minea landed closest to the dens. His best way of providing Varic and me a modicum of privacy, aside from the soldiers and witches staring out from the perimeter of the forest.
A shiver rolls down my neck as Varic’s lips caress the shell of my ear when he whispers, “I’m going to drop down first, then I will help you.”
His shield disappears, and I acknowledge him by pressing the horn to loosen the straps around our arms and legs.
I clench my core when he adjusts his hips, then swallow a pathetic whimper forming in my chest as he releases the tension held around my hands—and the part I’ll miss most—when he unlaces his fingers from being entangled with my own.
A sigh seeps from my lips as he extricates each of his legs and pivots behind me before dropping to the ground with ease.
The chill air stings everywhere his body was draped over mine, while the dazzling brilliance of Dragon wings draws my attention to the rest of my Guards as they dismount, where their own Dragons seem to have purposefully landed between us and the secret entrance.
“How was your first flight?” Minea asks.
“Difficult to say, as I have nothing to compare it to.”
Minea’s vocal cords grate together, and I wince when it reverberates in my skull, then startle when Varic steps on Minea’s leg to be eye-level with me. His skin is sallow, and my stomach twists with his need for both food and rest.
Varic leans across my back to grab hold of my hips. “Ready?”
I drag my arms past the straps and down to my sides as his hands slide over the backs of my thighs, lifting each of my legs behind the knee to help guide them out of the straps and over the side of the harness closest to him.
My heart leaps when his hands abandon my body, and I turn to see him when the warmth of his palms encircles my waist. His fingers flex as I rise and pivot to face him, sitting on the side of the Dragon. Then I smile sheepishly as he guides my legs to either side of his chest as he steps down.
“You can push off now. I won’t let you fall. I promise.” Varic reaches up to catch me while the other Dragons spread out, obscuring the Emperor’s view of where we’ve landed, so I slide down the black leather harness with a gasp as Varic’s hands tighten around my waist.
My breath catches when he pins me with a mix of amused admiration, and I am utterly helpless to break the spell cast by their impossible brightness.
The familiar flush rushes from my chest and up my neck the moment he braces my hips to his chest, pulling me close to use the friction between our bodies to slow my trajectory as I slide down his front.
Adoration rolls from him, and I hold my breath, trying to ignore what he’s sharing, though I end up pulling in more of his emotions than intended.
Time is precious as we take this risk, touching this way before the Imperial soldiers. Varic halts, holding me in place as he stares into my eyes with scintillating reverence.
His eyes fall closed, breaking the spell as tingles spread throughout my body until my boots crunch on the dry soil. Varic releases my waist, and I check our surroundings, expecting some sign of the Emperor approaching.
“Tasch,” Varic says, and I shake my head to silence him, chancing a step as his arm loops around my back, to which I try to extricate myself—until I move to take a step forward and my muscles falter.
His shield trills up my skin, and the warmth soothes my sore muscles as he tenses his fingers to urge me forward.
Even with his shield supporting my legs, I grit my teeth the moment I step down.
Panic engulfs me with fear that the Emperor or his Guards may see how Varic attends to me while my heart hammers so hard against my ribs he must feel it.
“I could carry you,” Varic says.
“No.” My voice comes out gruff, though I know he’s joking.
“What feels different from the last time I used my shield to help you walk?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s your magic. I think it’s my muscles.” Alarm prickles in my veins with the realization of what he might try next. “Do not use your healing—we do not know if any other telekinetics can sense you using it and Cirrin will be able to help me.”
He looks ahead. “We’re far enough away, I doubt—”
I shake my head and he nods. “Then I will support you all the way to Cirrin, and if his healing doesn’t help, then we will find a way to distract His Majesty.” Varic tightens his hold, and my heart lurches, scanning for any sign of our captor.
Malin jogs over, expression filled with concern. “Are you unwell?”
I shake my head while Varic nods, and I glare up at him while he shrugs.
“My legs are just sore from being held in the same position for so long.”
Malin looks at Varic. “Why isn’t your shield helping?”
“That’s what I’m trying to determine.”
“Your power seems just as strong as every other time you’ve helped her,” Malin confirms.
“I think I’m too weak.”
“She needs to hydrate and eat,” Varic says, as we reach where Brea has landed.
My heart hammers as I scan the area, expecting to see our ruler ambling over as I send out my magic to connect with him, and a mix of excitement and annoyance grows the closer we move toward the Palace.
“Cirrin, please—” Varic begs, as Cirrin rushes around his blue Dragon to take hold of my arm.
His kind brown eyes pin me with a sense of deep concentration.
“Your fatigue is excessive,” Cirrin says.
“Heal her as much as you can,” Varic commands, as if that wasn’t his plan.
Cirrin nods then leans in to whisper, “I can spare the magic.”
I smile beneath stray locks of my hair blowing in my face as the frigid breeze casts over us, and I can’t help but groan at how rough Drusilla will be when she disentangles each knot formed by the wind.
Lars speeds over to join us as my pain abates enough that I pull out of Varic’s hold to stand on my own.
“What in the fuck is the Emperor doing here with a whole horde of onlookers?” Lars asks, glaring over his shoulder.
“Behaving as expected,” Varic says, before turning to me and asking, “Think you can walk?”
I nod and take a step with his shield rippling over my skin.
“There’s my little witch!” Emperor Aldritch cries with outstretched arms, bringing attention to the death grip he holds around the stem of an empty wine goblet.
We bow as his guests gape and whisper from where they stand off to the side of his Guards.
“What took you so long?” His Majesty inquires. “We’ve been waiting in this frigid air all morning.”
“We followed protocol, and ensured it was safe to leave our location,” Varic says. “Then took the proper precautions to prepare Imperial Grand Witch Tasch for her first flight on a Dragon.”
“Now that you have finally arrived,” Emperor Aldritch says, ignoring Varic, “we must celebrate!”
His grimy hand clasps mine, dragging it to the crook of his arm, before gesturing for everyone to follow as we lead them toward the Imperial Palace.