Chapter 10 #2
Fieran wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer. “You don’t have to go. My dacha and uncles won’t force you if you decide you don’t want to do this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and searched her heart for long moments. Did she want to back out? Just tell everyone that it was too much. That she just wasn’t brave enough.
It was so tempting. The words hovered on the tip of her tongue, a sense of relief filling her at the thought of not going.
With the last shreds of her courage, she swallowed back the words. When she finally spoke, she whispered, “But you’re still going, aren’t you?”
Fieran hesitated before he released a long breath. “Yes. If this could destroy those machines before any more of my family is put at risk, then I have to go. And if Pretty Face is there…”
“Then we can’t leave him there.” Pip clenched her fists in her lap, even as some of the knots in her stomach loosened.
Losing Pretty Face had hit their group of friends hard. If there was a chance he was still alive, that she and Fieran could rescue him, then they’d have to take it.
“No, we can’t.” Fieran tightened his arm around her shoulders for a moment.
“Then that’s it. I’m going.” The words were flat as they came out of her mouth, but a sense of peace, far sharper than the relief of a moment ago, washed through her.
Staying here would be the easy thing. But if this war had taught her anything, it was that she had to face the hard things in life.
“In that case…” Fieran released his grip on her shoulder, stood, and held out his hand. “Come on. We’re going to fly.”
“What?” She stared at his hand, trying to comprehend his words.
“The first time you fly in an aeroplane shouldn’t be on this mission.” Fieran waggled his fingers, his hand still between them. “I’m going to take you on a flight tonight.”
Even as she placed her hand in his, she shook her head. “Do you have permission to do this?”
“I’m a major. I gave myself permission.” Fieran grinned as he hauled her to her feet.
Pip shook her head and fell into step with him as they strode down the gravel drive toward the shapes of the aeroplanes parked at the edge of the dark airfield.
But as they halted beside one of them, the fading light fell on the elf ear surrounded by hair-flames and blue bolts of magic.
“Uh, Fieran.” Pip gripped his arm and gestured to the aeroplane. “That’s your aeroplane. Not one of the two-seaters.”
“Well, some mechanic grounded the two-seaters in order to make sure they had a full refit before their upcoming mission.” Fieran bumped into her, raising his eyebrows as he glanced down at her.
Oh, right. That would be her.
“But there’s only one seat.” Pip pointed at the aeroplane ahead of them.
“Then it’s a good thing you’re nicely travel-sized.” Fieran grinned before he grabbed the chocks holding the wheels in place, setting them to one side. He leapt onto the toe step, swung into the cockpit with easy movements, and settled into his seat, still grinning. “Come on.”
This might be the craziest thing she’d ever done. Pip gripped one of the wing struts and stuck her toe in the step, her knee halfway to her chin. With a heave, she boosted herself up.
Fieran gripped her hand to steady her as she scrambled, stumbled, and tumbled into the cockpit. For a moment, the two of them were all awkward limbs as they tried to find a way to sit so that Fieran could still reach the rudder bar and the control stick.
She eventually found herself sitting on his lap with her legs tucked to one side of his. She hadn’t snuggled quite this much with him since those moments after they’d learned his cousin Myles had been killed. Both of his arms were looped around her as he flicked the switch to turn on the engine.
The whining whir of the propeller and the hum of the engine filled the air, breaking the stillness of the night.
“This cockpit isn’t designed for two people.” Pip tucked her arms tighter to her sides as she tried not to elbow him in the stomach.
“But we fit.” Fieran nudged one of her knees slightly more out of his way so that he could get a better grip on the control column.
The aeroplane vibrated as the engine spun up, already rolling forward since the wheels weren’t chocked.
Fieran tugged a flight cap into his head before he handed her a second one. “Sorry. You won’t be able to plug into the radio since there is only one spot. But this will keep your ears warm.”
This might be a reckless whim, but Fieran had put some thought into this at least. She tugged the cap onto her head, then pulled on the set of goggles he handed her. “No other flight gear?”
“I think we’ll stay warm enough, wedged as we are in the cockpit.” Fieran waggled his eyebrows at her, his grin lopsided. “Besides, we won’t be up that long.”
Fieran steered the aeroplane out of the line of trees and waved to one of the ground crew who was standing by. As the aeroplane rolled to the end of the airfield, two rows of elven lights flared to life on either side, marking where the airstrip lay.
Pip gripped the front of his uniform shirt and tried not to squeal as the aeroplane gained momentum, shaking and shuddering and bouncing. They were hurtling so fast, the wind blasting against her face in a way that made it hard to breathe.
Then the world grew light, and Pip was shoved against Fieran. The aeroplane’s wings caught the wind, and then the ground was falling away.
Pip couldn’t stop her squeal this time. It was far too disconcerting to watch the ground disappear while she wasn’t even belted into this rickety aeroplane.
And, yes, it felt rickety, even if she was the mechanic in charge of maintaining it.
The aeroplane muscled its way higher into the sky, the propeller whipping the air, the engine humming with power.
“Look up.” Fieran all but shouted into her ear to be heard over the noise of wind, engine, and propeller.
She tilted her head back and gaped upward at the dome of early evening stars arching overhead.
As the aeroplane leveled out, she relaxed, easing her grip on Fieran’s shirt. Held within his arms, she felt safe despite her somewhat precarious position perched on his lap.
The stars glowed overhead while the lights of the mansion and the headquarters town speckled the land below. In the distance, more lights reflected off the distant Hydalla River as boats traveled the waters and towns bustled next to its banks.
Pip peered over the side, taking in the dark landscape spreading far below.
She’d flown once before on that training trip on an airship, but this was far more visceral.
The airship was a fortress, but the aeroplane was strangely lonely.
Just the two of them in a small contraption with the huge world and even larger sky all around.
She could see why Fieran loved this so much. The lone warrior fighting in the sky would appeal to him.
Pip rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m scared.”
“Of flying?” Fieran wrapped an arm around her waist, piloting the aeroplane with only one hand.
“No.” She half-turned as best she could so that she could wrap both arms around him. “I’m scared of the mission. About what’s going to happen to the squadron while we’re gone. I’m scared that this war will never end, and I’ll have to watch it slowly consume everything and everyone I care about.”
“We aren’t going to let that happen.” Fieran’s arm tightened around her, holding her close even as he eased the aeroplane into a gentle turn.
“We’re going to go on that mission. We’ll rescue Pretty Face and any other prisoners held at that facility.
My dacha and Uncle Edmund will end the war.
And the two of us will have the peace to keeping falling in love. ”
That sounded good to her. Especially when Fieran gently pressed a kiss to the top of her hair.
She would have tipped her head up to kiss him, but she didn’t want to distract him while he was flying.
Peace. It sounded like such an elusive dream, even though they’d been at peace not that long ago. This war hadn’t even been happening for a full year, and yet it felt like it was all she’d ever known.
But that wasn’t true. She’d gotten a taste of what peace could feel like while Fieran had been recovering at Aldon and during that meal when she’d introduced Fieran to her parents.
Was it time to let herself dream of what the future could look like after the war?