Chapter 17
SERENNA
In the dracovae’s valley, the sun crested over the mountaintops, quickly burning off a faint layer of fog.
Despite how occupied he seemed, Serenna kept a wary eye trained on Naru’s razor-sharp bill.
Settled on the ground with his raptor-taloned feet tucked under his body, he idly picked at the remaining scraps of rabbit.
Serenna wrinkled her nose as his rubbery tongue flicked over the grass, licking every drop of gore.
Vesryn swung a saddle over Naru’s feathered shoulders.
When the dracovae rose, the prince ruffled his obsidian neck, stirring out a puff of dust from beneath his plumes.
Even someone as tall as Jassyn could walk under the beast’s chest without stooping.
Beyond his front legs, Naru’s feathers morphed into leathery scales, his fin-like lizard tail trailing on the earth.
Serenna joined the prince at his side, watching him expertly cinch the multitude of straps, fasten the buckles, and tighten the clasps on the intricate contraption.
She voiced her concerns about falling off, but Vesryn assured her that if she slipped, he’d halt her descent before she splattered on the ground.
Which really did nothing to ease any of her anxious nerves.
“How do you steer Naru while you’re flying?” Serenna asked, noting the absence of any type of halter or bridle.
“I ask him,” Vesryn said, tugging on a group of knotted ropes as if ensuring their reliability. “By sending telepathic images.”
Serenna’s brows rose as Naru blinked his double eyelid, white iris scanning her and the prince. “Does he listen?”
Vesryn released an amused snort. “When it suits him.”
“Sounds like you’re perfect for each other,” Serenna muttered. She reached out to stroke the soft plumes on Naru’s neck. “What about rangers who don’t have telepathy?”
“The dracovae are trained to respond to the pressure of your feet on their sides and the way you shift your weight.” Vesryn adjusted loop lengths on the stirrup ladder, running down from the peak of Naru’s back.
“They’re also intelligent enough to understand and follow a variety of verbal commands. ”
As the prince continued talking about whatever else the rangers did to pilot the flying beasts, Serenna’s attention wandered.
His nimble fingers raced distractingly over the saddle’s straps, deftly tying the leather.
Her pulse skipped, recalling how rough his palms felt gliding against her body last night and—
Vesryn’s hands halted, twitching over a buckle. He angled toward her, an incredulous question scrawled across his forehead. Forgetting herself and the inconvenient fact that the prince could read her reactions through the bond, Serenna’s cheeks blazed with embarrassment.
She cleared her throat, struggling to recall Vesryn’s last few words. “What was that?” Shifting her weight did nothing to alleviate the sudden ache hammering between her thighs.
“Should I be concerned about your self-control?” Vesryn emitted a self-satisfied chuckle, obviously detecting her feelings since she didn’t have her mental barricades in place.
“Perhaps you’d rather…” he trailed off, amusement settling into his features as he glanced over her shoulder, “…spend the day romping in the valley?” The prince’s attention veered back to linger on her lips.
“Is—is that an option?” Serenna stammered, the flush now racing to the tips of her ears for voicing the brazen question.
One side of Vesryn’s mouth quirked, drawing her awareness straight to his dimple.
Taking a predatory step closer, his eyes glittered like sea glass in the sun.
A shiver spiraled down Serenna’s spine when the prince curled a finger under her chin.
“Oh, I think you could persuade me,” he breathed, hovering his lips above hers.
As Serenna rose on her toes to meet his mouth, the prince tapped the end of her nose. “It is rather tragic that we have work to do first.”
Serenna crossed her arms with an irritated huff, forcefully expelling the suggested images of her and the prince tangled in the meadow. Of course he’s all business.
“Anyway,” Vesryn said, returning to finish fussing over the saddle straps, cinching a girth over the scales behind Naru’s front legs.
“The Aelfyn intentionally bred the dracovae to fly with us, but ultimately these featherbrains are the ones deciding who they’ll permit as riders.
” Naru wrapped his neck back to watch the prince, clacking his beak as if interpreting the slight.
“Luckily for you, Naru appreciated the rabbit treat you prepared for him, so he doesn’t mind if you ride along with me.
” After securing a final knot, Vesryn gave him a pat, turning toward Serenna.
The prince slid his hands over her hips, tightening his fingers across her waist as he reeled her closer to him. A swell crested and tumbled in Serenna’s stomach, capsizing all coherent thought.
Vesryn’s eyes traveled over her face. “I can give you the best chance at a fledged dracovae choosing you as its rider.”
Breaking free from the spell in his gaze, Serenna registered what he was implying. It wasn’t like she had any better options, but she hadn’t yet decided if she wanted to join the rangers or if that was just what the prince desired.
Stubbornly shaking her head, Serenna said, “I’d rather earn a position.”
Vesryn’s hands dropped away as she retreated a step, separating herself from the bias he freely offered. A muscle flexed in his jaw, his silent disapproval sparking a prickle of worry.
More words spilled from Serenna’s mouth to explain.
“I imagine the rangers who worked for their rank would object if I’m shown any favor or given special privileges.
” She glanced away, staring at Naru’s mate, Trella, in the distance.
The morning sun drenched her vibrant plumes as she preened her white feathers.
“You’ve already done more than you should’ve by choosing me as your champion for the tournament.
I’ve done nothing to deserve it besides having random chance form this bond. ”
Sensing the prince’s annoyance and displeasure twisting together, Serenna hesitantly met his gaze. Vesryn held her stare for an uncomfortable moment before his irritation spiked. Her breath snagged in a startled gasp when he seized her arms, dragging her back toward him.
“This is the last time I hear you say that you’re unworthy.” The prince’s words were a fierce growl, imbued with annoyance. “The stars chose to link us.”
Serenna swallowed, scorched by his ire. Does he want me or this bond? Her heart whipped into a whirlwind of confused emotions as he leaned closer.
Vesryn’s hands tightened around her forearms. “Just because you haven’t had the luxury of time to manifest your full power doesn’t make you any less deserving.”
Letting go, the prince retreated, tapping on one of Naru’s legs. The dracovae snapped his beak but lifted a clawed foot. Ending their conversation as if he’d settled the matter, Vesryn focused his attention on casting a sliver of rending to trim back Naru’s talons.
A small part of Serenna nearly asked if he ever intended to complete the bond—or if he wanted to.
But the last thing she wanted to do was pressure him if he was hesitant to accept a bond for a second time.
It didn’t seem like a conversation to have while the prince needed to focus on corralling the rogue wraith.
It’s obvious I need more training, so a deeper magical connection between us would only be a risk for him.
Serenna glanced back across the vale, letting the weight of the moment reign until she couldn’t stew in the silence any longer.
“What will Trella do while we’re gone?” The female dracovae had wandered closer than the first time they’d visited the pair.
Rousing her feathers and scales in a clatter, she tilted her eagle-like head, watching them with curious eyes.
“I’ll leave the portal open for as long as I can in case she wants to follow.” Vesryn released Naru’s clawed foot. “She normally does.”
“Portal?” Fidgeting, Serenna readjusted the sleeves on her uniform, pulling the material down to her wrists. Despite the comfortable weather from the late spring day, they wore a full set of leathers to protect themselves from the cooler elements in the skies. “Why do we need to portal?”
“We’ll save flight time moving by gateway.
I’ve traveled enough with Naru that I can get us closer to the wraith’s reported location without having to fly across the realms.” Vesryn secured his hair in a topknot, binding it out of his face with a leather strap.
“The hunts are going to become more difficult if someone with magic is working with those beasts, but we should be able to handle three wraith.”
“We?” Serenna followed the prince’s lead, wrapping her braid into a tight coil on the top of her head.
“Why do you think we’ve been training in the dungeons all week?
” Vesryn’s attention finally flicked back to her, disintegrating Serenna’s previous apprehension.
“I wouldn’t put you in danger if I thought you couldn’t handle yourself.
” The prince kneeled to tighten the laces on his boots, glancing up at her.
“And besides, I remember you demanding that I not hunt the wraith alone.”
Serenna sniffed dismissively. “It’s about time you decided to be sensible for your safety.”
Lunging forward, Vesryn snatched the backs of her legs. Serenna squeaked, stumbling into his chest. The prince’s hands glided down her calves before refastening the laces on her boots.
“You don’t want any loose ends tangled up in the saddle,” he said, grinning up at her, knowing exactly what he was doing to her pulse.
Serenna frowned as he knotted the leather into intricate loops, nearly tight enough to cause discomfort. “How am I supposed to untie those?”
“You broke out of the rending binds last night, so I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Rising to his full height, the prince smirked. “But considering how much you struggled, I imagine we’ll have to practice again.”
Serenna’s wordless bluster was lost as Vesryn turned and placed a boot in one of the stirrup loops. Ascending the ladder, he climbed up the side of Naru. At the top of the dracovae’s back, he settled into the saddle.
“Ready?” Vesryn asked, patting his thigh.
Serenna pinched her lips. “I’m not sitting in your lap.”
She stroked Naru’s neck, receiving a trilling chirp. Copying the prince’s motion, she hooked her boot into a looped ring and pulled herself up.
Serenna unsuccessfully swatted Vesryn’s hands away when he snatched her at the top. Seizing her waist, he squeezed her hips while dragging her down in front of him.
“I’m helping,” he said defensively while Serenna’s blood jerked in enough directions to give her whiplash.
Crouching over her, the mountain of his chest stacked against her spine.
The prince suggestively ran his hands down the tops of her thighs, steering her feet into a higher set of stirrups, adjusting the loops over her boots.
“Just guiding you in,” he said in a voice that could only mean trouble.
To reinstate some shred of control, Serenna elbowed Vesryn’s abdomen when his lips brushed against the point of her ear. “I can handle myself.” He didn’t seem to notice her feeble protest through that wall of solid muscle.
Vesryn’s thighs clamped around hers, wedging them even closer. Not giving him the satisfaction of melting into his chest, Serenna sat up straight, putting more distance between them even though they both had ample room.
Ignoring the gesture, the prince curved his arm across her middle, hauling her back into the cradle of his lap. Sighing, Serenna let Vesryn win this round and folded into him, not quite relaxing.
Naru tossed his head and stretched his wings, ruffling his feathers. Trella emitted a screech, flapping in response. The female dracovae boldly approached, seemingly not keen on being left behind.
Violet light flared as the prince fabricated a shield in front of them. “This will dampen the wind enough so that the breeze won’t tear out our eyes,” he explained, twining an inverse wave of illumination into the ward to render it invisible.
He then extended a hand, opening a massive portal. Tossing his head, Naru started prancing toward the rift. Lurching with his motion, Serenna grabbed the swell of the saddle. She steadied herself, adjusting to the dracovae’s foreign gait that dipped and swayed from side to side.
The last thing she registered before entering the portal’s embrace was Vesryn’s lips skimming across the side of her throat. “Hang on,” he said, mouth skating over the shell of her ear.
Serenna shivered as the inky portal swallowed the surrounding mountain valley in darkness.