CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
“CAN YOU QUIT MOVING SO much back there? You’re like an itch I can’t scratch,” Vasari grumbles as I shift again for the endless number of times today.
“I’m sorry, I’m really stiff. I’ll try to be more still but I’m not making any promises,” I mutter dryly.
Nero’s travel cage rattles. “You’re stiff? My wings are going to fuse in this position if I’m in here any longer,” he whines.
“You’re the one who wanted to come,” Vasari reminds him.
He scoffs. “Of course I’m going to come. I’m her familiar. Our souls are tied together in a way you’ll never understand. I can heal her if she gets injured. At least a normal-sized lizard could come with us through the forest . But no. You’re the jumbo kind and have to be left behind like—”
“Okay enough, you two. We’ve been flying almost non–stop for a week now. We should be there soon. We’re already in the mountains, just… No more talking until we are there. Okay?”
“Mood killer,” Nero sighs.
“You’re one to talk,” Vasari adds.
The sigh that leaves me is of pure exhaustion and slight amusement. It’s never a dull moment with these two bickering in my head like long-lost siblings.
“Hey beautiful, how are you holding up over there?” Jesper asks with a little too much perkiness. “The clearing is just up ahead. You will be able to stretch soon.”
“We’re going to set up camp and head out in the morning. It’s getting late and I don’t want to travel through the forest at night if we don’t have to,” Aemon adds. Something we learned we can do once bonded, it seems I can act as an anchor for all my bonds to communicate.
I feel Jesper’s presence in my mind dull some as he informs the others.
The ache of not having the other bonds completed settles inside me, but now is not the time to try to complete the bonding.
This is probably the most crucial mission of this war.
It could change everything, and I cannot keep thinking about jumping my mates and getting into their pants. No matter how much I want to.
I try to relax and enjoy the wind and the view from up here but the closer we get, the more my nerves keep amping up.
At least we figured out a plan for the shadowfire.
The last night we were in Kraryn, I remembered the device Amethyst used to remove the necklace from me.
How it could hold the flames until it was ready to be used.
Killian and I tore the castle apart looking for it when Aemon found us and asked what we were doing.
Turns out it was in his office the entire time.
Amethyst gave it to him while I was unconscious.
If we need it, we will be able to light our blades on fire, so at least that’s one less concern I have.
Vasari begins her descent and I open Nero’s cage. There’s no point now in keeping him enclosed in it. He’ll probably enjoy stretching his wings before we land anyway.
“You’re the best,” he sighs before shooting himself out of the ‘prison-like torture device’ as he tends to call it.
As we land, Vasari turns her snake-like head towards me. “Be careful in this forest tomorrow Ravina. Something feels dark about this land, and it has my scales crawling. Get in, get what you need and get back. Do not make me burn down this forest to get to you. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal clear,” I tell her. She’s a dragon I do not want to be on the wrong side of.
I slowly shimmy off the saddle and groan as my muscles begin to shake and loosen before climbing down her leg. My leg locks and I slip; not even a scream leaves my lips before I’m toppling towards the ground. My body tightens as I brace for impact, but instead, two solid arms cradle me.
I stare wide-eyed at Talyn who’s smirking. “You better be more careful, Princess. You wouldn’t want to make this a habit.”
“Yes she would!” Nero chips in as he flies into the field.
“Shut it, Nero,” I mutter.
Jesper bursts out laughing. “I think you’re right, Nero.”
Talyn glances at him and Nero with confusion. “You can hear him?”
Jesper smirks and crosses his arms. “Of course I can, when he lets us, which isn’t often. I’ve completed the bond with Ravina. Aemon can hear him too. And the dragons. She’s the center of us. Always has been.”
Surprisingly he doesn’t say anything; he just seems thoughtful as he places me back on my two feet. “We should set up camp. Lennox and Roz, can you two have a look around and report back to me on any findings? Ember and Mel, do you want to set up tents or cook?”
Mel bursts out laughing. “We will set up tents. Ember couldn’t cook if her life depended on it.”
Talyn nods before turning to me. Out of habit, I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. “I want you to get Aemon or Jesper to give you a massage tonight after helping around camp. I don’t need you hurting yourself tomorrow because you’re too stiff.”
My brow arches. “Are you not going to offer yourself?”
His golden eyes darken and he takes a step forward. “Oh princess. When I first get my hands on you it isn’t going to be for just a massage,” he purrs before heading back to Zaddro to unload him.
I blink. Did he just flirt? Did I just hear him correctly?
Nero lands on my shoulder, snickering. “Sounds like he wants in your leathers.” I swear if he had eyebrows he would be wagging them.
Shaking my head, I move toward the packs strapped on Vasari and begin unloading her. I’m exhausted, and honestly a massage sounds wonderful, but first I’m going to pull my weight and help set up camp. The last thing I need is Talyn finding something to be pissed off with me about.
I HEAR BIRDS chirping as the first beams of morning sunlight stream through gaps in the tent canopy. I stretch, my body feeling much better after the massage last night.
Roz and Lennox confirmed that the forest is far too dense after their investigation last night. According to them, the gryphons might be able to fit, but with their wings and the branches we aren’t going to risk that today, so they’ll be waiting with our dragons.
“It’s too early for your mind to be thinking about the day ahead,” Jesper grumbles, nuzzling his face into my hair.
I run my finger along his freckled, naturally tanned skin. “It’s hard not to over think when everything feels like it’s riding on our success today.”
“That’s the thing, Ravina. You just need to trust that the fates wouldn’t have led you all this way for you to fail.
If anything, they seem to be rooting for you.
You have survived so much and you will get through this too.
We all will. Now, should we get out of here and get some food in you before Talyn starts barking orders at us? ”
A small chuckle leaves my lips as I nod. Jesper wastes no time pulling me on top of him and kissing me thoroughly. “It’s already tempting enough to keep you in here, but I don’t think the others would be happy to listen to me ravishing you over and over again while they eat their morning porridge.”
I sigh, pouting. “When we get home, I want you and Aemon together in my bed. If I’m being forced to wait until after, then I want double the fun,” I compromise.
I did everything to tempt him last night, but he was determined to wait until I wasn’t in as much pain. I think I almost had him though, but then he went and switched out with Aemon, who gagged me with his tendrils until he finished giving the massage. It was the best and worst torture ever.
“Anything you want, Beastie.”
“Anything?” I perk up.
“Not with other males within earshot of your delicious screams,” he finally admits.
With a quick motion I sit up. “What do you mean other males? That’s why you wouldn’t defile me last night?” I pout as he throws his head back and groans. “Lennox and Roz are like brothers. Family.”
“I know, and that’s exactly why. I would fuck you in front of strangers if you asked me to.
’Cause I can kill them after. I can’t kill those two, though.
So be patient with me.” He grabs my hand and places it on his cock.
“Trust me, I want nothing more than to have your tight cunt squeeze the life out of me, but—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—we need to wait. ”
With a dramatic sigh, I roll off of him and walk over to my pack carrying my clothes. “I guess I understand and will respect your wish to wait.” Off comes my tunic. “I respect you so much for not wanting to kill my friends, too.” Off comes my pants.
Jesper curses. “Ravina,” he growls.
I turn towards him completely naked. “Yes?” I smile.
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
Making my eyes wide and doe-like, I gasp. “Whatever do you mean?”
Before he can say another word, I grab my clothes and blink to Aemon’s tent laughing. I can tease, too.
Aemon clears his throat, his eyes dancing with lust and mirth. “What are you doing, Rav?”
“Teasing Jesper for getting me riled up, and then denying me to save my friends.” I quickly get dressed and I barely hold it together as I hear Jesper cursing up a storm on the other side of camp. At least it’s an entertaining start to our day.
***
THE COOL CRISP mountain air smells like the place I once called home.
It’s nostalgic but not in a way I miss. Shalo was an awful place to live, and the only good memories I have there are with Aunt Gretchen and finding Nero.
But a few other good ones were in these mountains where I taught myself to cook and hunt, to gather and track—where Nero and I could be ourselves for a few hours or sometimes days if I could get away with it.
Killian stays firmly behind me, my silent protector, while Talyn leads and Aemon stays near the back, making sure no one gets left behind. Meanwhile Jesper bounces between everyone making light conversation.
We went over the maps before we left, and it’s supposedly an eight hour trek if we keep pace with minimal breaks. Walking for hours is nothing for me now, in fact it almost seems peaceful.
“Can we stop for a quick water break?” Mel asks from somewhere behind us.