Chapter 19
My arms and legs burn as I climb up the red stone. The hand and footholds are easy enough to spot and use, but my climbing muscles are nonexistent from months of neglect.
Lachlan’s feet dangle from over the side as he waits for me. A bead of sweat rolls down my face and neck before soaking into the fabric of my scarf. I dangle precariously as I pause from one handhold to the next, wiping a sweaty hand off on my thigh.
“This is why ye learn to fly, so ye dinna ha’ to climb!” He shouts down at me.
I stare straight ahead at the rock, cursing him under my breath.
With a deep exhale, I continue on. One foot and hand at a time before I finally reach the platform on the top of the pillar.
Lachlan pulls his legs off the side and stands, grinning at me.
My mind empties, staring at his naked torso.
The muscles are so exquisitely lined and chiseled.
His tattoos look even more detailed in the sunlight, each vane of feathers darkened by his sweat.
“Tired already?”
I whip my braid behind me and lean over my knees to catch my breath. He rubs a gentle hand across my back and chuckles.
“Catch your breath. We ha’ all the time in the world.”
But with his words, my stomach tightens.
We don’t have all the time in the world. And I worry that this might be a waste of time now. I know flying is important, but just for me. Restoring magic would benefit everyone. Straightening, I wipe my palms against my blouse, and bring out my wings.
“Just tell me what to do,” I grumble.
Lachlan grins, and the tattoos on his skin ripple, bursting into large iridescent black wings. My breath catches. The power and beauty that radiates from his wings bewilders me. He stretches them out, his wingspan practically double what mine is.
“Stretch your wings out wide,” he orders.
I follow his instructions and he walks around me, assessing my posture and strength. He grazes a fingertip along the tip of my wing and I tremble.
“Sensitive, isn’t it?” His voice brushes against my neck, and I shiver. My wings raise higher as I work through the sensation, and he grins.
“Learning to fly is nae easy. So whatever expectations ye ha’ about learning how to fly in one day—lose them.”
I nod at his words, but a small voice inside of me scoffs. I am Odin’s heir. A Valkyrie queen. Of course, I’ll learn how to fly immediately. I was born to do this.
Lachlan nudges me towards the edge of the stone and leans over the side. The excitement vanishes as I look over the edge, seeing how high we are.
My pulse skyrockets, and my palms sweat.
That is a long way down.
Lachlan cocks an eyebrow and crosses his bare arms over his chest. “Far, huh?”
My eyes don’t leave the ground as I swallow hard.
He steps closer to me, and I instinctively take a step away from the edge. “I’m nae going to push ye!” He laughs and the rich timber of it dulls the edge of my terror. “But my best piece of advice right now. Before the fear truly grips ye, is to jump.”
I whip my head towards him, my braid flying around me and thudding against my chest.
“Jump? That is your best advice?” My brows raise, and he smiles with encouragement.
“Ye willna die. It might hurt a bit, but magic is restored, so you’ll heal. But ye ha’ to master your panic. Ye canna let this stop ye from learning. Ye never know when it will mean the difference in saving or costing ye a life.”
Lachlan steps back up to the edge and juts his chin towards the drop-off. “Come on, Key. I’ll jump with ye.” He holds out a hand behind him. I stare at the offering for a few moments, gathering my confidence before I place my hand in his.
“Ye can do it,” he murmurs. “Together on three. One.” I inhale a deep breath. “Two.” I hold it. “Three.” I blow the air out and lunge off the side, squeezing my eyes shut.
My stomach surges into my throat before plunging down with me. A scream rips its way out of my lips. Lachlan tugs on my hand as his wings stretch out wide, catching the air and gliding.
My wings, however, do not. My grip slips on his hand and I plummet straight for the ground.
I land flat on my stomach, the air is snatched from my lungs. Vanishing my wings away and rolling over, a groan slips out of me. I gaze up to see Lachlan flying in small circles, lower and lower, until he’s gracefully landing beside me.
“Are ye alright?” He squats down beside me, brushing sand off my face. His mouth is set in a taut line as he bites back a smile.
“No.” I groan, raising my head off the ground. “You let go of me.”
Lachlan raises his hands up between us. “Ye were supposed to glide down, not tuck your wings in tight and fall.”
“You didn’t tell me that!” I sit up rapidly and push him. He loses his balance and falls back into the sand. Laughter bursts from his lips.
“Ye use your wings to fly!” He says in between rumbles of laughter. “How else did ye think ye were going to do it?”
I roll my eyes and lay back against the sand, rubbing my chest. “It’s scarier than I thought it would be.”
Lachlan rolls onto his side, facing me. “Aye. But it’s fun. And in your case—necessary.”
I close my eyes, letting his words settle. The sand shifts and I blink my eyes open to see him standing over me with his hand out.
“Come on. Up ye go. Try again.”
I brush the sand off my face for the tenth time and struggle to pull myself out of the side of the dune. From high on the pillar, Lachlan’s laugh floats down to me.
“You’re still nae spreading them wide!”
I slam a hand down on the sand next to me and mock his words before yelling back, “It hurts when I fall with them still open!”
Lachlan launches himself off the rock, flaring his wings out to soar down effortlessly. He lands with a small oomph and tucks his wings back into his body. Showoff. His bare skin has a small tint of red to it from the blistering sun. We’ve been out here baking for a while.
“They need to be out to catch the current.” He stretches out a hand and pulls me up before dusting the sand off my backside.
I slap his bare chest and instantly regret it as my palm stings from his hardened muscles. A pale white handprint lingers against his skin, before turning a darker shade of red.
“I got it,” I grumble and wipe more sand off of me with my free hand.
“How’s your back feeling?” He asks, standing behind me and squeezing my traps.
“It hurts.” I pout, turning out of his grip and facing him. He taps a finger to my bottom lip and I suck it back in.
“You’re so close. A few more tries and we’ll give it a rest, alright?”
I nod unenthusiastically. Lach sweeps me up in his arms and launches us into the sky, flying us back to the top of the rock. I’m extremely grateful he gave up on making me climb up after every fall. My palms are still raw and stinging from the third time.
“Alright, now get your feet planted, wings ready, and jump. But this time, try to flap a couple of times to get settled into the current and let it lower ye down.”
I plant my feet and stretch my wings out. The muscles of my back and even my core ache with the effort. I toe the edge of the rock before sucking in a deep lungful of air and jumping off the side again.
My stomach drops.
I squeeze the muscles in my shoulders, forcing my wings in and then out and up in the air.
One flap.
Cool air brushes against my face before I sink again.
My muscles seize as I try my hardest to flap again, but it’s no use.
I’m plummeting straight down again. I tuck my wings in tightly, before vanishing them away.
As the ground comes nearer, I turn, crashing straight into the sand on my back.
I groan at the pain that shoots through my tender muscles and stare straight up to the sky, listening to Lachlan laugh all the way down.
“Ye were so close that time. Ye got in one flap.” He clutches his stomach, trying to hold in the rest of his laughter. I don’t move or say a word. Lachlan squats down and moves a tendril of hair from my face.
“Do ye wanna swim now?”
I nod and he scoops me up from the sand. Snuggling into his chest, my feet swing with each one of his bounding strides across the sand.
“Come on, my queen, let’s get ye back where ye belong.”
Lachlan carries me to the edge of the water before setting me down gently. Before my feet hit the ground, I’m tugging the linen top up over my head.
“Excited?” Lachlan asks, his eyes darken at my bare breasts. My skin heats under his gaze and I step closer, pressing them against his bare flesh where his chest meets his abs.
“Very.” I grab the laces of his pants and tug firmly, undoing them instantly. “And you should be too.”