Asleep
The sun was too bright, the morning chilly and sobering despite the heaviness of lingering alcohol.
Thea sat in the little clover nest with Aaryn still soundly sleeping behind her. Starspark had claimed her empty space with a small, delighted huff, curling around her back to get closer to Aaryn, his head nudged between where Thea's hip was resting against Aaryn's thigh.
As she stared down at Aaryn, breathing deeply with her hair cast wildly about the clover, the night came back to her in bubbles of humor and bursts of warmth.
Carissa and Runa were nowhere to be seen, and Stormstrike had likewise made himself scarce in the early morning. The dance of flames flickered through her mind, and Carissa's words echoed from their conversation by the fire. They'd stayed far from the conversation of Rolim until it was inevitable.
Sobriety crashed into Thea and she blinked. Rolim. Who was at Evergale's mercy even now, while they'd all danced and drank and smoked until only embers remained of the fire.
Thea brought both hands to her face and scrubbed, hard. Then she leaned over and curled into Starspark, resting her forehead against him, huffing into her palms.
I'm fine, Carissa had said, so very not fine, with a slight tremor in her hands and a gaze that wouldn't settle.
She wouldn't be fine until they knew Rolim's fate. Until Thea had him on dragonback and safely returned him where he belonged. Here. In Cloud Haven. For his own sake and Carissa's.
Thea had to succeed. Which meant their plan needed to be executed perfectly.
Under the spell of drink and safety and comfort, it had been possible to push the responsibilities to the side for at least one evening, but now the remaining time loomed, the fear of failure hanging heavy and dragging.
"You're thinking too hard." Aaryn's low voice curled through the morning, and Thea picked her head up.
She looked devastatingly soft, a hand on Starspark's head, her gaze half-lidded with sleep and something stickier.
"Good morning," Thea offered.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Rolim," Thea answered honestly.
Aaryn's expression slid into one of empathy, brows turning down and a quiet hum slipping free as she held out a hand.
Thea threaded their fingers together, affection squeezed tight around her heart—
"Pull me up," Aaryn told her with a small smile.
"Oh." Thea’s cheeks heated as she pulled Aaryn into a seated position, her soft chuckle too pure in the early morning. She held on when Thea tried to separate their hands.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Aaryn asked.
"There's not really anything to talk about. I've just got to do it. Save him."
"You will."
"Such faith," Thea croaked out. "I want to save him now. It doesn't seem fair that we have to wait. Who knows what they're—"
A rebuttal formed and died on Aaryn’s lips. Maybe once, Evergale wouldn't have had such a reputation. But that was before Jarrick lost his skies-damned mind, before he'd killed the king and resurrected death by dragon's breath. Now who knew what he was capable of?
"Is there a way to?" Aaryn asked instead.
"No," Thea recited from the many discussions she'd had with Vaelen and the others.
"There's no way to safely get all the way into the castle dungeons and out without heavy losses or a bigger fight than we're prepared for.
Waiting until…" Thea swallowed. "—The day of is best. It'll be on open ground.
The dragons will be able to cause enough commotion to distract everyone and get us out. "
Was it a trap? Maybe. They'd talked about that too. Concocted dozens of contingency plans.
Aaryn's hand felt heavy in Thea's. She squeezed once, almost smiled. "If I let you borrow Starspark, are you gonna bring him back this time?"
Thea stared at Aaryn, at the hand that was resting against Starspark's scales, possessive and loving. At Starspark, who stopped snoring and cracked an eye open to flit to Thea. That half glare did not inspire confidence.
"Does he… want to be borrowed?" Thea asked, because surely Aaryn wasn't saying what she thought. The last time she'd been on Starspark's back alone, she'd been stealing him away in the middle of the night. Taking him from Aaryn.
And here Aaryn was, offering him.
"I think he'll keep you safe," Aaryn said, and scratched between a pair of scales on Starspark's neck. "Right?" she asked him.
Starspark nudged his head over a little more, his chin heavy on Thea's thigh. And huffed.
They had four days. Four days to plot and practice and perfect their plan, to determine the easiest entrances and quickest exits. Starspark took to the rehearsals and drills like a natural, more energetic than ever, and surprisingly focused when it was needed.
Then it was the night before, and anticipation was too electric in Thea’s veins; she couldn't sleep and wished she could walk out of her skin, but she had settled for a regular walk.
The execution was scheduled for high noon the very next day. The sun had just set and the hours were counting down consistently in Thea's head, and she couldn't stop thinking of everything that could go wrong—and praying to the Great Dragon that it wouldn’t—over and over.
The only exception was—
Starspark nudged her again, rear end shaking as he bounded away, wings flaring to steady himself, bracing.
"No, we're not doing this," Thea said, shaking a finger at him. "It's late. We should—hey!"
Starspark snuffled, then bumped her with his snout before leaping away again, trying to bait her. Thea turned away, head high, and began walking, because she knew better than to take his bait.
Thea let out an “oof” as Starspark collided with her again, making her stumble. His eyes were glimmering as much as his scales when she snapped around to face him. "Hey! You big winged cat! What are you—"
Starspark's tail whipped around to tug at her ankle, and she gasped in betrayal as he almost pulled her off her feet. Catching herself at the last second, she leveled him with a glare.
"Fine," she muttered, and leapt, wrapping herself around his head like a barnacle to a ship.
"You are so—damned—annoying," she bit out, clinging on as Starspark thrashed his head, playful little grunts spilling out as he pranced around.
Thea thought she spied a splotch of pink, but was too concerned with holding on as Starspark tried to swing her off.
"And pretty damned cute, too," she admitted.
This game started by accident during training, and now he'd become persistent about it. As if you don't love it.
She dug her fingers between his scales, scratching over his favorite spots until he was rendered useless, melting to the ground with a happy sigh. This was his plan all along.
Thea couldn't help but chuckle fondly as she scratched and petted him. The way his big mouth curled was almost like a smile, and Thea wanted to cry suddenly. Or punch something.
Both.
There was movement from the side, and Thea glanced up just as the pink splash stopped.
It was Aaryn, grinning and gazing and leaning forward. She cupped the back of Thea's neck and their lips clashed, a little off-center, a little too hard, a little too quick. But plush and sweet and soft.
Thea was stunned all the same as Aaryn pulled back.
"What was that for?" Thea asked, her thoughts halted in their tracks just like her hand on Starspark's scales. The dragon wiggled, and her fingers began to move on autopilot, but even Starspark could tell she was distracted.
"Do I really need a reason?" Aaryn asked, absently reaching out to Starspark to pet him too.
"I—I guess not," Thea murmured, successfully distracted, gaze dripping to Aaryn's lips. Starspark was no longer the center of attention, so he wiggled from between them and slinked away, grumbling, tail flickering as he went to find another playmate.
Then Thea was the one leaning in.
This time their lips met, lingered, and brushed again. And again. Aaryn, soft as she always looked, sipped from Thea in a way that made her belly go tight.
They pulled apart, a breath of distance.
"Can you do me a favor?" Aaryn asked.
Thea was awestruck from the kiss, felt a draw to Aaryn's lips—to Aaryn—like magic to dragons. There was only one answer.
"I would love to," she said, her voice coming out so calm and docile when internally she was practically shaking with an electric excitement and butterflies like dragons in her stomach. "Anything you want."
"I want you to be safe tomorrow."
Thea's heart thundered in her chest. "I will be." Or she'd try so very hard to be.
"And what is it you want?" Aaryn asked, lips teasing Thea's with every word.
Desire struck Thea, sharp and pointed while everything around them was a blur.
"You," she answered simply, finally. She wanted Aaryn now, then, always. With magic or without, Awakened or not.
A small gasp escaped Aaryn, as if she hadn't been expecting the answer, and even the possibility of her doubt made something flare in Thea's chest that she couldn't recognize. A covetous longing, almost like possession.
Thea kissed her. Skies, they were so close she barely had to lean forward before she tasted her again.
She'd missed this. It had been days since the fire, and before that, days since Thea had lied to Aaryn, and been forgiven. For what? For—
"I can hear you thinking again," Aaryn murmured.
"Thank you for trusting me," Thea blurted. "Even though I keep giving you reasons not to."
Aaryn… rolled her eyes. And promptly took Thea's hand.
Aaryn grinned as she marched them home, her smile wicked and excited, and it made Thea warm.
Especially as she pulled her through the doorway, shutting it a little too loudly, chuckling at the urgency.
Then she pushed Thea to the closed door, tossing her long hair over her shoulder and meeting her gaze.
"So you want me, hm?" Aaryn asked, teasing and knowing and so very cute it was devastating.
Thea stuttered. "What?"
Aaryn laughed, the sound bright, and Thea was so taken with this woman. Thea kissed her because she couldn't resist.