Chapter Seven
Iflew over the treetops, my eyes struggling to keep track of Jazriel as he darted between trees. He moved so fast it was like watching smoke and shadows.
The pegasus had wanted to rest his wings another day or two before using them and had opted to run beneath us.
My wings ached and my muscles screamed in protest, but I refused to admit how tired I still was. I’d used more magic healing Jazriel than I should have, but I would’ve done it again in a heartbeat.
Thankfully, once we reached the camp, I could ride back to the lodge. That would give my body time to replenish its reserves.
A large shadow moved over me, and a moment later, August’s arms wrapped around my middle.
“Tuck your wings, little hawk.” He pressed his mouth against my ear so the wind couldn’t snatch away the words.
I hesitated, hating the idea of being a burden to him when he already found me to be an annoyance.
“Don’t make me ask again,” August growled.
Rolling my eyes, I did as he asked, tucking my wings tight against my back. August spun me in his arms so I was looking up at him, and our chests pressed together.
“Wrap your legs and arms around me.”
This time, I obeyed without hesitation.
“Good girl.” Those two words sent a delicious shiver through my body.
I was used to giving orders, not obeying them. So why did I almost enjoy it when he got bossy?
Cradled in his arms, I pressed my face against his shirt and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure I could trust him with my heart, but I fully trusted him to protect my body. For the next hour, I enjoyed breathing in his musky scent and the feel of his arms around me.
When August glided to the ground, I swallowed back my disappointment that the closeness to him was over. Unhooking my legs, I stood.
With a burst of boldness, I went up on tiptoe and brushed my lips across his stubbled jaw. “Thank you, August.”
Before he could complain or push me away, I turned toward the group of almost thirty horses standing quietly, their tails swishing and eyes fixed on Jazriel.
In a trance, I circled him, admiring his sleek coat in the light of the day. He was so glossy I was almost surprised I couldn’t see my reflection. He stomped his front hoof, tossing his black mane.
Stopping in front of him, I reached up a hand to touch his nose.
“Iolani! No!” August shouted, yanking me back.
I screamed in shock, and Jazriel reared over us, shrieking in fury.
“What are you doing, August?” I clutched my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart.
“No one touches a pegasus in this form and lives. I found the drugs the men were using to keep him sedated and his magic dampened. That’s the only reason they survived, and it’s the only reason his magic didn’t flatten us both last night.”
I eyed the pegasus, watching his hooves pound the dirt. “I think you’re wrong. He grabbed the whip from the man who hit me.”
August’s arm tightened around my waist. “Helping you is one thing, allowing you to touch him is another. Pegasus are made of wild, untamed magic. It’s the equivalent of petting a lightning bolt. All shifters are unstable at best when their animalistic sides are in control, but pegasus are nasty, vindictive beasts.”
“Don’t be rude! You know he can hear you, right?” I hissed.
August shrugged, not caring about Jazriel’s feelings in the least. “Am I telling her the truth, beast?”
The pegasus stopped snorting and bobbed his head, mane flying.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” August chuckled, and I soaked in the rare sound. “People fear the drakons, but it is the pegasus that should’ve struck fear in people’s hearts. Their beauty is deadly.”
I was finding it hard to take August seriously. It almost sounded as though he were nervous about being near Jazriel’s pegasus form, which seemed laughable considering his size in both human and gryphon form.
My eyes narrowed as a new thought entered my mind. “Are you sure you aren’t exaggerating just because you’re jealous he kissed me?”
August huffed. “No. Believe me, or don’t. There is a reason pegasus are extinct.”
“What? They can’t be!” I gasped, my jaw going slack. “There’s one standing in front of us.” Waving my hand in the sleek stallion’s direction, I giggled when he did a little prance.
“And he is the first I’ve seen in over two hundred years. Many species have not survived the shift into modern times, and others have been hunted to extinction—like your friend Ryls’ species.”
“It is a tragedy that Earth is losing so many of her incredible species—of both the natural and supernatural kinds.” Slipping free of August’s grip on my arm, I strode to stand in front of Jazriel.
My heart raced as I reached up to stroke the pegasus’ face. Not because I was afraid of dying, that wasn’t a big deal for a phoenix, but because I wondered if he would accept my touch.
My hand hovered an inch from his nose, giving him time to pull away if he wanted. When Jazriel didn’t move, I gently stroked my fingers on the velvet of his nose.
August hissed a curse, no doubt expecting my imminent death.
But it didn’t come.
The stallion reared back, tossing his head and snorting. Lowering my hand to my side, I watched unflinching as his dinner-plate-sized hooves stomped the ground and his wings blew my hair around my face.
Realizing I wasn’t going to cower, he quieted. With a soft neigh, he lowered his head and pressed it to my forehead.
Mate.
The single word whispered through my mind, causing happiness to erupt inside me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I laughed when Jazriel nickered and used his chin to shove me against him in a horse hug.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” August murmured.
Moving around Jazriel’s body, I traced my fingers down his side. I’d been around horses enough to know that black horses were like black pants. They show every speck of dirt and lint. Yet, Jazriel’s coat was sleek, shiny, and supernaturally spotless.
As my fingers moved across his flank, they found a ticklish spot and Jazriel’s wing fluttered, smacking me in the face. My yelp of surprise turned to a laugh as Jazriel’s snout prodded my ribs, finding my ticklish spot far too quickly.
“Enough, enough!” My efforts to push him away were futile.
“I’m going to gather a few more supplies, then we should get started on the return trip. Especially if the bird queen is going to stop and look at half the rocks and plants between here and the lodge.” August’s boots crunched across the ground as he moved away from us.
Bird queen? I knew he was teasing me over the meaning of my name, but it was a reminder of who I was and what I was here to do.
I placed a soft kiss on the stallion’s velvet nose. “I’m going to go help search for supplies.”
Making my way through the rough campsite, I peeked inside each of the tents. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but hoped I would know when I spotted it.
In the third tent, I stumbled over a stash of canteens, and the fourth tent had a stack of blankets. Finding a folded piece of soft leather, I grinned and searched the tent until I found a pocket knife.
Sitting on the dirt outside the tent, I quickly cut several strips from the leather. Task finished, I cut the remaining fabric into two narrow lengths. Winding them around my feet, I used the leather strips to hold the makeshift shoes in place.
Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to walk most of the journey, but it would make things more comfortable when I did.
Tying the last piece of leather, I stood and tucked the knife in the pocket of the baggy pants August had brought us that morning. As I bent to gather the blankets, a book slid from between them.
“What’s this?” I murmured under my breath, picking it up and flipping through the pages.
My stomach dropped as I read page after page of notes on experiments. Most of the notes talked about subject 2447, which I quickly figured out was Jazriel, but it also referenced several other subjects.
Had they been freed when Amaryllis and her mates shut the facilities down? Or were some of them still being held captive like Jazriel?
Unbuttoning the pocket on the side of the pants, I slipped the notebook inside. I would study it later and then send it to Xerxes or Anzac. They could have their team check up on the other paranormals mentioned inside it and make sure they were safe.
August had already saddled several of the horses, and I quickly tied the blankets to one of the saddles. Hurrying back to where I dropped the canteens, I carried them to another saddle and secured them, planning to fill them when we found a stream.
“Are you ready?” August asked, striding up beside me.
“You really don’t have to stay, August.” I tilted my head to look up at him. “I can make it back to the lodge. We both know you could fly back to the lodge much faster than it will take us to travel on the ground.”
August checked his saddle, not bothering to respond.
“I am not your responsibility.” I rested my hand on his arm. “You made your decision clear the first time we met, and I’ve accepted your terms. If it is guilt holding you here, then just know you don’t need to feel that way.”
The words tasted sour on my tongue. I may have accepted that he didn’t want the mate bond, but that didn’t mean my heart didn’t ache over it.
August’s arm circled my waist, pinning me between his chest and the horse. “This has nothing to do with guilt.” His lips dropped to my neck, close enough I could feel his heat, but not actually touching my skin.
My brow creased. If it wasn’t the mate bond and it wasn’t guilt, then why on earth was he still here? Especially when he didn’t exactly enjoy my company.
Chill bumps rippled over my skin and my heart ached at his closeness and his heady scent filling my lungs.
“Then why?” I asked, voice breathy.
Instead of answering me, August lifted me into the saddle.
“If Pony Boy is ready, we should head out.”
“He has a name,” I pointed out, frustrated that he seemed to be toying with me.
“I know.” August mounted the horse in front of mine. “I just don’t care.”
Jazriel trotted by us, accidentally smacking August in the head with his wing. At least I think it was an accident.
As Jazriel moved down the trail, the horses quickly fell in line behind him and our journey began.
The ride went wellthat first day, right up until a squirrel scurried in front of my horse. My horse darted away from the ferocious rodent and into the woods.
Focusing on keeping my seat, I stayed relaxed and tried to reassure my mount. I didn’t consider bailing. In hindsight, that was a mistake. Branches whipped my face and legs, tearing at my skin, but my only concern was calming my horse before he hurt himself.
I clung to his back as he weaved between trees at a dizzying speed. It would definitely have helped if I’d possessed my ability to open portals on Earth, and could have portaled us to an open field, but that was a skill that unfortunately I hadn’t been able to use since leaving Cucalas.
None of my abilities were going to help in this situation, other than my inability to stay dead.
“Whoa. Easy. You’re okay.” I tried to keep my voice confident and reassuring.
The ground suddenly gave way beneath the horse’s hooves. Despite my death grip, I was flung from his back. My body flipped midair, and I came to a stop when my back collided with a fallen tree in the dry creek bed.
I could have survived the tumble.
What I couldn’t survive was the branch that pierced my back.
Warm liquid slid down my back at a rate that was unhealable. My magic rushed to try to heal the fatal injury, but I pulled it back, knowing it was best not to deplete myself again so soon. Especially when I was going to need to regenerate again.
Scanning the woods, I was relieved to find my horse walking around, nibbling on a patch of stray grass, completely unharmed. He was utterly unconcerned about staking me through the back, but I didn’t hold it against him. He was a horse doing horse things.
Not wanting the notebook to burn with me, I worked the button and pulled it from the pocket. With my last bit of strength, I tossed it away from me. I was struggling to drag in a breath, and shadows flickered across my vision. For a moment, I thought it was a sign my time was coming, but the shadow solidified into a familiar shape. Jazriel.
The pegasus dropped his head, nuzzling my cheek, a pained sound rumbling in his chest.
“Why”—I gasped, struggling to breathe and feeling my blood soaking into the ground beneath me—“the long face?”
I don’t know if he responded, because a moment later, my eyes rolled back and my muscles went slack. My body erupted into flames, turning to ash in the blink of an eye.