Chapter 27
Feray
Diaval guides me swiftly out of the den, the urgency of our mission palpable in the air. We traverse the cobblestone street, keeping to the shadows like characters in a spy movie, trying to elude the watchful eyes of an unseen adversary.
The town feels like a maze. Every step is a calculated move, a dance on the edge of discovery.
As we navigate through narrow alleys and hidden corners, there are several close calls that set my heart pounding.
Each fleeting moment when we come perilously close to being spotted intensifies the suspense.
The adrenaline courses through my veins, and I marvel at the synchronicity between us—a seamless collaboration during this impromptu escape.
Finally, we break free from the confines of the town limits. The cool mountain air washes over us, rejuvenating. Diaval draws in a deep breath and pauses, his gaze scanning the horizon. It's a brief respite, a stolen moment before we plunge into the next phase.
With determined resolve, he leads me down a hill. As we descend, a vast meadow comes into view. The grass sways gently in the cool breeze—a serene contrast to the tension that accompanied us through town.
"I can shift down there," Diaval says, his voice low. The pressure of keeping us safe must be weighing heavily on him.
As we reach the center of the meadow, he turns to me, his eyes reflecting concern and determination. "We'll head north to Silver Falls and wait for the others there."
The meadow, bathed in golden rays, becomes a staging ground for the next leg of our journey. In its stillness, the bond between us strengthens. Our breath mingles with the cool air.
Diaval steps away and shifts to his wyrm skull dragon. His onyx scales are so black they almost don't seem real.
As I approach, his head whips up. I watch his muscles tense, staring back toward the town.
I freeze in the middle of the field and get low to the ground, hoping the tall grass hides me.
His dragon's head turns back toward me. The look he's giving me screams urgency.
I stand as fast as I can and run to him, climbing onto his wingtip like before. He lifts me up and places me on his neck. Shifting my hands, I use my claws to climb his neck as he raises his head higher.
My heart thunders in my chest as I reach the space behind his head between his horns.
"Go!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I brace for him to launch into the sky.
The sheer force of takeoff almost knocks me loose. The wind roars in my ears as Diaval's powerful wings beat rhythmically against the air. The force threatens to rip me away, but I cling desperately to his scales, my claws digging into the rough surface.
Below us, the world shrinks into miniature, the ground becoming a distant blur.
My heart pounds—a mix of exhilaration and fear coursing through my veins. I steal a glance down, and the landscape looks like a patchwork quilt of greens and browns. My gaze quickly returns to Diaval's massive form as he continues to ascend, the wind tousling my hair wildly.
I wonder what triggered this sudden flight, but the urgency of our ascent banishes such thoughts. The realization hits me that the others might face whatever danger spurred Diaval into action.
My stomach churns with worry.
"Diaval!" I shout, my voice swallowed by the wind. I tighten my grip, leaning forward to reach his horned head. "Can we check on the others?"
The rushing air snatches away my words, but I hope my plea reaches him.
Diaval's body ripples with the effort of flight, scales glinting in the sunlight. His response is a powerful roar, a sound that vibrates through the air and resonates in my chest. It's reassurance—a signal that he understands.
With a subtle shift in trajectory, we change course. Relief washes over me.
I strain my eyes, searching for any sign of our pack below. The landscape gradually comes into focus, and I spot the SUV just clearing the mountain pass.
Relief floods my system. I'm grateful for the detour. The SUV is moving quickly as Diaval glides on the thermals heading north toward Silver Falls.
From our elevated vantage point, the world unfurls beneath me like a sprawling tapestry. The distant, ethereal peaks of the white mountains pierce the horizon, their ghostly outlines captivating my gaze. Between those majestic summits and here lies Silver Falls, a mere speck from this great height.
Diaval's dragon, sensing a different thermal, adjusts course, and we surge forward with renewed speed.
I steal a glance backward, my eyes tracing the undulating length of his dragon. The sheer enormity never fails to amaze me. With each beat of his colossal wings, he propels us higher, and I feel the rush of wind against my face.
The scales, a sea of obsidian, extend as far as my eyes can see, absorbing every ray of light. I find myself captivated by their intricacies, each one a testament to the battles Diaval's dragon has weathered.
Battle scars crisscross the dark expanse, a silent narrative etched into the very fabric of his being.
Lost in thought, I can't help but wonder about the stories behind those scars. Will Diaval ever share them with me? I know him as my grumpy but fiercely loyal mate, yet the mysteries of his past linger like shadows.
The outline of Silver Falls becomes clearer as we approach. I watch Diaval tilt his head left, then right, scanning the ground below. Eventually, he turns his head, and his whole body follows, heading toward a field.
Remembering from last time, I lean forward, holding onto the ridge of bone in front of me. He lands carefully, then slowly lowers his head to the ground. His wing comes forward, and I step onto the tip, lowered gently to the earth.
Diaval shifts back and closes the distance between us, pulling me to his firm chest.
"The abrupt departure was not planned." He looks down at me, his dragon still in his eyes.
"What happened?" Furrowing my brows, I stare at him, worry building in the pit of my stomach.
His arms band tighter around me. I hear the rumble of his dragon in his chest.
"I wasn't sure what I was seeing. It looked like the town was coming out—either to watch or attack. I can never tell with wolves." He winces.
"We are rather instinctual. Fight or flight seems ingrained in our DNA."
He nods, grateful for my understanding.
Diaval motions behind us. "Just over that ridge is Silver Falls." His serpentine tongue flicks out, tasting the air. "By what little I can taste, I believe the town is abandoned."
Tilting his head, he studies me.
Turning my nose to the wind, I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. The crisp scent of snow is in the air—an impending snowstorm not far off. A rabbit digs into fallen leaves in the underbrush. Deer are some distance away but upwind from me.
I don't scent any other wolves or humans. We are the only bipedal beings in the area.
Opening my eyes, I turn to face Diaval. "It's just us here."
There's a building tightness in my chest. I watch Diaval rubbing his sternum.
Reaching out, I place my hand over his, stopping his movement. "Sorry, I'm not good at keeping my feelings to myself."
He nods stiffly as he leads me toward where the road should be. "It's a new feeling." Narrowing his eyes, he examines me. "It's not unpleasant. Just different."
I can tell he's examining the feeling in his chest.
"Do dragon bonds feel the same?" I reach up and touch his scale, giving it a stroke, feeling its rough edge under my fingertip. "What do I feel like to you?"
I look up into his eyes and stroke his cheek.
"A warmth, like my favorite duvet. Wrapping me up in your heat and kindness." A myriad of emotions flicker over his normally unflappable expression. "It makes me feel less cranky, less angry. Until someone pisses me off again."
My heart swells at his admission. For my ancient, grumpy dragon to admit I make him feel warm...
I take hold of his hand and start guiding us toward the road. "Each of you feels different."
Diaval gives my hand a squeeze. "How so?"
"Torben is strong, silent. He's a constant stream of love and reassurance. An almost possessiveness to his tether." I draw in a breath, examining the next threads. "Khal is playful, and so is his bond. It's a lighthearted, almost constant stream of joy."
Smirking, I can't help but chuckle.
"Easton is almost unsure of what he feels. There are moments of jealousy, then possessiveness. He definitely loves me. He just doesn't know how to handle it. I think he scares himself."
"Scares himself?" Diaval stops us and moves me to stand before him.
"He will always resurrect. Me? If I die..." I search Diaval's features for understanding. "He dies with me. Mortality is frightening to someone who has lived and died a thousand times. Death has not been a reality for him until me."
Guilt consumes me as the reality hits.
I am the reason Easton will meet his final death.
Diaval's eyes flare as he stares at me. His hand goes flat to his chest as realization hits him.
He reaches out and pulls me to him hard, crushing me to his chest. He envelops me in his warmth and bathes me in his scent of chamomile, soothing something rough in me.
It takes the sour edge off the pain rising in my chest.
"It's a rough transition for any of us. I'd rather not say how many years I've lived. But it is a damn long time." He presses his lips to my forehead, his breath washing over my scalp. "I won't die because you die, love."
"That's good to know." I kiss his throat.
"There will never be another after you. Dragons mate for life, like wolves do. I'll shift to my dragon never to walk the earth as a man again."
His admission makes my chest tighten. I think about his monstrous shift looming over the world for eternity—alone, grieving, never human again.
The weight of what I mean to him settles over me like a mantle.
We turn and start walking again, leaving the heaviness of our conversation behind us.
As we reach the road, I look both ways, still not hearing tires.
"When do you think they'll get here?" My attention turns down the road in the direction they'd come from.
"Approximately thirty minutes." His eyes flick up to the position of the sun, then down the road. "If they continue driving at the speed they were when we passed over them."
I can tell his dragon is doing the calculations. The occasional flicker of slitted pupils tells me he's close to the surface.
Looking around, I see an apple tree and walk over toward it. I hear the rustle of leaves behind me as Diaval follows.
Using my claws, I climb the tree and start picking apples, dropping them down to him.
"Wolves don't climb trees." He chuckles, looking up at me as he catches the apples.
Glancing around, I realize I'm probably fifteen feet off the ground. "I've always climbed trees as a kid. Wolf or not, I know how to climb."
When I finish grabbing the last of the good apples, I climb down. Landing on my feet, I move to sit on the ground under the tree.
"Snack time while we wait for the others." I bite into one of the apples.
Diaval looks around, finds a rock to sit on, and starts eating too. After shifting and flying as far and fast as he did, I know he needs to refuel. Diaval always waits for me to eat first, forsaking his own hunger.
This time I outthink him by eating before he tells me to.
A sly smile crosses my lips as I stare at him from behind my apple.
Feray one... Diaval zero.