TWENTY-FIVE
Finley
The roar of triumph blasted through the air and rumbled the ground, even from the distance. The emotions coursing through the bond were jubilant, excited, and awestruck. In a moment, the sound of wings beating at the air drifted toward us.
“Fuck,” I said, emotion rising through me and clogging my throat.
It really worked? my dragon asked, imploring me to go outside.
My heart hammered. I could barely breathe. The butterflies in my belly had turned ravenous, eating their way through my middle. Still I sat there, desperate with hope. Terrified of failure.
A shape filled the doorway. The morning sunlight shone through my brother’s red hair.
A whoosh sounded above the shed. Air wafted into the cabin, something large overhead messing with the air currents.
“You’re wanted,” Hannon said with a small smile. “You did it. You cured him of the demons, once and for all.”
I let out a ragged sob, bending over to put my face in my hands. If I messed up everything else in this new role, at least I’d done this. I’d completely reclaimed my mate from the demon king.
“Was he happy?” I asked through my tears. I felt his happiness, but I needed someone else to confirm it.
“Of course he’s happy. I’m sure you heard the roar. C’mon. Go fly with your mate. He’s waiting for you.”
I felt the disturbance of the air, Nyfain still doing circles around the shed.
“What about his scales?” I asked, stalling.
I hope I don’t embarrass us, my dragon thought.
I hoped so too. We could definitely hold our own in the air now, and we were incredibly fast, faster than even Micah, but I remembered seeing Nyfain in the air years and years ago. He’d been so graceful, so regal.
Maybe he’s rusty, I thought. Besides, we’re still learning. We have a pass.
That’s exactly what I’m worried about. If he babies us…
I stood, knowing I needed to face this. Scared and excited and nervous to do so.
“Go and look, Finley,” Hannon said softly.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my posture, steeled my will, and walked to the door. Hannon stepped out of the way, and I passed through, feeling another whoosh of air. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked upward, using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
The sight took my breath away.
He was just as I remembered. His golden scales glimmered against the deep blue of the sky. His great body moved through the air with incredible grace, turning with a beautiful fluidity of movement that I’d never seen in any other dragon. Not now, and not before. His scales gleamed without a single dull spot, and his wings spread out to his sides, large and whole. He was like a dancer, born to the sky, so incredibly comfortable up there.
For how exceptional he was on the ground, it was nothing compared to him in the air, even after all this time.
“You did it,” Hannon said again, watching Nyfain circle above us.
I let out a breath slowly as Nyfain’s dragon roared, the command tearing at me, telling me to get into the sky. He was tired of waiting. Arleth and Delaney had shifted and lifted into the sky too, I noticed, but they were a distance away, clearly giving us our space.
Let’s go, my dragon thought. Hopefully I don’t look stupid next to him.
Oh, how the tables had turned. Now we were the ones worried about looking bad next to him.
I stepped away and quickly stripped before taking a running leap into the sky. She exploded into her form, wings pumping immediately, lifting us before any of her feet touched the ground. She rose quickly, and if I’d had a stomach, it would’ve dropped out. The wind rushed at us as the ground fell away.
Nyfain lazily cut toward us. Two pumps of his mighty wings, and he was next to us. His dragon rose over us, so fucking beautiful with his glittering scales, and did a quick swoop over our back, lightly dragging his tail up the middle.
My dragon shivered violently and purred, the warmth in our middle seeping through us and desire pooling hot. I felt Nyfain’s mirth and love through the bond, and then he put on a burst of speed, stretching his returned wings.
Oh, he wants to play? my dragon thought, and put on her own burst of speed. She wasn’t great at detailed maneuvering, but speed we had in plenty. No one could keep up with us once we got going.
She came up behind him and went to pass, but he veered into our path, blocking us. She tried to go over, and he rose, cutting us off. Around the other way, and he was there, anticipating us. Not letting us pass.
What’s he doing? I asked.
He’s toying with us, the fuckface.
Her frustration and anger rose just as fast as her excitement. Adrenaline coursed through our body. I yanked power from Nyfain and felt his amusement, his utter joy.