Page 28

Mia was aware of a gentle hand on her shoulder, then a soft squeeze of pressure. “Mia, time to get up.”

“I’m still asleep,” she murmured without opening her eyes. Though she liked the sound of Tiber’s deep voice, especially first thing in the morning.

Wait… she cracked open an eyelid, saw it was still dark out and pulled her blanket back over her head. “What time is it?”

A deep chuckle. “Early. Sun won’t be up for an hour.”

“If the sun isn’t up then neither am I. Now shushy-shush. Sleepy time.” She felt like she’d just fallen asleep and didn’t want to get out of her warm cocoon.

Another chuckle. “I didn’t realize you weren’t a morning person.”

“I’m a temperamental artist,” she said semi-petulantly. “We don’t concern ourselves with things like clocks and schedules. Let me sleep.”

“We need to take to the skies before the storm rolls in. I’m worried Ilmari will struggle in rougher winds.”

Well crap. Sighing, she shoved her blanket off her head and glared at him, but sat up, yawning. “I can’t argue with that.”

“I made you a mug of tea for travel. And a light breakfast.”

“I guess I could eat.” She was still a little whiny, but whatever, she wanted to sleep.

Ilmari was near the dwindling fire, sort of hopping back and forth excitedly, which made her smile. “You ready to fly?”

Chirp, chirp!

Okay then. Groaning at the world in general, she got up, headed off a ways for some privacy, took care of her morning business, then returned to find that Tiber had packed up everything of hers and was waiting with said tea in hand as well as a little cake.

A gorgeous man giving her food and tea? Yes, please.

“I’m sorry I had to wake you.”

She eyed what turned out to be a small lemon cake that dragons seemed to love. “Since you’re feeding me, I forgive you,” she murmured, taking the cake with a yawn.

In that moment his gaze landed on her mouth, pure heat in his eyes for just a second. And she definitely hadn’t imagined it.

But he turned away quickly, patting Ilmari on the back with a level of affection she wouldn’t have expected from him months ago, then gave the little dragon a command in a language she didn’t understand.

Ilmari certainly did because he flattened himself low to the ground so she could climb on easier with her food and drink.

“You’re a perfect little baby,” she whispered as she slid onto the seat/saddle contraption made for the little dragons.

She loved it because while she’d ridden Ilmari without the saddle, this felt more secure. Not that she was worried about Tiber letting anything happen to her, but it helped lower her anxiety as they flew.

“Here.” Tiber approached again, his expression hard to read in the still dim light, but he held out a hooded cape and wrapped it around her, securing it at the front of her throat, his fingers skimming against her skin in the most delicious way.

“You can cinch this if the wind gets to be too much and it will protect your face. But Ilmari knows where to fly to protect you from the wind.”

Technically, Tiber’s big dragon self was the one who protected her from the wind, but she knew what he meant.

She patted the thick hooded material with a smile. “Thank you. If it ends up raining and you want to push through, I’m okay with that.”

“I’m not okay with that. But we’ll see what happens.”

She nodded, then averted her gaze as he stepped away and began stripping down to nothing.

Every part of her wanted to watch his glorious body before he shifted to an even more stunning dragon, but it was way too early to get all hot and bothered.

Especially after the way she’d slept curled up next to him all night.

He’d been warm and wonderful… and she didn’t have the right to watch him anyway. It would feel too intimate.

***

Mia squinted as the drops of icy rain started to splatter against her face and ducked down against Ilmari, who had already started to swoop lower.

Wind rushed over them as Ilmari made a sharp turn, heading down into what looked like a valley. She wasn’t sure if they would have to worry about flooding or snow falls later.

But she could understand why Ilmari needed to land. She’d felt it the moment the air temperature had dropped and then the sudden splatters of rain that felt like little needles of ice striking her face.

Suddenly the rain slowed, then stopped and she realized that Tiber’s beautiful amber-gold dragon was coasting above them, blocking them from the worst of it as Ilmari headed in for a landing.

When it didn’t feel like he was landing fast enough, she ducked her head and closed her eyes, bracing for impact as they neared the flat-ish landing area Ilmari had chosen. She realized it wasn’t a true valley, but an intermontane plateau between two mountains.

As soon as Ilmari came to a full stop, she realized how quiet it had gotten, the wind a dull howl instead of the raging from up above.

It was still raining, but there was an overhang from the side of the mountain that would shelter them.

It looked like there might be a cave too, but she couldn’t tell with the shadows.

“Come on,” she nudged her gray-scaled friend. “That way.”

Ilmari hop-ran toward the covering, his running much bumpier than his flying. As they ducked under the dry cover, Tiber executed a perfect landing nearby.

He shifted so quickly from his giant beast, a burst of sparking magic exploding into the air before leaving the rough-hewn male crouched in the rain.

She stared, the sight of him in the pouring rain, completely naked, his body pure granite… that image was imprinted on her brain forever. Right then and there she decided that once she had access to supplies, she was going to paint him.

Even if she kept it for herself, he was too beautiful not to memorialize on canvas.

Somehow, she forced herself to unstrap and slide off Ilmari. Then she busied herself not looking at the very naked, gorgeous man she couldn’t stop obsessing about.

Tiber was whisper quiet as he entered the overhang, carrying his own pack. She also realized he was now wearing pants (unfortunately). “We’re not too far from the artist’s sanctuary. If the storms don’t let up, we’ll have to go in the morning, but if this passes, we can head out before dark.”

Mia walked to the edge of the overhang, standing back enough to be protected from the rain, but close enough that she could watch the harsh downfall. The sky was a mercurial gray, with streaks of lightning flashing every few seconds in the west.

But she realized they wouldn’t have to worry about flooding as she watched a naturally carved canyon carry the heavy streams of water down over the side of the plateau.

“Stay here.” Tiber’s voice rolled over her as he stepped up next to her, so quietly she hadn’t heard him. “I’m going to check out the interior of the cave.”

She hadn’t realized it was that deep but turned and watched as a swath of darkness swallowed him whole. Better him than her, because he was definitely the apex predator on this mountain.

Chilled, she wrapped her arms around herself even as Ilmari moved toward the edge of the overhang and shook his wings out, careful not to hit her.

Then he chirped animatedly at her as he hopped around the edge of the cave, sniffing at the walls curiously.

She briefly wondered what he was smelling, but then got to work unrolling both Tiber’s and her bedrolls near a long cold firepit. He’d taken care of her last night, and she wanted to get things ready this time.

By the time he walked out of the darkness, she had already set up their bedding, started a small fire and had a pot of tea going.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” he murmured, frowning at her.

She shrugged, wondering if anyone had ever taken care of him at all.

Then she silenced her curiosity because she didn’t want to imagine some gorgeous dragon female with him.

“I’m making the tea a little sweeter.” Just the way he liked it.

She’d noticed he added sugar to his, so she was brewing this pot differently to make it sweeter to begin with.

“Thank you. The cave is empty, just a few old packs and blankets in the back from fellow travelers.”

She’d already draped her hooded wrap on a rock to dry and sat cross-legged by the fire, sighing in enjoyment at the warmth. “I’m really glad it’s you escorting me and not a stranger,” she said as she looked at the crackling fire. “This trip is a lot different than I imagined.”

“There’s a way to go on foot, but it would take you almost a month.”

“I prefer this… even if it’s a little terrifying. And exhilarating,” she added. “I never imagined any of this in my entire life.”

“Dragons?”

“Dragons, different realms, all of it. I think I told you that I already knew about some supernaturals before The Fall, but this is next level. Traveling with a dragon—two dragons,” she added when Ilmari chirped indignantly from where he continued to sniff along the wall’s edge.

Tiber watched her across the fire, shadows playing over his face and making it hard to read his expression. He looked as if he was about to say something, but a harsh cry filled the air, making her wince.

Before she could think about moving, he was at the cave’s entrance, his expression hard in profile. “I’m going to go check that out. Stay put.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she murmured as another cry, this one more of a screech, filled the air. Cool fingers skated over her spine as he headed out into the icy wetness.

She knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself and probably a whole squadron of dragons, but she still worried as he took to the skies and disappeared into falling sheets of rain.

Shivering, she stepped back into the safety of the cave and started rummaging around for a way to make the cave more inviting when he returned.

But when Ilmari started chirping wildly and raced out into the rain, she ran after him—and came face to face with a terrifying creature out of her nightmares.