Page 64

Chapter thirty-nine

HYACINTH

The Elmmere Mountain peaks of Ithia rose majestically through thick, swirling fog, their slopes cloaked in verdant green forests.

Towering bamboo and cedar stretched skyward, their branches disappearing into the mist as if reaching for the heavens.

The early morning mist clung to the mountainsides like a living veil, softening the rugged edges of the cliffs and valleys, casting everything in a dreamlike haze.

Nithra pushed us from the earth, her wings beating against the air as we soared toward the highest peaks that seemed to float above the clouds.

I took in the scene in front of me, trying to count the temples that scattered the mountain’s cliffs.

I let my eyes follow the narrow stone pathways that twisted through the dense forest, their steps worn smooth by centuries of travelers seeking the healing found in these mountains.

It felt timeless here, as if the air held the ancient spirit of Ithia’s forgotten legends.

I sucked in a deep breath and let the fragrant air fill my lungs. The ice of winter never touched these lands, and the warm air kissing my skin was proof of that. Ithia was suspended in perpetual spring, and I basked in it.

Today was the day.

The day my soul would no longer be my own. And though it was everything I wanted, I felt the heaviness knowing everything was about to change. We would be at war soon, and I refused to die bonded to another man.

I pressed my cheek to Nithra’s spine, feeling the warmth of her seep into my skin.

There was a loyalty between us, unwavering trust that could not be broken.

She had been the one that listened night after night to my thoughts spiraled when we arrived in Locdragoon.

She had talked me through so many moments when I didn’t think I could go on. She was a part of me.

“Thank you,” I whispered down the fastening and a roar bellowed out of her in response.

My mouth cracked into a wide grin at the sound. I pushed myself upright and threw my arms out to the side, screaming into the sky alongside her as she nosedived toward the mountain’s valleys.

Fly with me, child, she said, pushing her nose deeper into the air hissing by us. I didn’t hesitate at her request, knowing this could be the last time we flew together just for the fun of it—for the freedom of it.

I flung myself from her body, letting my vision shift into dragon sight to see against the wind as I free fell beside her.

Wings flowed out of my body as we veered around a mountain peak and I watched as her shadow covered the ground below us.

Pure, adulterated joy crashed through my body as I pushed power into my wings and soared .

For a fleeting moment, all the worries of the world fell away. The looming war, the weight of responsibility—they were distant echoes, drowned out by the rush of the wind and the pounding of my heart. Up here, amidst the clouds and untamed wilderness of Ithia’s peaks, I was free.

Free to soar, to dream, to simply be.

For now, in this perfect moment suspended between earth and sky, everything else could wait.

Our shadows raced across the forest canopy.

The wind roared in my ears as I chased Nithra through the sky, my wings beating in rhythm with hers as they sliced through the air.

Mist parted before us, swirling in eddies left by our passing.

A scream of exhilaration burst from my lungs, the sound echoing off the mountainsides as Nithra’s laughter rumbled down the fastening.

We wheeled and dove, playing a game of aerial tag, darting through narrow crevices and skimming so close to the treetops I could feel the leaves brush against my skin.

Nithra’s joy surged through the fastening, mingling with my own until I couldn’t tell where her elation ended and mine began.

She danced through the air, her scales glinting in the dim sunlight that pierced through the clouds—a living jewel against the backdrop of the mountains.

I followed her lead as we twisted and dived through the skies, circling every mountain until we reached the tip of the highest peak. There was nothing but clouds below us and it looked as if the ground had become a blanket of cotton that I could step onto and walk across the sky.

My wings slowed their beating, lowering me to the ground beside her. I slid my fingers along her side, letting my hand run over her scales as my boots hit solid ground and I leaned against her front legs.

This place is called The Peak of the Gods , Nithra said down the fastening, her voice soft—reverent, almost. It is the closest my kind will ever be to the place we once called home.

My throat tightened at her words, and I leaned a little closer into her.

You, my child, have given me hope. Hope that good still remains in our Gods.

Flying with you into war, will be my greatest honor.

A tear slid down my cheek as the fastening went silent and I looked up to see her own tears falling to the earth.

Flowers burst from the dirt as they collided and I gasped at the garden that bloomed around us.

And as the sun began to rise into the sky, coating the clouds in a radiate, glittering pastel work of art Nithra lifted her head and roared .

I had forgotten just how thoroughly Cai could scrub a person.

My skin stung as she poured hot water over my raw body and I gripped the lip of the tub to keep myself from scurrying out of it.

If she kept this up for much longer, I would be nothing more than a bloody mess by the time the ceremony started.

“Ow!” I hissed as Calista dragged a comb through my curls, cursing as it caught on another knot.

“You are an animal,” Calista snapped, pouring a generous amount of oil onto my curls and picking away at the matted section. “When was the last time you brushed your hair?”

I rolled my eyes as Ata chuckled from her corner of the lavatory, shuffling her tarot cards with a book strewn open across her lap and watching in amusement as both women pulled my body in multiple different directions.

“I went flying this morning with Nithra”—another hiss of pain seeped between my teeth—“I forgot to braid it.” I reached up to touch my head where I could have sworn she just ripped out an entire clump of curls, and her hand slapped mine away.

“I come bearing gifts!” Pri’s voice boomed through the bathing chamber as she materialized into the center of the room. All of our heads collectively shot toward her as she grinned at me, swinging two bottles of wine through the air.

This was a modest-sized home, big enough to be able to meet with everyone like we had last night, but not too large that I felt swallowed up in it. I felt that way sometimes in Locdragoon—in that castle. Like if I wanted, I would be able to roam the halls for days and never run into another person.

The bathroom however, was much smaller than the one at home and with five of us now occupying the cramped space, I was only seconds away from suffocating.

My hand shot to my chest as my breathing started to become rapid, the sound of my heart drowning out the flurry of conversation and laughter flowing throughout the room.

Ata’s hands clapped together, the sharp sound silencing into the room as my eyes shot to her.

“Everybody out,” Ata commanded, standing from the small stool she was perched on and snapping her book shut.

“Bu—”

“Out,” Ata commanded again, her voice sharper now as she cut Cai’s protest off before it could begin.

Cai let out a frustrated grunt as she pushed from the ground beside the tub and my eyes caught Ata’s as she held the door open for everyone to shuffle through. I silently thanked her as she gave me a small smile before exiting the room behind Calista.

A groan rolled from my throat as I leaned back into the copper bath and lowered myself until the water kissed the underside of my jaw.

In just three hours, dusk would be dripping into the sky, and the ceremony would be completed. A smile slid across my face at the thought, the anxious anticipation turning to excitement as I lifted myself from the bath and wrapped a towel around my body.

I was going to be a wife.

I was going to be his wife.

I’d never known exactly what my life would be—never really planned for anything outside of leaving the academy. Truthfully, I didn’t think I would live long enough to make it to Locdragoon. But this, this was more than I ever could have dreamed for myself.

Even if I did not live through this war, I would go to my grave knowing I had a love that would stay as an echo throughout history.

I swung the lavatory door open and the grin plastered across my face disappeared as my eyes landed on the mess of white fabrics hanging over the back of the couch.

“What in the seven Hells is that?” I asked, my face twisting in panic.

“I-it’s your dress,” Cai said, her cheeks flushing a shade of red as she lifted it from its place.

I tried to smooth out my expression, to hide the utter shock at just how absurd it was. My eyes flashed to Pri and Ata snickering in the corner, their hands pressed against their mouths in an effort to hide their amusement, and glared at them.

“It is an absolutely vile, atrocious thing,” Calista snapped, snatching it out of Cai’s hands. I gave Cai an apologetic smile as she slumped down onto the couch watching as Calista tossed the dress into the corner.

“I can still wear it,” I said, trying to hide the wince that crossed my face at the thought of stepping into it. “We can cut some of the fabric off and I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Actually,” Ata said, grinning as she stepped from Pri’s side and pushed a bag out from behind the armchair with the toe of her boot. “I had something made for you before we left Locdragoon.”

I lifted a brow. “Should I be scared?”