Page 43 of Exquisite Monster (Dragons of Viria #2)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

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KATALENA

L ight streamed from high in the sky when I finally woke, exhausted from the night before. Zovai’s bond lit up with delight, Sirrus’s felt like focus, and Endre?—

Endre was gone.

Panic struck hard and fast. Where did he go? Was he all right? His bond felt the same way it had when we were separated. Now I realized I hadn’t felt his reaction to me with Zovai last night, had something happened?

All the possibilities whirled in my mind, my heart pounding.

Come to the balcony, Princess . Sirrus spoke gently in my mind.

The bundle we had taken from the seamstress had some clothes inside it, and I currently wore one of the thin, simple nightdresses it had contained. I didn’t bother to change, needing to know what was happening.

Neither Sirrus nor Zovai felt worried, but I couldn’t erase the thick, oily panic that gripped my chest.

I walked out onto the open platform and looked down. Sirrus stood on the ground below, looking up. Jump .

“Are you serious?”

His mouth quirked in a grin. Don’t trust me?

“Of course I trust you. I’m just not used to jumping off buildings,” I mumbled.

I will catch you. I promise .

Taking a breath and closing my eyes, I stepped off the edge.

I dropped for an eternal moment, and my mind was thrown back to the fall through the earth.

Horror, dread, and fear stole what little breath I had.

Even greater panic clawed up my throat, and then I was in Sirrus’s arms with him lowering me to the ground.

I stumbled away from him and sank onto the grass. Pushed my fingers into it. I wasn’t falling. I was on the ground. Safe.

Sirrus cursed roughly and then he was beside me. “Stars, Lena, I didn’t even think of it. I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t think of it either,” I managed. My heart still pounded, but the world was coming back into focus.

He reached for me, and I curled into his arms without hesitation. His heartbeat under my ear calmed me. One hand stroked my hair slowly. “I will not ask you to do that again.”

“You couldn’t have known if I didn’t.”

“Still. ”

I blew out one slow breath. My bond with Endre was still blank. “Where is Endre? I can’t feel him.”

“He left yesterday while you and Zovai went to Sythal Itur .”

“What? Why?”

Now there was hesitation in him. “He went to see Gleym. He thinks she might be able to help us.”

I whipped back to see his face. “She can’t help him. I already asked.”

“He knows that,” Sirrus said slowly. “Or rather, he suspected. But she could still be of help. She’s known the Elders a very long time.”

Swallowing, I let Sirrus help me to my feet. “I wish he’d said goodbye. When I felt him gone…”

“The fault there is mine as well. I meant to tell you last night and it was me who told him to leave as soon as possible so that he could come back swiftly. While you were occupied seemed like the right time.”

That made sense. It didn’t mean I liked it. “We didn’t…” my breath hitched, and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his shirt. “We didn’t have enough time to say goodbye before. I don’t want to lose that.”

Sirrus’s pang of regret rolled through me and I held him tighter. “A mistake we will not repeat.”

We remained like that, holding each other, until the last vestiges of panic drained from my body. “I love you,” I whispered.

“Even the stars couldn’t speak to the depth of how much I love you,” he whispered back.

“Show off.”

He laughed softly and shifted his arms to lift me straight off my feet. It was awkward, but he still carried me slowly. “I will always show off for my mate.” He paused. “When we shift and catch you in the air. Does it make you panic?”

I shook my head. “It hasn’t yet. Maybe because the fall isn’t far. It’s over before my mind even remembers.”

“Good.” He still carried me away from the tower.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He set me back on my feet and guided me into the shade.

The chirp was all the warning I had. Varí dove out of the trees and straight for the two of us.

Sirrus threw his hands out, sending gusts of wind toward the tiny dragon that he evaded, even flipping over mid-air to avoid colliding.

He slowed when he reached me, scales a soft shade of yellow.

“What was that?”

“Training Varí . So no matter what we face or where we are, he won’t have to leave your side. ”

I held out my arm for Varí to perch on. “You’d do that for me?”

The look he leveled at me made me laugh. “Show me?”

Varí darted back into the branches, and Sirrus moved me to the side, readying himself.

Much like the first time, Varí flew and Sirrus created obstacles for him, but this time it was far more intense.

He flew against a constant wind, with rippling currents along with sharp darts of air he had to avoid.

Sirrus blew out a breath of fire. It wouldn’t hurt anyone here, but it was yet another obstacle to train around. And if Andaros had figured out how to use scalefire this way…

I watched as Varí turned a blue so dark it was almost black and dove into a nearby shadow, swooping around the trunk of the trees to land on my shoulder unscathed. He pushed his head up under my chin in greeting. “That was wonderful.”

“It was my idea to train,” Sirrus said, reaching out and tapping Varí on the nose. “But so far he’s put me to shame. There’s nothing I’ve thrown at him that he hasn’t avoided with ease.”

My small dragon was close enough that I felt him puff up with pride and begin to purr. “Good,” I said. “It will help you stay safe.”

“And you too,” Sirrus said.

My legs were still a little shaky from the shock of the fall. “I begged him to leave,” I murmured. “While we were falling. I told him to fly, but he wouldn’t.”

He pushed his head into me just like he had at the moment when he chose to stay. My eyes burned as Sirrus pulled us both to him, just being a presence through the wave of fear and memory.

Varí growled something in the dragon tongue. It seemed longer than normal. Sirrus smiled. “ Varí says he would like to train more, but with bringing darts back after you throw them. He also says it will help you practice.”

A laugh burst out of me. “Is that so? I need to practice?”

I didn’t need Sirrus to translate the sound he made as yes . “All right. I’ll go get the bag and come back.”

“Wait.” Sirrus caught me around the waist and tugged me back. “I’ll get it. You stay on the ground.”

“I’m all right to climb the stairs.”

“I know, but I’d rather you stay and enjoy the sun.”

My breath caught. He remembered how much darkness there’d been under the ground. I lowered myself onto the soft grass instead. “Hurry back.”

He winked before jogging away, leaving Varí and me to snuggle in the sunshine.