Page 18 of The Baby Dragon Cafe (The Baby Dragon #1)

Chapter 18

T he plans came together, and before Saphira knew it, it was time for the little trip up the mountains. She was excited for Sparky to take his first flight, and at the same time, she couldn’t believe she was going to pretend to be married to Aiden—she was shocked at what was happening.

It was also Saphira’s first time leaving her cafe since she had opened, which was causing her stress, but simultaneously, she was proud of herself for the cafe being in a position where she could take days off.

So she felt a lot of different emotions.

The morning she was to leave, she had breakfast down at the cafe with Lavinia, who was there early to see Saphira off. Lavinia would be holding down the fort for today and tomorrow, while Saphira was gone.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Saphira asked Lavinia, fussing as she took a sip of chai, which was meant to be helping her stay calm.

“Yes, absolutely!” Lavinia replied. “Don’t worry at all—you deserve a break! Have fun with that hottie!”

Saphira squealed. She was nervous about that, as well. “I can’t believe we’re going to pretend to be a couple,” she said, nibbling on her lower lip.

“Neither can I, but I absolutely love it.” Lavinia giggled. “You’ll be fine, don’t overthink it. Be brave!”

“Ah, okay, I will try!” Saphira took a long sip of her chai to stop herself from crying.

Then, there wasn’t any more time to worry, for Aiden was there, his car pulling up front. Lavinia walked Saphira to the door, where Aiden met them, taking Saphira’s bag.

Saphira hugged Lavinia goodbye.

“You so got this,” Lavinia whispered, squeezing Saphira tight.

Saphira pulled back, waving.

“Bye,” Aiden said to Lavinia, and she gave him a wry smile.

“Have fun,” she sang, waving at Aiden. Saphira gave her a dirty look over her shoulder, then followed Aiden to the car. Sparky was in the back. The baby dragon bounced on the seat when he saw Saphira, and she waved at him.

Aiden put her bag in the back, then sat in the driver’s seat as she settled in. He looked over.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded. “Ready.”

He drove them up to a field, where Emmeline was waiting with her dragon, a great basalta named Torch. Aiden had already explained the plan to her; they would fly up to Mount Echo on Torch because the mountaintop wasn’t accessible by car. Torch was familiar with Aiden, so he could fly the dragon. Even though Aiden didn’t have a dragon of his own, he had assured Saphira he knew how to ride quite well, so she would be in good hands. She hadn’t been worried; she trusted Aiden.

Sparky was excited, though the baby surely had no idea what was happening; he was just pleased to be going on some sort of adventure. And an adventure it would surely be.

When they arrived at the field, Aiden parked the car and Saphira got out. She let Sparky out, and Sparky ran to Torch, the dragons playing together. Emmeline said goodbye to her dragon, touching his forehead with hers.

Then Emmeline greeted Saphira, giving her a hug.

“Have fun,” Emmeline said. “Mount Echo is gorgeous, so be sure to enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” Saphira replied. “I’m just worried about Sparky; it’s such a big moment for him! I want everything to go well.”

“And it will,” Emmeline reassured her. “But be warned: it’s a bit emotional. When my girl had her first flight, I teared up, but remember that every step has its own beauty.”

If Emmeline teared up, that probably meant that Saphira would be sobbing.

“I’ll try and remember that,” Saphira said. She squeezed Emmeline’s hands. “Thanks, Emmy.”

“Of course.” She gave Saphira a wink, then met Aiden by his car, taking the keys from him. She would drive Aiden’s car back down.

Aiden said goodbye to Emmeline, and she said something to him that Saphira couldn’t hear, but it made Aiden straighten his back, as if steeling himself with courage. Maybe he needed a bit of bravery to tackle this big moment with Sparky. Saphira couldn’t think of what else he might need strength for.

Emmeline drove away, and Aiden joined Saphira with their bags and jackets.

“I’ll just get these settled,” Aiden said, and she nodded, watching as he strapped them onto the saddle on Torch’s back. When that was done, he came over to where she was standing a few feet away from the dragon.

Torch was ready, sitting down, waiting for them to mount.

“Ready?” Aiden asked, looking at her. Besides the dragons, it was just the two of them in the empty field, in the silent morning, and it felt both frighteningly intimate yet also quietly comforting. As if she didn’t need anyone else.

“Ready,” she replied, giving him a smile.

He nodded. “Just a warning in advance, in case it gets crazy when we get there: the ritual might seem a bit intense, but all the dragons have gone through it, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Aiden told her.

“Okay.” Even so, she would still be anxious for Sparky until his first flight was successfully over.

“Shall we?” Aiden asked. She nodded, and they walked toward the dragon. Torch was so much bigger up close, and Saphira felt a little nervous.

“Oh, and before I forget,” Aiden said, reaching into the breast pocket of his shirt. He pulled something out, holding it out to her in his palm.

It was a ring. Just a simple gold band, but still.

“Oh,” she said, her heart skipping a beat. She reached to take it from his hand, her fingers brushing against his palm. Saphira looked up to see him clench his jaw.

Aiden cleared his throat, watching as Saphira slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. The breath lodged in her throat.

Her eyes glanced up to him, and his dark gaze pierced through her, an emotion on his face that she couldn’t quite place, but one that made her chest ache all the same.

“I didn’t bring—”

She stopped when Aiden showed her his left hand, where he wore a matching ring on his third finger, though his was silver instead of gold. It was a small detail, and of course this ring was just for pretend, but she appreciated that he had noticed she only wore gold and not silver, and had gotten a ring accordingly.

It felt so … right on her finger. As if that was exactly where it was meant to be, where it had always meant to be.

Oh god. She seriously needed to control her emotions before they got out of hand. This was pretend, she reminded herself. Only pretend.

But then Aiden’s hand brushed against hers, both rings catching in the sunlight, glinting, and she saw something on his face that she recognized now, for she felt it, too: longing.

Could it be that he felt the same way?

The air was charged between them, as if some obvious fact hung between them, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

Maybe Lavinia was right—maybe Saphira did need to be brave.

“This way,” Aiden said, leading Saphira to where she would mount Torch. He clearly knew his way around dragons; he was very competent, which was terribly attractive to her.

Aiden handed Saphira her jacket, which he had put on the saddle. Though it was warm out, he had told her to pack for colder weather, as it was always winter up on Mount Echo.

Saphira put her jacket on, and Aiden did the same, both of them preparing to mount.

“Here,” Aiden said, pulling an extra scarf out of his bag. He stepped toward her and wrapped it around her neck, his fingers brushing against her jaw as he did. She shivered.

“Thank you,” she whispered, inhaling the sweet scent of moss and mint from the fabric. It calmed her frayed nerves for a moment, until she realized that she now had to mount the beast.

Anxiety buzzed through her. She had never been on a dragon before.

“You can do it,” Aiden said, standing beside her. He pointed out what to do. “Hold on here, then step there with your right foot and swing your left foot over.”

She took a deep breath, stepping up with her right foot as instructed. She held onto the saddle, then went to swing her left foot over, but hesitated, feeling afraid as the dragon moved.

“Hey, I’ve got you,” Aiden said, stepping behind her to help her up. Even through the layers, she could feel his strong hands on her waist.

Saphira took another deep breath, swinging her left foot over. Aiden’s hands lifted her up as she did and, with a surprised yelp, she landed directly on the saddle, in perfect position. Torch settled under her, and she gasped at the large animal’s movement.

“Good girl,” Aiden said, giving Saphira a smile. A jolt of heat shot through her at his words, and she buried her nose in her neck scarf, hoping he wouldn’t see her blush.

Aiden took a step to the front of the dragon to face Torch. “Ready?” he asked, scratching under Torch’s chin. Torch huffed, and Aiden nodded.

He came toward the saddle and, in a quick motion, climbed up behind Saphira. His thighs bracketed her on either side, his arms coming around her body. Desire pulsed through her at having him so close, his strong body flush behind hers. She felt him everywhere, heat stirring low in her belly.

He settled behind her on the saddle, pressing closer, and her breathing hitched. She gasped, her heartbeat quickening.

“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice a whisper in her ears. She felt his warm breath against her skin from behind, and her body ached. She nodded, unable to speak.

“What about Sparky?” she asked, when she had regained some of her brain cells.

Aiden pointed, and she looked down to where Torch had picked Sparky up in her paw. Sparky looked excited, his purple eyes wide.

“Are you ready?” Aiden asked. Saphira did not think she would ever be ready for this, but at the same time she had been waiting for it her whole life. She nodded, and Aiden kicked Torch.

Torch stood, and Saphira’s stomach lurched. Letting out a surprised cry, she held onto the saddle, grateful Aiden had his arms around her, or she’d be afraid she might fall off.

“I’ve got you,” Aiden said, voice coaxing. She believed him.

Even so, the experience was equally frightening and thrilling as Torch took off into a run, her wings opening as the dragon basically ran off the hilltop.

Unable to help herself, Saphira shrieked, thinking they would fall—but of course they didn’t. Torch took off, and then they were flying.

Wind rushed against Saphira’s face, and she squeezed her eyes shut, afraid. Her stomach flipped uncontrollably, and she tensed, her entire body clenched up.

Aiden must have noticed, for he said, “Hey, you’re okay. Open your eyes.”

Saphira shook her head, too afraid.

“Do you trust me?” he asked. Her heart pounded. Slowly, she nodded. “Saphira, open your eyes.” His voice was steady.

Gathering up all her courage, Saphira opened her eyes. Immediately, her mouth fell open with awe, her breath taken away. She had never been this high up before, and from here, she could see everything .

The glittering lake, its blue water shimmering under the sunlight. The rolling hills of the valley, bright green and lush. The snow-capped mountains, a stark pure white against the sky. And nestled in the middle of it all, her little town.

“Aiden!” she said, unsure what else to say. She was speechless, so she grasped his arm and squeezed, and it was like he understood exactly what she was feeling, the same wonder and awe. She felt him smile against her neck, and she leaned into his touch.

It was amazing, made even better with him by her side. She was happy to share this moment with him, to have him witness it as her companion.

As they climbed higher in the sky, the air around them turned cold, but Aiden’s arms around her were warm. They flew through the clouds, everything turning foggy, until they emerged above them, soaring over the white puffs.

Eventually, they spotted the mountaintop. From this distance, Saphira could see what looked to be a small hut nestled amongst the snow; as they got closer, she saw it was a cottage. Lampposts surrounding the cottage were lit with fires, and Saphira would bet a million dollars there was no electricity up here.

Torch landed in the snow, releasing Sparky from her paw, who immediately rolled around in the snow. Saphira shivered against the frigid air, burying her nose in her neck scarf. Aiden got off first, holding a hand out for Saphira, but as she went to move her legs, she found they were trembling. Her muscles were cramped, stuck in place.

“Um … I think I’m going to fall.”

Aiden smiled. “Don’t worry, a rider’s first ride can be pretty intense, and we did fly some distance. Here.” He put his hands in position. “I’ll catch you.”

Saphira stood on shaky legs, feeling unsteady. As she swung her left leg over the saddle, the world spun, and she thought she’d go careening into the snow, gravity taking over.

Instead, she landed perfectly in Aiden’s arms, his hands firm on her waist. She held onto his shoulders as he helped her to the ground, carrying her as if she weighed nothing.

Even when her feet were firmly planted on the snow-covered ground, she still held onto his shoulders, his hands remaining on her waist. It was freezing up here, the ground covered in a thin layer of ice, but she felt warm, anchored to him.

Saphira looked up at him, inadvertently inching closer. His eyes darkened, burning into hers. She listened to the sound of his ragged breath, her heart hammering.

His lips parted, his mouth hovering above hers.

Until they heard the crunch of ice, someone approaching. Aiden turned, and an old woman came into view. She had dark skin and long white hair in twists, a thick robe adorning her body. She looked like a character from a fairy tale, from a different era.

“Sister Mireya,” Aiden said, bowing his head. Saphira followed suit.

“Welcome, welcome,” Mireya said, her voice velvety and soft, as if she was going to recite a bedtime story.

When Sparky saw someone new approaching, he stopped playing in the snow, instead coming to stand between her and Aiden’s legs. His purple eyes were apprehensive as he regarded Mireya. Saphira reached down and petted Sparky’s head, soothing him.

Mireya watched the movement, then turned her gaze up to Saphira, looking at her with hawkish eyes. Then it was Saphira’s turn to be nervous.

“Edward told me you were coming,” Mireya said to Aiden, though her gaze never left Saphira. “But he had not mentioned you would be bringing a companion.”

Saphira laughed nervously, and she felt Sparky take a step in front of her. The baby dragon hardly came up to her knees, but she appreciated him being protective of her all the same.

Aiden opened his mouth to respond, but Mireya’s gaze shifted to Sparky, noticing his behavior. Her eyes went then to Saphira’s hand, to the gold ring. She smiled, surprised.

“Congratulations are in order, Aiden,” she said. “Nobody informed me you were wed.”

“Yes,” Aiden said, clearing his throat. “It is my immense pleasure to introduce you to my beautiful wife, Saphira.”

She felt a zing go through her at hearing him say the word wife in relation to her.

“I am honored to meet you,” Saphira said. Mireya made a thoughtful sound.

“Saphira,” she repeated. “I do not know you. You are not from amongst the riders.”

It was an old term for Drakkon families—from when the only riders had been from Drakkon families. Saphira bristled. Mireya turned to Aiden again, this time confused.

“I am surprised your parents allowed such a match,” Mireya said, furrowing her brows.

“On the contrary, Sister, there is nothing surprising about it,” Aiden replied easily. He turned to Saphira, eyes warm. “And if there is anything shocking about our match, it would be that Saphira has accepted me, for my wife is far superior to me.”

Again those words: my wife . God, but she was already getting used to it. (Which was possibly unhinged of her, but she was an unhinged girl, and it was okay to accept that.)

The discomfort and insecurity Saphira felt vanished quickly. Aiden was confident about her, and she almost believed it—until she reminded herself that this was pretend.

Even so, her heart felt gooey.

“Hm,” Mireya said. She did not look wholly convinced, but for the moment she said nothing more.

Another caretaker in long black robes arrived to tend to Torch, a third arriving to take Aiden and Saphira’s bags.

“This way,” Mireya said, leading them toward the stone cottage. It was smaller than Saphira had expected; the way Aiden had described it, she imagined the great Mount Echo to be something vast, but this was a little one-story building.

They followed Mireya inside, where it was considerably warmer than the cold weather outside. Fires blazed in the hearths on either side of the house, which was really just one big room with a set of stairs at the end.

“Come,” Mireya said, heading toward the stairs. Maybe there was another room down in the cellar, Saphira thought, as she reached the top of the stone steps.

Until she looked down and realized there was much, much more than just one room.

There was an entire compound built into the mountain, expanding over multiple floors.

“Wow,” Saphira whispered, as they descended the stairs. There was no electricity, so everything was lit by candlelight, and there were dozens of figures in similar attire to Mireya’s.

“The novices here study the ancient texts,” Mireya explained to Saphira. She continued to describe different matters that were studied from those texts, such as the rider–dragon bond, and the medicinal properties of various dragon parts, like saliva or scales.

The compound also housed a few dragons of each breed in order to both study the dragons and also to protect the continuity of the species. The research conducted here was then taught in classes like those that Genevieve was taking at university, where she was earning her degree in Dragon History.

While it was all fascinating, the influx of knowledge made her feel a little overwhelmed, as if she was in an entirely different world. Even though she interacted with dragons daily, it was easy to imagine that she lived in an ordinary world, but here, it was evident that there was much she did not know.

It was all brand-new information for Saphira, but Aiden, of course, already knew all of this, which made him feel far away. Sparky didn’t really understand what was going on, but he happily trotted alongside them, looking around.

Mireya even took them to the caves where the dragons were preserved. There was a separate cave for each of the four breeds, and the eggs shone like the gemstones they were named after. The entire cave was also made of those stones, glittering and glimmering in the low candlelight Mireya brought with them. It was incredibly beautiful and truly did feel sacred.

For someone like Saphira, who had always wanted to learn more dragon lore but never had the chance, it was a very cool experience.

Then, it was time for the ritual to begin.

Mireya led them outside of one of the lower levels. Wind whipped against Saphira’s skin, the air freezing. The space was empty, covered in ice. As Saphira looked closer, she saw it was a frozen lake.

“It is time to begin,” Mireya announced. She turned to Sparky, reaching for him. He hesitated for a brief moment, until Mireya hummed a disconcertingly foreign tune, which seemed to make him relax. The baby dragon then went to Mireya immediately, which was strange for Saphira to witness, as if Sparky was under some sort of spell.

Mireya continued humming, petting Sparky in her arms as she took him to the lake. The ice was thick; it made no noise as Mireya walked across, carrying Sparky to the center.

There was a steel plate on the surface of the lake, and Mireya crouched down beside it. Sparky remained completely calm as the sage removed the plate to reveal a hole in the thick ice. Mireya picked Sparky up with both hands, dangling him in the air.

“What is she—”

Before Saphira could finish, Mireya dropped Sparky into the lake, and the baby disappeared under the waters. Before he surfaced, Mireya covered the hole with the steel plate, locking Sparky in.

“What is she doing ?” Saphira cried, panic setting in.

“Don’t worry,” Aiden said, though it took him a great effort to say the words through his clenched jaw. “This is part of the ritual.”

Saphira tried her very best not to freak out as Mireya calmly walked over to join them on the outskirts of the frozen lake.

“Are you sure he’ll be fine?” she asked Aiden, her voice high. Saphira could not even see the shadow of Sparky’s body below the ice and, as a result, she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. Her chest was painfully tight with trepidation.

Mireya glanced at Saphira with a frown. Before Aiden could answer, she said, “Aiden, you should not have brought her if she was not accustomed to our ways. Outsiders never understand. Are you sure she belongs?”

Saphira felt those words like a slap to her face. She went completely silent, chest hurting.

Aiden looked upset. “Of course she belongs,” he snapped.

Saphira turned her focus to the lake, holding her breath as she saw a dark shadow under the ice. It was Sparky, his little body pushing against the ice, trying to break it. Her heart hurt.

She knew Aiden had told her this would be intense, but this was not what she had expected.

It had been too long. Sparky would run out of air, and she was just supposed to stand here? Doing nothing?

But then she heard the sound of ice cracking—and shattering. A blast of water erupted from the lake, followed by flames, the blazing light bright against the frigid landscape. Sparky jumped out, growling and soaking wet.

Saphira released her breath, relieved. Aiden ran a hand over his face, similarly relieved. Good god .

Saphira went to the edge of the lake and crouched down, opening her arms for Sparky, who ran to her. She gathered him in her arms, hugging him, even though he was wet with freezing waters, which seeped through her clothing.

She didn’t care. Her baby was safe.

Saphira stood, still holding Sparky, bringing him back to Aiden, who petted Sparky, holding the baby dragon’s face in both his hands.

“Come,” Mireya said. “It is time for the next.”

“ Next? ” Saphira whispered to Aiden. His expression was equally distressed, but Mireya was already moving forward, going up a set of winding stairs to the level above them.

Saphira and Aiden followed, and the next floor was also outside, though this time it was a narrow corridor between the stones of the mountain. Once there, Mireya came to take Sparky from Saphira’s arms.

Saphira inadvertently tensed, resisting. Mireya gave her a stern look.

“Saphira,” Aiden coaxed. “It’s okay.”

Saphira let go and Mireya took Sparky, walking him to the very end of the corridor, where she placed him on the edge of the mountain. Behind him, there was nothing but clouds and a steep, steep drop. Anxiety cut through her.

Mireya came back to where Aiden and Saphira stood, stepping carefully to avoid something in the path, though Saphira could not tell what. The anticipation was severely stressing her out, but she could do nothing but watch as Mireya came to this end of the corridor.

Then, she pulled something from inside her robe. It was a set of matches. Mireya struck one, then dropped it.

The entire path erupted into flames, engulfing the entire corridor, including the ground beneath Sparky. He cried out, and Saphira gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Aiden clenched his jaw, and they both watched with horror as Sparky looked around. He had to decide quickly what to do, for dragon scales could only sustain heat for so long.

There was no choice to make. The baby dragon had to cross the flamed path to get back to them because on the other side there was nothing but the steep edge of the mountain.

With a determined hiss, Sparky ran through the flames, bursting out on the other side.

When he made it through, Saphira went to hold him, but Aiden held her back, his grip firm on her arm.

“Saphira, no,” he said, voice pained. “His scales will burn you.”

Mireya gave Saphira a disappointed look again, and Saphira bristled, once again feeling out of place.

As Sparky cooled off, Mireya turned to Aiden. “You are aware there is a ritual available for those outsiders who marry into riding families,” she said. “So that they may belong amongst the dragons.”

Outsider. She was referring to Saphira.

Saphira felt nauseous.

“She’s not an outsider,” Aiden gritted out. “She is my wife.”

She appreciated him standing up for her, but his words were not of much consolation because they were not true.

Mireya did not respond to that. She simply led them, and they followed.

Saphira couldn’t help but feeling upset, both by Mireya’s words and the rituals Sparky had gone through. It was all too much.

As they went up another set of stairs, Saphira felt Aiden’s gaze on hers. He frowned, and she gave him a bright smile, trying to convince him she was fine, hoping he wouldn’t worry. But that only caused his frown to deepen, as if he saw right through her facade.

The next flight of stairs led them inside, to what looked like a dining area. There were long tables where some novices were studying books and sipping cups of tea, while other small groups were eating a meal.

Everyone was quiet, and they appeared to Saphira as cold and closed off, though that was unsurprising given that the place felt like a monastery. Even so, it was unpleasant, so unlike what she was used to with the coziness of her cafe. There were no dragons here, either, except for Sparky.

“Sparky has done well,” Mireya said, leading them to an empty table on the side. “Now he will eat, then we will take him to bathe and rest before his first flight at dawn.”

Aiden and Saphira sat down across from each other, Sparky on Saphira’s side. Mireya left them, and a moment later, a robed novice brought over food for Sparky, who immediately began eating, apparently unperturbed by the ice and fire rituals. Saphira was still unsettled, and she rubbed her temples.

“I’m sorry,” Aiden said, frowning. “I know that was intense.”

“I mean, you did warn me,” Saphira replied with a sigh. Nothing could have really prepared her to experience that.

“At least the worst of it is over,” Aiden said.

“At least.” Saphira petted Sparky as he finished eating, and he purred, pleased. After he was done, Mireya appeared again, this time to take Sparky to bathe and then rest, which she said was customary at this time and which Aiden reaffirmed upon seeing the hesitant expression on Saphira’s face. While Saphira didn’t want to let Sparky go, she also didn’t want to give Mireya further fuel to think that Saphira didn’t belong, so she kept quiet.

“Goodbye my angel,” Saphira said, holding Sparky’s face. “I’ll see you in the morning, little squishy.” She gave him kisses, and he licked her cheek. Aiden said goodbye as well, and Sparky licked his hand.

In the meantime, food had been brought for Saphira and Aiden. As they sat back down and began eating, Mireya paused. She gave Aiden a suspicious glance.

“When were you two wed?” she asked.

Saphira was startled, the food getting stuck in her throat.

Aiden swallowed. “Just this month,” he replied.

Mireya made a thoughtful sound. “You do not act like it.”

Without another word, she took Sparky away, leaving Aiden looking stressed.

“Do you think she’ll cancel Sparky’s flight?” Saphira asked, keeping her voice low as tension ran through her.

“I don’t know,” Aiden replied, brows furrowed. “Perhaps we need to be more convincing.” He cleared his throat. “Is it okay if I touch you?”

Heat flushed through her at the prospect, and she bit her lower lip to stop herself from responding as enthusiastically as she wanted to. “Yes,” Saphira said, after a moment’s pause. “Of course, we have to sell it.”

“Right. Of course.”

They ate in silence, a little awkward, until she felt his foot nudge against hers playfully under the table. She smiled, and when he smiled back at her, any of the tension between them dissipated. They had the rest of the evening to themselves now, with Sparky being taken care of.

“I know that was all stressful, but let’s try and enjoy the rest of our time here,” Aiden said.

“Okay. Good plan.”

“So what do think about Mount Echo?” Aiden asked, looking up and around.

“Oh my god,” she replied. “I have so many thoughts.”

“I want to hear all of them.”

They talked as they ate, and since no one was sitting around them to overhear, she could speak freely. Though Aiden had felt far away before, when she was initially touring the compound, now he felt close, commenting and reacting to all of her thoughts, supplementing the knowledge she had gained with more tidbits here and there.

After they finished eating, they went outside to one of the terraces. It was mostly empty, just a novice passing through. Aiden’s knuckles brushed against hers, and Saphira didn’t know who initiated it, but then they were holding hands. Neither of them let go, even after they were alone.

They walked along the terrace, and the views from up here were stunning. Most of the clouds had cleared away, so she could see the other mountain peaks, each of them sharp white cones against the sky.

They were so high up in the sky, it was insane. She found it amazing that dragon riders had access to these views whenever they wanted—all they had to do was go for a ride.

The evening progressed, and the sun set. Someone came out to light the lamp posts around the perimeter of the area, casting a golden glow into the night. And then something truly magical happened—it began snowing.

Gently at first, but then properly, flurries falling down fast.

“Look!” Saphira said, tilting her head back. She held her hands out to catch the snowflakes, and they melted against her palms, little pricks of ice.

“Come on,” Aiden said, pulling her toward the door. “Let’s get inside before you get sick.”

“No!” Saphira dug her feet in, and Aiden stopped. “We have to enjoy the snow!”

She adored snowfall. He gave her a look, shivering as a gust of wind blew.

“You’re going to get sick,” he said, letting go of her hand. “Come on.”

He turned to head toward the door, and she narrowed her eyes at his back. Reaching down, Saphira scooped up snow into her hand, some old and some fresh powder. She made a snowball and threw it at his back. It landed squarely between his shoulders.

He turned around to face her, a shocked expression on his face. “Did you just hit me with a snowball?”

She lifted her chin. “So what if I did?”

“Oh, it is so on.” He smiled, then reached down and made a snowball, lobbing it at her. She yelped, ducking, and it narrowly missed her head.

“Ha!” She laughed, making another snowball and throwing it at him, and thus began a proper snowball fight. They ran around, attacking and ducking, both getting good hits in, their laughter ringing through the air.

Until she got him straight in the eye, and he fell back into the snow with a cry. Her heart stopped.

“Are you okay?” she asked, rushing to his side, where he was clutching his eye. He winced, groaning, and her chest hurt with guilt. “Let me see, let me see.”

She took his hand from his eye to inspect the damage, but he wouldn’t let her see, covering his eye again. “No, it hurts,” he said. “It hurts too much.”

“Let me see!” She demanded, intensely worried.

He slowly removed his hand, and she leaned close to check his eye, worried she had burst a blood vessel or something, but when she looked, there appeared to be no damage.

“It looks fine,” she said, frowning.

“It doesn’t feel fine.” He pouted.

“Here,” Saphira said, blowing on the edge of her scarf to warm it up. She cupped the back of his head with one hand, then pressed the fabric against his eye. “Better?”

“Much better,” he replied, relaxing. Then, his lips twitched. He didn’t look to be in pain at all; he looked perfectly fine, a stark difference to thirty seconds prior.

Furrowing her brows, Saphira sat back confused, until a smile spread across Aiden’s mouth. His eyes crinkled with amusement.

Saphira gasped; he had been teasing her.

“You are the worst !” She pushed him back, but he—laughing—held onto her hands, and she fell with him. She landed on top of him, straddling his lap.

And then he was no longer laughing. His eyes darkened. He drew closer, and she leaned into the touch, her skin scorching. Desire coursed through her. She could feel him even through the layers of clothing between them. She ached to get closer. His breathing grew labored.

He looked up at her from beneath his dark lashes, his gaze searing. She pressed closer, and he made a strangled sound, his grip tightening. Resting her hands flat on his chest, she felt his heart beating beneath her palms. His gaze flicked to her mouth, and her pulse raced.

They were both frozen, afraid to break the moment, but there was no denying what she felt, and what she suspected he felt, too. He pulled her closer, his mouth hovering just below hers.

“Forgive me,” a voice said, and Saphira jolted. It was Mireya. Saphira hadn’t even heard her approach.

Heart pounding, Saphira got off of Aiden, and they both stood.

“I just wanted to inform you that Sparky is resting for the night,” Mireya said.

“Thank you,” Aiden said, clearing his throat.

A harsh realization shot through Saphira, then. Aiden would have seen Mireya approaching from over Saphira’s shoulder—had this all been a show? To convince Mireya?

Mireya nodded, then turned to go. She made it a few steps before she turned back. “I recommend the hot springs for riders the night before their baby’s first flight,” she said. “It’s always best for the riders to also be relaxed, or the baby dragon feeds off their energy.”

“Thank you,” Aiden said, and Mireya took her leave. After she was gone, Aiden turned to her, his hand reaching for hers. Saphira stepped back, feeling silly.

“She’s gone,” Saphira said, voice quiet. “You don’t have to pretend.”

He frowned, hurt and confused.