Heir of Pendel (A Pandoran Novel, #4) (60 page)

Myez didn't comment, not even as I climbed up the straps and into the saddle. He stood resolutely near the cave entrance.

"Are you coming, or not?" I asked.

"Am I allowed to?" His gaze swept to Nexus's extraordinary mandible.

"Well, I'm not leaving you here." I hadn't asked Nexus about this yet, but so far Nexus wasn't arguing. I waved Myez forward. "Come on. There's enough room."

Myez hesitated, as if he didn't trust Nexus not to eat him, but then he made up his mind and walked toward us. When he reached the straps, I leaned over and lowered my hand and he grabbed hold, using it to propel himself up and swing his leg over in the saddle behind me. It was a snug fit with two, but it would work.

"Hold on!" I said, and Myez just managed to put his arms around my waist as Nexus stood tall, flapped his wings, and took off.

Myez screamed. Wind howled and my ears popped, and Nexus burst through the layer of clouds and into the big blue. I stole a glance back. "Open your eyes!" I yelled.

"You're mad!" he yelled back.

I laughed, looking back to the sky. The sun dropped to the west, setting the horizon on fire with brilliant oranges and pinks and purples. The clouds below looked like pink puffs of cotton candy as Nexus soared over them, wings spread wide. He headed due south, and from this height, I could see a slight curvature to the horizon. We'd been flying like this for about twenty minutes when, without warning, Nexus dove…straight down.

This time Myez screamed so loudly in my ear I was sure I'd suffer permanent hearing damage. His arms cinched around my waist and I gripped the saddle as we dove, spinning and swirling into a pinwheel of pink clouds. There were a few seconds of rosy white and then we emerged through the clouds' belly, and a grey landscape spread below us.

I'd expected to see a battle, but all I could see were empty fields of snow…wait. I heard voices yelling just over…there. A dozen or so miles away, just at the crest of the next rise, was battle. Hundreds and hundreds of men, swarming the snow. Some wore furs, more wore armor. And then I saw a gargon circling over them, and I cursed.

Nexus snorted hot steam.
That abomination is nothing compared to me.

Nexus banked hard, gravity pulling us downdowndown as we made a wide arc toward the battlefield. Those in the furs—those must be Nords—were completely mixed with Lord Vega's men, which meant it would be tricky using dragon fire without burning some of the Nords as well. The gargon didn't seem to care much though, hosing Nord and Campagnan alike, and it also didn't seem to have noticed us yet. But where was Alex? I could
feel
him down there…somewhere. The pull on my soul was much stronger now—or at least it seemed stronger. It was hard to tell since I hadn't been able to feel anything for a month.

A second gargon rose out of nowhere, whipping unseen and into the melee like a speeding bullet, and it landed on the ground behind one of the Nords. The other men ran in the opposite direction, and the Nord slowly turned around to face the gargon. No, that wasn't a Nord…

"Nexus!" I screamed, but Nexus was already heading straight for them.

Men shrieked below, suddenly noticing us flying right above them. I watched in horror as the gargon pinned Alex down. It reared its head to strike. Something burst into flames on the ground, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"Faster!" I yelled.

The gargon opened its mouth, bent its head forward, and Nexus dropped. His jaws clamped around the gargon's long neck and he rose, lifting the gargon off Alex and away from the battle. Nexus whipped his head back and forth with so much force I thought I was going to fall from the saddle. I held tight while Myez held on to me. The gargon wailed in agony, its pain shooting through my veins like thousands of tiny hot embers, and just when I didn't think I could hold on any longer, Nexus tossed the gargon aside. The gargon fell like a rock, landing in a broken heap on the ground. It didn't stir again. I whipped my head back to where Alex had been, and my chest swelled with relief. He was alive. But apparently Nexus wasn't done yet.

Nexus chased down the now retreating Campagnans, hosing them down with liquid flames. They screamed and ran like living torches, and Nexus was about to unleash that fire hose on the last small batch when I said, "Wait! We need prisoners! They might know something that could help!"

Nexus wasn't listening. Smoke curled from his nostrils and I saw the glow at his lips.

"Nexus,
stop
!" I screamed.

I felt Nexus's irritation, and he released his fire anyway. But instead of hosing the running guards, it hovered in a ball of flames like a miniature sun, and Nexus darted straight through it.

"Hold on!" I yelled to Myez as I shut my eyes, bracing myself for the heat and praying the saddle would protect Myez, too. My skin and lungs burned for a second, and then the air turned bitter cold again. I opened my eyes to find my leathers smoking. But the fire was gone.

"Are you okay?" I called back to Myez, who only coughed in reply.

I set my mouth in a grim line. Thanks a lot, Nexus.

Perhaps you'll think twice next time about giving me orders.

Nexus picked up a few of the retreating Campagnans in his talons, and then headed back toward the horde of cheering Nords. He dropped our prisoners unceremoniously on the ground and then landed with the grace of a swan upon water. I took a second to catch my breath and rub my dry eyes, and then I turned back to check on Myez, who looked petrified. "Wait here," I said.

He gave me a distracted nod and made no signs of moving. Carefully, so as not to kick Myez, I swung my leg over the saddle, slid down Nexus's neck, and landed on the ground, my boots crunching in the snow. And that's when I saw him.

He was dressed like them, hidden in a mass of leather and wool and fur, but he was also different, somehow. It was in the way he stood, the way he carried himself. So confident and fearless and strong, the way leaders are. No, the way
kings
are, and I wondered how I'd never put it together before. Looking at him now, it seemed obvious.

His dark hair was a tousled mess, and his face was covered in sweat and dirt and blood, but I thought he'd never looked more handsome. He'd become what he'd been born to do, and in becoming that, his steps were surer and stronger as he walked toward me. There wasn't any reserve in his face, either, as though he were coming to claim me before all these men, and he no longer cared what anyone else thought. This was a side of him I'd never seen before, and I suddenly felt nervous. My heart thumped fast and my body warmed even though the air was freezing. Alex was a few yards from me when he stopped, unsure, and glanced past me. Er, he glanced
up
.

In my distraction at seeing Alex, I'd almost forgotten.

The only thing that might be worse than an overprotective father was an overprotective man-eating dragon. The situation struck me so oddly I giggled.

Alex's eyes found mine again, and his lips cracked in an imperceptible grin. And then I ran to him. I didn't have to run very far before I was in his arms. He hugged me so tightly he picked me up off the ground, and I hugged him back, squeezing out every last piece of empty space between us. He smelled like winter and leather and sweat, but somehow through all of those scents, I still smelled
him
.

"And once again I see I've worried needlessly about you," he said, pulling back just enough so that he could run his hands through my short hair then hold my face between his palms. His eyes moved around my face as though checking everything was in its proper place, and then his gaze settled on my mouth. His love burned so strongly it warmed me from the inside out, and then he kissed me.

Time stopped with this kiss. An entire world and all its people and all its problems, held in suspension, giving us this moment as if we were alone, outside of it, existing together in our own dimension. My spirit soared higher than the clouds, higher than Nexus had ever flown us, so high I felt as though I could touch the stars.

A few catcalls and chuckles from the surrounding Nords pulled me down from the heavens and back to Earth. Alex slowly pulled away, but he took my breath with him. He smiled at me and traced his thumb along my bottom lip. "I love you," he whispered.

I thought I might melt right into his hands.

A throat cleared in the distance. Alex released my face, but he slid his arms around my waist and gently turned me around.

"Thad!" I slid right out of Alex's arms and bolted to Thad.

Thad laughed as I threw my arms around him. He squeezed me back. "And here I thought I was the only one who knew how to make an entrance. I'll never top that!"

"Someone's got to put you in your place every now and then."

"Well, when you hang out too much with Del Can't, 'now and then' ends up being every second of every day."

I pulled away, and then I noticed the pretty blonde standing right behind him. Vera gave me a curt nod of acknowledgement, but I stepped around Thad and hugged her, too. It was equivalent to hugging a marble statue, but when I pulled back, the hint of a grin touched her mouth. And then I remembered the crowd of Nords around us.

You've also completely forgotten about your human.

"Ah…right." I mumbled.

Alex looked curiously at me.

"One moment," I said, walking back toward the saddle. "I brought someone with me," I said over my shoulder.

Alex's gaze slid up to the saddle he couldn't see.

"He's a friend," I added, my meaning clear.

Alex nodded once, his gaze sliding between me and this elusive friend of mine, who was also a male.

I looked up to where Myez sat. "You can climb down now."

It took Myez a few seconds of fumbling and trying to decide just how to slide down, but he eventually figured it out and landed in the snow on all fours. I heard the scrape of metal as swords were drawn.

Alex's face was hard as stone.

"I said he's a friend," I said, placating, yet firm. "And he saved my life."

The others looked to Alex, waiting for his lead. Though the gesture was subtle, it spoke volumes about how the Nords viewed Alex, and it made my heart feel a little fuller.

Alex pinched his lips together, his eyes sliding from Myez to me. He cast one last glance at Myez filled with every threat imaginable, and then Alex sheathed his sword with a sharp scrape. The others relaxed, too.

I cleared my throat and gestured to the dragon. "This is Nexus."

Everyone was so quiet, I heard Thad's stomach rumble from a few feet away. He looked startled, as if he couldn't believe his stomach could make such a sound, and Vera glared sideways at him. He gave her a look that said, '
What?!
'

Alex gazed up at Nexus, uncertain.

"Nexus has decided to help us," I added.

Nexus lowered his head a little, turning it so that he could observe Alex with one of his huge eyes. They stood there like that for a moment, Alex's reflection stretched over Nexus's eye, both of them appraising the other as if they were having their own silent conversation. Then Alex dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Thank you, Nexus. For keeping her safe and for coming to our aid."

Mmm, yes, I like this young prince.
Nexus sounded as if he'd pet Alex on the head if he had a hand.

I smiled. "He likes you," I said to Alex.

Alex gave me a funny look as he stood. "Did he…tell you that?"

I didn't really want to announce to all of these people that Nexus and I shared thoughts.

A wise decision, my little petulant one.

I pinched my lips together. "I can just tell," was all I said, but I gave Alex a look that said I'd explain later.

"Look what the reptile dragged in…" Thad nodded toward a dozen or so Nords who were dragging a few Campagnan soldiers between them. They were the soldiers Nexus had been forced to spare and pick up in his talons.

Please tell your harebrained cousin to watch his tongue before I eat him
.

Not that it would do any good.

"Bind them up for questioning," Alex said to his men, though I thought the Campagnans looked too frightened by the dragon to try anything.

The Nords set to work tying up their prisoners, and then Alex glanced around us, at the carnage. There was so much sorrow on his face as he observed all the death, and that sorrow was followed by something else akin to disgust. "Gather our men," he said, collecting himself. "We'll send them off properly before we head for Rex Cross, assuming it still stands. It's not far from here, and we need the shelter"—he tilted his face to the blustery winter sky—"and rest." When he looked back down, his eyes landed on me.

Everyone busied themselves picking through the dead, searching for our own. Myez helped too, though everyone avoided him. Apparently, he'd even had a reputation amidst the Nords. Alex was quiet as he walked with me, but I felt his presence like a fire burning constantly beside me, bathing me in its heat and radiance, touching me all over with its warmth. He crouched down beside one man and frowned. "Niko," he whispered, and he squeezed Niko's dead fingers. I placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, and he tensed but then lifted his own hand and put it over mine.

"I hate this," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I hate that so many have to die and I can't stop it."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't think he was asking me to say anything, so I squeezed his shoulder gently to let him know I understood. He squeezed my hand back and stood. I helped him carry Niko over to where we were collecting the bodies of our dead, everyone moving in a reverent silence. I was carefully setting Niko's feet on the ground when I spotted Danton, helping gather our dead.

I was paralyzed, certain my eyes were playing tricks on me. Maybe it was an effect of the waning daylight. Just because the young man I'd seen had straight blond hair didn't mean he was also Danton. There were plenty of blond men in the world. But then I saw Carter beside him, the two of them carrying a fallen Nord between them. What in the world were they doing out here? Shouldn’t they be in Orindor, with their father? And why in the world was Danton working
with
Alex?