SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (39 page)

“
I know,
”
Flay
says.
“
Really fucking cool, right?
”

She sits on the hot rock and holds her
hands to Soar who curls Tempest up beside her. With Tempest
’
s head on Flay
’
s thigh, Soar steps back. His feet are
already too warm even through his boots.

“
You
’
ll want to keep the heat in, yes?
”
Firn
says.

“
Thank
you,
”
Flay helps lay the blanket out
and tuck it in.

“
Are you Lady Flay? I am Firn of Sire Lev
’
s guard.
”

“
My dame spoke of you when I was small.
”

“
I am honoured,
”
Firn nods. One side of her mouth smiles.
The other does a fair imitation in spite of the scars from defending the eyrie
from the attack decades before that claimed Shadow
’
s dame.
“
A dragonkin
’
s friendship is a true treasure and I
miss Lady Eviscerate dearly. Come, Master Soar. Sire Lev wishes you to join
him.
”

Talon waits with Lev and Cooper, Shadow
nestled into Talon
’
s side. Her eyes don
’
t leave the dragonkin and she looks ready
to burst with questions. She knows better though. The thick tension around Lev
tells Soar things are very, very bad. Shadow
’
s yawn is echoed by Cooper.

Soar tries to not look at Tempest, his
female, finally home after far too long away. Whatever shit happened at the
Council will never happen again. He
’
ll
make sure she understands there is no better place for her than at his side.

“
Master Soar,
”
Lev acknowledges as Soar
kneels, completing their circle around the fire.
“
Is
the gold dragonkin okay?
”

“
Lady
Tempest
’
s part in their journey has
been tiring. She is in Lady Flay
’
s care.
”

“
Good. Then there are plans to make.
Daniel Cooper has an item we must recover from Calgary then we shall take on
Aledaar himself.
”

Seriously? How did I get my foot in the
chamber pot?

Tempest woke alone in an unfamiliar den
with only the scent of Flay for company. Her red armour lies stacked to the
side and she wears only her adornment and trousers. After falling asleep in
Soar
’
s arms, she found herself here
and staggering into the chamber pot. The next ten minutes were spent using it
without knocking it over and fastening the trousers she doesn
’
t remember putting on.

Although she didn
’
t expect to spend the night with Soar,
waking without him is a disappointment.

With a sigh, she leans over and hits the
back of one knee with her fist to get it going, then the other. Several blows
later she
’
s moving but not so sure she
can stop. Maybe Soar is just busy but her heart is heavy with the thought she
may have done too good a job of dumping him.

The tunnel is thick with the scents of
breakfast and as she nears the main chamber her stomach rumbles. Venison, fresh
baked hardbread and stewed fruit make her mouth water. Tempest hasn
’
t had a breakfast like that since the
morning she left for Sky
’
s eyrie.

Upon entering the main chamber, her own
footsteps are the only sound. Tempest doesn
’
t really care. Leather or feather, it
doesn
’
t matter what her wings are
made of. Her face hasn
’
t changed and she
’
s still the adopted grand-daughter of the
Sire, not that she ever made her parentage mean anything in her own home.

As Tempest proceeds, she tries to adjust
her path and aim for the kitchen but her legs don
’
t cooperate and she marches on, straight
for the tunnel to the main entrance.

“
Tempest?
”

Soar!

It
’
s
good she doesn
’
t have to look to see who
called her. She can
’
t steer or stop and hopes
someone blocks her way before she walks right out and plops into the ocean
below the salt-whitened eyrie entrance. She didn
’
t float very well as a gryphon and doesn
’
t want to find out if dragonkin can swim.

“
Tempest, wait,
”
Soar grabs her elbow. He doesn
’
t pull, instead he gets in front and digs
his feet in as her legs continue driving toward the exit.

“
Please,
”
he
whispers.

Tempest
’
s arms respond and she rests them on his
bare chest. The needle-like quills of his chest feathers dig into her palms and
must be pricking him as well.

“
Stop, don
’
t leave me.
”

Her legs finally submit after she
’
s pushed him half-way across the chamber.
His words and tone of voice do what her brain couldn
’
t.
Soar doesn
’
t command. Although his plea
is subtle, it
’
s there and Tempest
’
s heart gives in, desperate to promise
she never will.

“
Bees.
”

Crap.
Mouth still doesn
’
t work right.

“
Where are you going?
”
Soar demands then takes her elbows and holds
her close. He only wears his black leather trousers and a single dagger and is
wrapped in the cloy of his heavy armour. His soft, long flight feathers fold
behind her.
“
Never mind. I know you still
can
’
t talk properly.

“
I will say this once,
”
he raises his voice enough for it to
carry to the farthest corners of the chamber.
“
And
I want to be absolutely clear.
”

Tempest
’
s eyes dash from side to side. Everyone
looks at Soar holding the gold dragonkin. Near a small fire, Lev sits with
Cooper, Flay, Talon and Shadow. Soar called her from that direction and five
sets of eyes, one fiery green, watch.

“
I screwed up,
”
he says.
“
Bad.

“
I kept you secret and I turned on you
when you left for Sky
’
s. Then I took advantage of my
brother
’
s trust to have you expelled
and used you to do the one thing I couldn
’
t
…
get into Cooper
’
s eyrie with an air tight cover story.
Only you didn
’
t know it was a story and I
took away the only future you wanted.

“
I
’
ve been yours for six years, Tempest,
since you first came to my den and I
’
ve
been a shameful excuse for a mate. I wouldn
’
t acknowledge you, I abandoned you and I
used you.

“
And then I poisoned you and if the
dragonkin hadn
’
t come I would have killed
you.
”

There
’
s the sound of a scuffle by Lev
’
s fire. A squeal of delight from Shadow
follows Lev
’
s cursing.

Soar glances at them and drops to his
knees. The only thing stopping Lev from charging between them is Flay. She isn
’
t afraid to get in front of the angry
Sire.

“
My
Lady Tempest,
”
Soar rests his hands on the
waist of her trousers and waits for any sign of objection.

Tempest has none.

It
’
s
been months since his touch and years before that. She takes his head in her
hands and strokes the hair at his temples.

“
I
’
m so very, very sorry,
”
he whispers though not quiet enough for
his apology to be private.
“
I don
’
t care who knows. Your spirit is my
weakness, Tempest, and my greatest pride. You carry my children and I swear I
will not mess things up again.
”

His lips nuzzle her belly.

“
I love you, Tempest,
”
Soar breathes, warming her skin with his
words.
“
You deserve better than what I
’
ve been.
”

“
Bees,
”
Tempest says. It takes
every ounce of concentration to speak slow over-articulated words.
“
I love you.
”

Soar gets to his feet as a flash of
brilliant green leather blocks Lev from his sight.

Shit.

“
Master Soar,
”
Lev growls.
“
You will come with me now.
”

“
No,
”
Flay insists.
“
Sire Lev, I cannot allow you to
antagonize Tempest
’
s dragon. Her hold on her is
tenuous at best and right now she is weakened. She nearly killed her sire just
a few months ago when he drew her dragon out.
”

“
I see,
”
Lev
says.

Soar shudders inside. He
’
s not only admitted to mistreating Lev
’
s grand-daughter but to claiming her as
his mate without even speaking to her sire or grand-sire first. Talon is just
as angry and the only thing holding him back is that he has to prevent Shadow
from jumping in.

She
’
s
ecstatic.

“
Sire
Lev,
”
Flay drops her wings then
kneels. The female has good sense. Nobody stands up to Lev without following up
with speedy submission and an explanation.