gripping one of the lower
scales. “He’s inviting you to mount.” She grinned, unable to help herself, and
Darek swatted her butt playfully. “Bad girl.”
She really should not like it when he did that, Lily
thought.
The flexed scales formed something between a ladder and a
climbing wall, and Darek climbed easily up. She followed, finding her footing
with surprising ease. On this part of the dragon’s body, his scales were tough
like its hide. A larger scale rested at the apex of his shoulders, a thick,
flexible plate that reminded her of a saddle. Darek straddled it in one
practiced move, pushing one of the thick, upward-facing scales behind his thigh
outward and using it like a hook for the duffel and Lily’s bag. He left room
for her to sit in front of him. Moving awkwardly, she did so.
“It gets easier with practice,” he told her. His body felt
good behind hers—warm and familiar—and she was grateful that he was with her. They’re
both with you, Lily , she chided herself, but somehow she couldn’t quite
feel Bane in the beast beneath her.
The dragon lifted its head and looked toward the forgotten
campfire, which winked out as though it were a candle snuffed. Lily opened her
mouth to ask if he’d done that but the dragon got to its feet in a sinuous,
fluid movement that made her stomach flip.
Darek wrapped his arms around her. “Hook your knees under
his scales.” She did as he said, grasping his forearms gratefully. Her heart
pounded.
She looked down and saw that on either side of Bane’s body,
rows of overlapping scales faced each other. The rows nearest her legs were
flexed outward, forming an open clamp-like structure. Behind her, Darek’s legs
were enclosed in a similar formation of scales. Cool. She placed one leg
and then the other between the rows of flexed scales. Immediately they closed
tightly over her legs, holding them against Bane’s warm, smooth hide.
“Shifter adaptation,” Darek said, regarding her amazed
expression with amusement. “It does help if the riders don’t fall off.”
“And the fire thing? How did he do that?” she asked.
“We’re fire dragons—the element belongs to us. There are
also water, air and earth dragons. Each group has its own sovrán . Kai’s
a water dracambri.”
Beside them, Bane’s great wings lifted, then extended. Lily
saw that what she’d taken for thousands of glittering feathers were, in fact,
thin scales. Following her gaze, Darek offered, “He gets those from his
father’s line. They act like the flaps on plane wings. Makes him much more
flexible in flight than I am. Hold on tight.” Not knowing what else to grab,
Lily gripped Darek’s arms tightly. Just in time. Bane surged forward, gaining
momentum as they moved up the beach. The beating of his wings as he reached for
altitude made for an incredibly bumpy ride.
“He says sorry,” Darek said next to her ear. “We usually
take off from heights, like big raptors. Vertical liftoff isn’t very smooth.”
The beast took one enormous leap and then they were airborne.
Flying was like nothing Lily had ever imagined. Her stomach
quivered and tightened as they rose in the air, Bane’s sinuous spine rising
gently with each downstroke of his enormous wings. His wingspan had to be forty
feet, she guessed, glancing off to the sides. The sound of the waves grew
distant, then vanished altogether and there was only the swish of Bane’s wings
against the air as they continued to climb. The sliver of a moon hovered above
them, unbearably close.
Lily leaned back against Darek, her heart soaring. The heat
of his arms and the touch of Bane’s spine against her in its undulating rhythm
made her want to moan with pleasure.
She bit her lip. For God’s sake, girl, get a grip. You’re
flying— flying —on a dragon’s back, and you’re getting wet? Risking a
peek over Bane’s muscular shoulder, she saw the glint of his sharp talons in
the moonlight and far below, the glossy surface of
scales. “He’s inviting you to mount.” She grinned, unable to help herself, and
Darek swatted her butt playfully. “Bad girl.”
She really should not like it when he did that, Lily
thought.
The flexed scales formed something between a ladder and a
climbing wall, and Darek climbed easily up. She followed, finding her footing
with surprising ease. On this part of the dragon’s body, his scales were tough
like its hide. A larger scale rested at the apex of his shoulders, a thick,
flexible plate that reminded her of a saddle. Darek straddled it in one
practiced move, pushing one of the thick, upward-facing scales behind his thigh
outward and using it like a hook for the duffel and Lily’s bag. He left room
for her to sit in front of him. Moving awkwardly, she did so.
“It gets easier with practice,” he told her. His body felt
good behind hers—warm and familiar—and she was grateful that he was with her. They’re
both with you, Lily , she chided herself, but somehow she couldn’t quite
feel Bane in the beast beneath her.
The dragon lifted its head and looked toward the forgotten
campfire, which winked out as though it were a candle snuffed. Lily opened her
mouth to ask if he’d done that but the dragon got to its feet in a sinuous,
fluid movement that made her stomach flip.
Darek wrapped his arms around her. “Hook your knees under
his scales.” She did as he said, grasping his forearms gratefully. Her heart
pounded.
She looked down and saw that on either side of Bane’s body,
rows of overlapping scales faced each other. The rows nearest her legs were
flexed outward, forming an open clamp-like structure. Behind her, Darek’s legs
were enclosed in a similar formation of scales. Cool. She placed one leg
and then the other between the rows of flexed scales. Immediately they closed
tightly over her legs, holding them against Bane’s warm, smooth hide.
“Shifter adaptation,” Darek said, regarding her amazed
expression with amusement. “It does help if the riders don’t fall off.”
“And the fire thing? How did he do that?” she asked.
“We’re fire dragons—the element belongs to us. There are
also water, air and earth dragons. Each group has its own sovrán . Kai’s
a water dracambri.”
Beside them, Bane’s great wings lifted, then extended. Lily
saw that what she’d taken for thousands of glittering feathers were, in fact,
thin scales. Following her gaze, Darek offered, “He gets those from his
father’s line. They act like the flaps on plane wings. Makes him much more
flexible in flight than I am. Hold on tight.” Not knowing what else to grab,
Lily gripped Darek’s arms tightly. Just in time. Bane surged forward, gaining
momentum as they moved up the beach. The beating of his wings as he reached for
altitude made for an incredibly bumpy ride.
“He says sorry,” Darek said next to her ear. “We usually
take off from heights, like big raptors. Vertical liftoff isn’t very smooth.”
The beast took one enormous leap and then they were airborne.
Flying was like nothing Lily had ever imagined. Her stomach
quivered and tightened as they rose in the air, Bane’s sinuous spine rising
gently with each downstroke of his enormous wings. His wingspan had to be forty
feet, she guessed, glancing off to the sides. The sound of the waves grew
distant, then vanished altogether and there was only the swish of Bane’s wings
against the air as they continued to climb. The sliver of a moon hovered above
them, unbearably close.
Lily leaned back against Darek, her heart soaring. The heat
of his arms and the touch of Bane’s spine against her in its undulating rhythm
made her want to moan with pleasure.
She bit her lip. For God’s sake, girl, get a grip. You’re
flying— flying —on a dragon’s back, and you’re getting wet? Risking a
peek over Bane’s muscular shoulder, she saw the glint of his sharp talons in
the moonlight and far below, the glossy surface of
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