Zaydon
Gods, this was going to be hard to watch.
The wind howled around us in thin, icy gusts as my wings cut through the air. My hands gripped the reins, rough leather biting into my palms as I kept close while Azalea clung to the creature's back. Up here, the world felt distant, colder, the air thinner and more biting than it ever did on the ground. Frost gathered along the seams of our cloaks, creeping over the fabric like delicate white veins, and still we climbed higher.
We had no choice. If we didn't do this now, we would lose days trying to find a mount that could cross the terrain ahead. And as much as I hated it, this had to happen today.
The bonding process with some beasts, like the Gryphon's, was always dangerous, unpredictable even under the best conditions, and the thought of her being at the center of that risk made my chest tighten. Every instinct I had screamed against it. I had spent too long keeping her safe to willingly place her in the path of something that could throw her, hurt her, kill her. Yet here we were.
"If you'd just let us shift into our full dragon form, this wouldn't be an issue," Shade rumbled in the back of my mind, his voice a deep growl that coiled through my thoughts.
He wasn't wrong. In dragon form, I could shield her completely, wrap her in the safest place in the skies. But even as the idea burned through me, I wasn't sure she was ready for that part of me. She loved animals, gods; she understood them better than most people and didn't fear even the most dangerous of beasts, but I was no beast. That form was power and fury and fire bound in scaled flesh, and it wasn't something I could reveal lightly. It was the primal parts of Shade and me manifested in physical form.
It was complicated. Everything was. And with so much closing in on us, I didn't have the time to lay bare every truth she didn't yet know. Not now. Not with the shadow of betrayal still hanging over us. If the traitor who had sold us out and tried to get us killed had allies watching, the sight of a dragon in these skies would do more than draw attention. It would send panic rippling through kingdoms.
And panic was the last thing we could afford.
I slowed our climb when we reached roughly thirty thousand feet and levelled out, letting the wind steady around us. The gryphon's massive wings beat in slow, powerful strokes, each one stirring the air into swirling currents that tugged at our cloaks. I turned my gaze toward Azalea.
She was clinging to the saddle with all the strength she had. Her knuckles had gone pale around the leather, and her eyes, wide and unblinking, never once strayed from me. It wasn't hard to guess why. Looking down from this height was a different kind of terror, and she was doing everything she could to not give it the satisfaction.
The gryphon and I hovered side by side, both of us riding the rise and fall of the currents to stay aloft. Its wings flexed with raw power, each movement sending tremors through the air. I schooled my features into calm neutrality, though my chest felt like a wild drumbeat with no rhythm or rhyme against my ribs. Watching her like this, so small against the vastness of the sky, made every instinct I had coil tighter.
"Remember what the beast keeper told you," I called out over the rush of wind. "Once I let go of the reins, the gryphon is going to try to throw you. When that happens, you have to whistle for it. That's how you call it back to you. And then you wait for it to choose you as its bond."
They called the ritual the Trust Fall. It was exactly what the name suggested. Intelligent beasts like gryphons demanded more than commands and reins. They demanded surrender. Trust had to flow in both directions. If you leapt, you were placing your life in their talons. You had to believe they would catch you.
Not all of them did.
There were stories, whispered in training yards and stables, of riders who thought themselves untouchable, who demanded rather than offered. Those beasts had let their riders fall, capable wings still flapping where they had thrown their rider and eyes cold, leaving arrogance to splatter against the ground below.
That was why beast keepers existed. They were the bridge, the patient hands that eased both rider and creature through the fragile first stages of trust. But for those who chose to attempt it alone, the reward was far greater. If the bond formed, it was unbreakable, a connection no other rider could ever share.
Azalea nodded, her movements stiff but determined, and I watched as she forced her fingers to loosen their death grip on the saddle. My gaze locked on her, unwavering, and in that moment, I prayed to every god and goddess that existed that I would reach her in time if the gryphon rejected her.
But that was the problem. I couldn't reach her. If I dove after her, the beast would assume it didn't need to claim her. It would see me as the safety net, not her bond.
She was on her own.
I had to trust that she could do this. I did trust her. She was capable, stronger than she ever allowed herself to believe. But trust in her wasn't the only piece of this. There were other variables in this sky.
Her I trusted.
Everything else? Not. A. Fuck.
"Ready?" I forced the word past the tension in my chest.
And this beautiful, stubborn, strong-as-hell princess of mine nodded. Even afraid, she was braver than she knew, and gods, I loved her for it.
To prepare her, and if I was honest, to steady myself, I started to release my grip on the reins, finger by finger.
Pinky… gone.
Ring finger… and a stray, traitorous thought slipped through the crack in my focus. I wondered how the hell I would get a band around hers and mine someday.
What? No. That was not me. That was Shade. Definitely Shade.
Middle finger… and yes, Shade, I hear you laughing in the back of my mind.
Now the reins rested precariously between my thumb and index finger. The gryphon's golden eyes were locked on me, every inch of it coiled and ready, watching as intently as Azalea was.
"It's alright… I got this."
Her voice was quiet but steady, and that soft whisper of reassurance twisted something deep in my chest. She was the one about to fall, the one with everything at stake, and here she was trying to soothe me.
I exhaled slowly, the breath misting in the cold air, and released the final hold of my fingers.
The reins slipped free.
The gryphon wasted no time. With a bone-deep screech that cut through the thin air, its massive body bowed and twisted beneath her. Azalea was thrown free in an instant.
For a second, she hung suspended against the pale sky, her cloak snapping violently around her, and then gravity seized her and she plummeted so fast it was a blur.
Over thirty thousand feet. We were at thirty thousand feet, and she was falling. The only goddamned falling she should be doing is for me…
The sound that ripped from her throat wasn't just a scream. It was a raw, primal sound that speared through my chest and tore apart every shred of restraint I had. My muscles locked so hard my wings faltered, sending a jolt of turbulence through the air. I had to fight the instinct to dive after her, claws half-formed at my fingertips, at the loss of my control of my powers in order to control my instincts, my heart hammering on as my eyes flicked from her falling form to the gryphon.
Her eyes found mine as she fell, wide and pleading, locking onto me as if I was the only thing left to hold onto, because despite all the hate and resentment. Despite everything we've been through, Az knew one thing for certain: I would always be there to save her.
They begged me for help without a word, and it damn near broke me to stay still. Every instinct screamed to follow, to tear the sky apart if that's what it took to reach her.
She was dropping faster now, her body shrinking against the endless white below, and my pulse roared in my ears louder than the wind. My throat felt dry, the cold biting deeper with every second she fell.
"Come on, Az… please. Whistle. Remember to whistle," I muttered, my voice hoarse, fists clenching so tight my knuckles cracked. I could barely breathe.
Fweeeeeeee!"
A sharp, high-pitched whistle split the air, slicing through the howling wind. Relief slammed into me like a punch to the chest… and vanished just as fast.
The gryphon didn't move.
It only stared down at her, golden eyes narrowed with a predator's focus. Its massive wings shifted slightly, stirring violent gusts around us, but it made no move to follow. Black feathers streaked with silver rippled over its broad frame, every line of its powerful body poised and still as if it were waiting for something more for her to give.
A growl built in my chest, low and dangerous, vibrating through my bones. My vision tunnelled. If it didn't go soon, I was going to rip it from the sky and make it a godsdamn meal.
The whistle came again, fainter now, the sound dipping lower as she plunged farther toward the ground. The wind howled around her falling shape, her cloak a frantic blur. She was getting too far. Even with my speed, I might not reach her in time.
My muscles coiled to spring, wings twitching, ready to dive for her myself when the gryphon finally moved. Its massive wings snapped tight to its body, and with a piercing eagle's cry, it launched downward. Its black-and-silver plumage blurred into a streak of living shadow as it cut through the sky like a spear, the air trembling in its wake.
"Thank fuck."
"Thank fuck," Shade echoed with me.
The gryphon's massive claws stretched wide and, with terrifying precision, snatched her from the air with ease.
Azalea's startled yelp cut upward through the wind, high-pitched and breathless, and the rush of relief that slammed into me nearly buckled my wings and had me plummeting instead.
She was safe. The beast had caught her. I had to remind myself as I watched.
With a powerful sweep, the gryphon's wings flared open once more, slicing through the air currents as any beast that owned the skies would. It glided easily now, its large black and silver body a mark on the pale winter sky. Clouds shredded around its wingspan as it levelled out, carrying her in its grasp as if she weighed nothing, which, in all fairness, with its size, she probably did.
I matched its motion, my own wings snapping wide as I pulled alongside it. The icy wind stung my face, biting into exposed skin, while the thin morning sun offered the faintest whisper of warmth across our backs. Ahead, the sky stretched endless and bright, a breathtaking expanse of winter blue and drifting silver cloud.
I dipped lower, flying closer to where the gryphon held her, and called out over the wind. "Az, you okay?"
"Yeah," she shouted back, her voice hoarse and breathless, "but I think I need new underwear. And someone down there is about to get very confused about some weirdly shaped yellow hail."
Despite everything, a laugh barked out of me, and it came out rough and incredulous. She was shaking, clutching the gryphon's feathered chest as tightly as it held her, but she was still fighting, still herself.
And Gods, I loved her for that.
"It's bonded to you now," I yelled, my voice carrying over the roar of the wind. "Like me, it won't ever let you fall or leave your side again. You're bound to it until its life or yours ends."
The words left my mouth before I had the chance to soften them, and the weight of them landed heavier than I intended. I cleared my throat and looked away, grabbing for the reins to busy my hands and avert my gaze to anything else. "Let's land."
We descended in wide, spiralling arcs until snow crunched beneath our boots and the gryphon's talons once more. The gryphon lowered itself with careful and practised movements, its massive wings folding close as it set Azalea gently onto her feet.
The moment her boots touched the ground, her knees buckled. I lunged forward on instinct, my arm circling her waist and my hand gripping her elbow firmly.
"I've got you, sweetheart," I murmured, steadying her until the trembling slowed.
The gryphon stayed pressed close, golden eyes never leaving her, a deep, rumbling purr vibrating from its chest. Its beak clicked softly, a sound that almost felt like affection.
I narrowed my eyes at it, my expression promising a very pointed lecture about taking its sweet time deciding whether to catch her.
But for now, I let it go. She was safe. That was all that mattered.
"Pot, meet kettle," Shade teased, amusement curling through my head.
I gave him a tight, warning smile. "Shade?" My tone was far too pleasant to be sincere.
"Shut up?" he offered, still unapologetic.
"Shut up," I echoed with finality, and his laugh rumbled in the back of my thoughts.
My attention shifted back to Azalea. Colour was returning to her cheeks now, the ghostly pallor of fear replaced by the faintest flush. She drew in a shaky breath and let it out slowly, her body still trembling from the fall but standing stronger than before.
"You steady? Need anything?" I asked, unable to hide the worry that crept into my voice.
She shook her head and managed a small, determined smile. "I'm good. I want to take an actual ride now, before I lose what little nerve I have left." Her hand rose to rest gently against the gryphon's feathered forehead, and the beast leaned ever so slightly into her touch.
Lucky bastard. But then her words set in.
She wanted to go up there…again?
I blinked. Then stared. All six-foot-whatever of me was stunned stupid. "You can't be serious. You just touched the ground," I sputtered, still trying to process the words that had just come out of her mouth.
She only shrugged. This little…
I dragged a hand down my face, rubbing at my eyes as if I could wipe away the twitch forming there.
"Sweetheart," I said, dropping my hand with an exasperated sigh, "you could wait a damn minute before making each new strand of grey hair on my head."
Her grin widened, playful and far too pleased with itself. "Is it stressing you out?" she asked, blinking up at me with faux innocence.
"Yes." I dragged the word out slowly, suspicion threading through every syllable.
"Oh, good. That makes this even better," she said lightly.
Before I could react, she bolted. One quick scramble and she was back on the gryphon's back, fingers clutching the reins as the beast launched upward with a powerful beat of its wings.
I stared down at the boot prints she'd left in the snow, my brain utterly failing to keep pace with her audacity.
Where in all the hells did she find this much nerve on a daily basis?
A growl rumbled out of me, but the grin tugging at my mouth betrayed every ounce of my exasperation and irritation I may have seemed to have. The growling sound vibrated deep in my chest as I snapped my wings open and launched myself skyward, cutting through the air as I chased after her.
When I finally caught up, I circled the gryphon in wide, sweeping arcs, my wings slicing cleanly through the cold air as I rode the currents with practised ease. I had been in these skies a lot longer than this beast, and I'd be damned if I got shown up by a chicken mixed with a cat. Below me, Azalea's laughter carried on the wind, bright and unrestrained, and she urged the beast onward. It responded with powerful beats of its wings, climbing faster and higher, matching my pace as if caught in an unspoken race with no prize but this fleeting, perfect moment.
My grin widened. Tilting into the wind, I lined myself up beside them, neck and neck with the gryphon's powerful frame. Then, with a sudden drop and surge, I dipped low beneath them before sweeping upward again, cutting them off and shooting skyward toward the clouds.
Her delighted squeal rang out behind me, followed by the rhythmic thunder of wings as she gave chase. The cold bit deeper the higher we climbed, frost forming anew on our clothes until it felt like a second skin of ice. Still, we pushed on, wings beating in sync, breath burning in our lungs as the world below fell away.
And then, we broke through.
The clouds parted like a veil, and the endless blue unfolded before us, the morning sun spilling over everything in golden warmth. Light kissed our skin, melting the thin crust of ice clinging to us, and the air here felt softer, purer, carrying the scent of distant snow and sunlight.
When I slowed to a hover and turned, she was already waiting. The gryphon hung suspended in the crystalline sky, its silver-streaked wings spread wide and beating in a steady rhythm, and Azalea sat astride it as if she had always belonged there. Her gaze stretched across the horizon, where the blue rolled on forever like a boundless sea.
Gods, she stole the breath from my chest.
She looked like something born of the sun itself. A goddess made from it's fire. The sun's light wrapped around her in a soft halo, gilding the maroon waves of her hair until they burned with fiery red, alive and untamed as they danced on the wind. Her hazel eyes shimmered with gold unmatched by the real thing, warm and unguarded, holding a depth of emotion so intense it could silence the world. Even if her face had been carved from stone, those eyes would have given her away.
Then her gaze found mine.
The world stopped just for us, or so I told myself. The cold, the wind, the distance beneath us, none of it mattered. All I could see was her. And then those full lips curved into a smile so radiant, so free, that I had forgotten she had once had many of these and they had all been shared only for me.
If I hadn't been certain before, I was now.
I would die a thousand times over to make sure that smile never left her face.