FireDrake by Bianca D'Arc Page B

first-timers up in the sky. We spend a lot of our days off ferrying children around to give them a taste of the air currents. It’s one of his favorite things to do, since he loves flying and feels sorry for those of us who don’t have wings of our own.”
    Mace’s tone was joking, but Krysta recognized the truth behind the teasing. With another bow, she addressed the dragon. “I think it’s a beautiful thing to do. We who have no wings thank you, Sir Nellin.”
    Mace chuckled as Nellin dropped down to all fours so he could mount. “Save that for after you’ve been aloft. Some people hate it, while others can’t get enough. We’ll soon find out what kind you are.” Mace swung up onto the dragon’s back with practiced ease and held out a hand for her. “Use his elbow as a stepladder,” he advised.
    Krysta took Mace’s big hand and stepped on the dragon’s bent front limb. His scales were slippery under the leather of her boot, but solid and firm. Boosting up with the help of Mace’s strong grip, she found herself seated before the knight, just over the dragon’s shoulder, where his long neck met his wide body, the gorgeous wings stretching out behind. Already, she felt more alive than she ever had, but whether it was the dragon beneath her or the hard-muscled embrace of the man behind her, she knew not. Mace was proving to be every bit as exciting and unexpected as his dragon partner.

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    Bianca D’Arc
    Still waters did indeed run deep with this complex man. Krysta couldn’t wait to discover all his hidden facets.

    Flying on the dragon’s back was like nothing Krysta had ever experienced before.
    She’d thought she might feel a bit insecure with little to hold onto, but the ridge where shoulder met neck on the dragon made a natural saddle that felt more secure than she would have credited. Mace’s strong arms around her added to the feeling of surety and Nellin flew with obvious care not to frighten her.
    “What do you think?” Mace raised his voice to be heard over the rushing air as they leveled out over the city.
    “This is amazing!” Krysta drank in the incredible view of the city far below, the maze of streets and lanes resolving into an intricate web from above. “It's beautiful!”
    Mace pointed out a few of the sights as Nellin did a quick tour past the castle. Krysta saw things she never would have noticed—little architectural details that were only visible from the air—dragon perches, carved reliefs on the side of the great walls and hewn into the mountain itself on which the castle was built.
    Awe filled her both at her first flight, and also at the beauty of the landscape and city spread out before her. She marveled at the chaotic symmetry of the city plan and realized for the first time the thought that had gone into its design both from a defensive stance, and an artistic point of view.
    Before long though, they headed out along the curves of the river toward the promised meadow where Mace promised her a shady grove of trees awaited. The sun shone stronger against her skin now that she flew closer to it and the shade of those trees sounded delightful. The scent of the sweet rolls also wafted up from the small pouch the innkeeper had given them and it was very tempting. Krysta had always had something of a sweet tooth, but rarely had time or money to indulge.
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    FireDrake
    “Hold on tight, now. The landings can be jarring with two aboard,” Mace warned her as Nellin made his descent and his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer against his hard-muscled chest.
    The man was built like a warrior should be—hard where it counted but flexible.
    Krysta’s mouth went dry as she contemplated the very real, thick hardness against her backside when the abrupt descent of the dragon threw her back against Mace. He was aroused.
    Krysta tucked that information away with an inward grin, happy she wasn’t the only one