“Why didn’t you summon a trio before?”
“They cause too much attention,” Vadim replied.
“That is fine,” Delia said. “I’d very much like to meet with your leaders.”
Vadim nodded and spoke into the cube, the light from the sides intensifying.
“Thank you,” Oksana said. “The journey will be much quicker if we fly.”
THE SOUND OF A HORN sent Lilae and Liam to their feet. With the loud sound came dim lights in the night sky. They’d gone deeper into the jungle where the shiny, black trees were less dense. Vadim had said his necklace made it easy for the trio to locate them, and a clearing would make for a better landing.
Delia’s eyes went to the sky. “They’re here.”
Rowe was on his feet within seconds, a scowl on his face.
“What is that?” Rowe’s eyes narrowed
Lilae ignored the cold as her ears picked up on whispers from the sky above. Her mouth parted as the swishing of the dark sky caught her attention.
Black wings flapped against the night sky, heading toward them.
“Those are wyverns,” Vadim said. “The fastest way to travel in all of Nostfar.”
Rowe watched them fly closer. “Only three?”
Lilae looked to Delia. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Making an alliance with the Shadow Elves, even a small division of their race, could only help us,” she said, holding out her staff. The glow that erupted from the top brightened their surroundings and the sky above.
“Friends,” a female voice called. “Please, accept our humble gratitude for saving our valued messengers. We have come to escort you all back to Gollush.”
Delia held the staff higher, trying to get a better look at the stranger's face.
A Shadow Elf woman, with long purple hair braided into two braids and eyes that glowed looked down at them. Two other female riders waited behind her.
“Who are you?”
“I am Pretica, Chief of Gollush. When Vadim told us of your great deed, I wanted to welcome you myself. Please, let us take you to our village. Vaugner has mentioned you a great many times.”
Pretica smiled down at them as her eyes went from Lilae to Liam. “And, you have both The Storm and The Flame. Our luck has greatly increased.”
Lilae didn’t like that this stranger knew who they were.
“In Gollush, we have weapons and supplies to help you on your journey, and the Council meets in just a few days.”
“Weapons,” Rowe repeated. “I like the sound of that.”
Delia nodded at Pretica. “Very well.”
“You won't regret this; I assure you.” Pretica nodded at companions. “Ely, Caty, summon the wyverns for our new friends.”
Lilae hoped that wherever they went that it would be warm. She longed for comfortable clothes.
Ely and Caty tossed six ivory eggs from the leather sacks secured at their waists. Before the eggs floated in the air, the women whispered to them and without delay, wyverns emerged.
They soared to the ground, graceful, agile, and beautiful even with such sharp teeth and long talons that were the size of Lilae’s arm.
“I've never seen anything like that before,” Lilae said, captivated.
“This is only the beginning,” Delia said. “This is Nostfar territory that we are entering.”
Liam took Lilae's hand. “I'll help you up,” he said, leading her to the black wyvern with the long green tail.
Lilae didn't protest, allowing herself to be led forward. When Liam put his hands around her waist to lift her, she sucked in a breath and avoided looking at him. The strength and warmth of his hands on her sent shivers through her body.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
Under black lashes, his bright blue eyes looked up at her. “Anytime.”
While he went to help Delia onto her wyvern, Rowe pulled himself onto one with an orange tail.
The moon lit their way as they ascended into the night sky.
“Hold on to the reigns, and let the wyverns do the rest,” Oksana said, as she flew beside Lilae on a black wyvern with white talons and white
“They cause too much attention,” Vadim replied.
“That is fine,” Delia said. “I’d very much like to meet with your leaders.”
Vadim nodded and spoke into the cube, the light from the sides intensifying.
“Thank you,” Oksana said. “The journey will be much quicker if we fly.”
THE SOUND OF A HORN sent Lilae and Liam to their feet. With the loud sound came dim lights in the night sky. They’d gone deeper into the jungle where the shiny, black trees were less dense. Vadim had said his necklace made it easy for the trio to locate them, and a clearing would make for a better landing.
Delia’s eyes went to the sky. “They’re here.”
Rowe was on his feet within seconds, a scowl on his face.
“What is that?” Rowe’s eyes narrowed
Lilae ignored the cold as her ears picked up on whispers from the sky above. Her mouth parted as the swishing of the dark sky caught her attention.
Black wings flapped against the night sky, heading toward them.
“Those are wyverns,” Vadim said. “The fastest way to travel in all of Nostfar.”
Rowe watched them fly closer. “Only three?”
Lilae looked to Delia. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Making an alliance with the Shadow Elves, even a small division of their race, could only help us,” she said, holding out her staff. The glow that erupted from the top brightened their surroundings and the sky above.
“Friends,” a female voice called. “Please, accept our humble gratitude for saving our valued messengers. We have come to escort you all back to Gollush.”
Delia held the staff higher, trying to get a better look at the stranger's face.
A Shadow Elf woman, with long purple hair braided into two braids and eyes that glowed looked down at them. Two other female riders waited behind her.
“Who are you?”
“I am Pretica, Chief of Gollush. When Vadim told us of your great deed, I wanted to welcome you myself. Please, let us take you to our village. Vaugner has mentioned you a great many times.”
Pretica smiled down at them as her eyes went from Lilae to Liam. “And, you have both The Storm and The Flame. Our luck has greatly increased.”
Lilae didn’t like that this stranger knew who they were.
“In Gollush, we have weapons and supplies to help you on your journey, and the Council meets in just a few days.”
“Weapons,” Rowe repeated. “I like the sound of that.”
Delia nodded at Pretica. “Very well.”
“You won't regret this; I assure you.” Pretica nodded at companions. “Ely, Caty, summon the wyverns for our new friends.”
Lilae hoped that wherever they went that it would be warm. She longed for comfortable clothes.
Ely and Caty tossed six ivory eggs from the leather sacks secured at their waists. Before the eggs floated in the air, the women whispered to them and without delay, wyverns emerged.
They soared to the ground, graceful, agile, and beautiful even with such sharp teeth and long talons that were the size of Lilae’s arm.
“I've never seen anything like that before,” Lilae said, captivated.
“This is only the beginning,” Delia said. “This is Nostfar territory that we are entering.”
Liam took Lilae's hand. “I'll help you up,” he said, leading her to the black wyvern with the long green tail.
Lilae didn't protest, allowing herself to be led forward. When Liam put his hands around her waist to lift her, she sucked in a breath and avoided looking at him. The strength and warmth of his hands on her sent shivers through her body.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
Under black lashes, his bright blue eyes looked up at her. “Anytime.”
While he went to help Delia onto her wyvern, Rowe pulled himself onto one with an orange tail.
The moon lit their way as they ascended into the night sky.
“Hold on to the reigns, and let the wyverns do the rest,” Oksana said, as she flew beside Lilae on a black wyvern with white talons and white
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