Page 128 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

“Not this place.” He flexes his hand. “The people.”

“Youhate the people here? But you’re the one bullying everyone.”

His orange and green eyes flash with fury. “You know nothing about me. Now shut the fuck up before I snap your skinny little neck.”

Shaking my head, I scoff and then turn back to stare at the forest before us. “I’m glad Fenriel’s hawk got revenge on you.”

“Me too.”

Both Isera and I whip around to stare at Alistair.

“What?” I ask.

He shrugs, suddenly looking a little self-conscious, and then repeats, “Me too.” He casts me a glance from the corner of his eye. “I’m glad you pulled him out of the way. I don’t like hurting animals.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have shot a torrent of fire at him.”

“I didn’t shoot it at the hawk.” He scowls and flicks an annoyed look at Isera. “I was aiming forher.”

Isera just flashes him a sharp smile in reply.

“Wow,” I say. “That was not what?—”

“Incoming,” Isera suddenly snaps.

My heart leaps into my throat. Whirling back around, I gaze towards the Peaks of Prosperity.

Hope and excitement swell in my chest as I spot three silver dragons approaching. This is it. This is the moment I leave the Seelie Court and start my new life.

Turning my head, I look back at the city in the distance. It wasn’t all bad. But I’m still glad to be out of here. Glad to start over somewhere else where people don’t immediately distrust me as soon as they hear my name.

“Uhm, guys?” Alistair begins, suddenly sounding worried. “The empress said they were going to fly us to their court. How do you think they’re going to do that?”

“I doubt it’s on their backs,” Isera answers. “Since they’ve been punishing us for thousands of years for doing just that.”

The three silver dragons draw closer.

Nervous anticipation pulses through me. Swallowing, I check my meager possessions. Which only consist of the clothes I’m wearing and the knife in my thigh holster.

“They’re not slowing down,” Alistair notes.

Wings boom through the air as the three dragons sweep down over the grasslands and speed right towards us.

I suck in a sharp breath.

They stretch out their legs and open their claws.

Alarm spikes through me. “Don’t tell me that they’re?—”

My stomach lurches as one of the dragons grabs me with its claws and lifts me off the ground as it flies past.

I would have screamed if I had any air in my lungs, but I can’t even seem to remember how to breathe as the dragon makes a sharp turn in the air and then starts back towards the Peaks of Prosperity. My muscles are tense. I’m afraid that the smallestmovement is going to make me slip through the dragon’s claws and plummet to my death below.

But the claws are steady around me as the dragon speeds across the thorn forest. And when we get closer to the Peaks of Prosperity, my mind has started to come to terms with my current situation and has accepted that I probably won’t fall to my death. My muscles relax and that incredible sense of excitement returns.

I gaze down in astonishment as we sweep over the grand mountain range and leave the thorn forest behind as we continue across the continent.

Winds whip in my hair and clothes. The air up here is cool and brisk and tastes of freedom. An absolutely ridiculous grin spreads across my mouth. I gasp as I spot cities and villages on the horizon. We’re too far away to see them, but they must be human cities. Or maybe dragon shifter cities. Or do humans and shifters live together in shared cities?

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