Page 22 of Shadow Wings

Tyrrik benthis legs and executed a massive jump from the boulder we stood on to the next. The rocky foothills had disappeared, and we were climbing through the stony pass of the Gemond mountains. Large crevasses were scattered through the range, and I eyed the sixty foot gap, my human mind getting in the way of what my body was now capableof.

Do you expect a priceless heirloom foreverything?

You set a precedent is all I’msaying.

I glared at the gap and decided a run up would be best. I stepped back to the outer limits of the boulder I stood upon and took the crossing at a run, launching off the boulder with a muffled squeal. The air whipped my hair back as I flew across the gap. I was moving faster than I ever had, but I knew, inherently, I didn’t need to worry. My senses were so much stronger now that everything seemed to move in slow motion when I focused. When I landed next to Tyrrik, I knew the best spots to place my feet. My abdominals and thighs were tensed to counter the forward motion, and my bodyweight was poised on the balls of myfeet.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “How about when you are able to partial shift, I’ll give you a choice from myhorde?”

He had a horde? Why did he have ahorde?

He jumped forward again, and we continued leaping boulder to boulder down thehill.

My mind boggled at the possibilities of treasure. He had to have a decent collection. “Is it a Drae thing tocollect?”

“No. Not all Drae do it. Male Drae collect items during their life, but not forthemselves.”

I wasn’t really collecting shiny stuff for myself either, now that I thought about it—more because the objects deserved to beprotected.

He landed on the rocky ground below, and I thudded next to him, not half as graceful, though I thought I was doing pretty well for being skill-less Ryn from Harvest Zone Seven. They didn’t cover boulder-bounding in turniptoddlers.

We walked on in silence for a bit. If walking could be applied to what we were doing. If I glanced to my side, I couldn’t ignore the fact that the sparse trees and patches of grass were literally blurring by. Yes . . . walking was certainly a looseterm.

You said we’dfly.

I want to put some distance and a hill between us and the caves before we shift and goairborne.

But it’sfaster.

Yes, but the emperor doesn’t know about that cave system, and I’d like to keep it that way. Also, we’re more vulnerable in the air and easier to spot. But it will mean one day of flying, instead of four days running, so I believe we must riskit.

The trees continued to blur by until Tyrrik slowed his steps, and we began picking over boulders again. He was leading me around the base of anotherhill.

“You know what you said about teaching me to shield my thoughts from other Drae?” I paused as he stiffened. “Could you teachme?”

Tyrrik remained still, his back to me, and when he spoke, his voice was icy. “If you wishit.”

My thoughts hadn’t been my own for a long time. Irdelron had seen through my lies, and he’d filled my mind with pain and horrors. Tyr had been able to hear me though it hadn’t bothered me before I knew he was Tyrrik. I didn’t want to rely on others to give me privacy. I needed to have power over who I let in and who I didn’t. And though I was used to Tyrrik speaking in my head now, I wasn’t sure I wanted him in there. At least, not all the time. And definitely not at hiswhim.

Tyrrik had already shown his jealousy of Kamoi, and we were headed to his kingdom. There were so many risks. This journey to the Zivost forest was apparently a risk, and I imagined a friendship with the Drae before me would be a risk too. Not to mention my evil Drae father. I needed to be prepared. Even if it hurt Tyrrik’s feelings, I needed this. I took a deep breath and said, “Ido.”

His shoulders didn’t relax, and he stayed rooted to the rock he stoodon.

I bounded onto another boulder. “Look, I just want to be in control of mymind.”

“Against me,” Tyrrik said shortly, heaving asigh.

I puffed out a breath and turned to face him. “Against everyone, okay? I want to know I have control of my innermost thoughts, and no one will know them unless I willit.”

He jumped, moving from stone to stone ahead ofme.

I hurried to catch up. “Surely you of all peopleunderstand?”

He stopped, and I pulled just short of barging into him. He glanced at me over his shoulder, black eyes searching my face. “If I do this, will you trustme?”

I clenched my jaw, keeping the scream of frustration inside. He was always manipulating me. “How about, for once, you give something with no stringsattached?”

Darkness flooded his eyes, but I stayed where I was, staring up at him defiantly. He spun and continued over the boulders at a fasterpace.

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