Page 543 of Flirting with Darkness

“Why do you need this?” The dragon extended a long claw toward the board. “It’s not powerful enough to bring you home, anyway.”

Nothing but wings could bring one to and from the Sky Kingdom that remained invisible and unattainable to anyone who couldn’t fly. Why didn’t Kyllen leave the board behind? He couldn’t really explain it.

“Well, it’s my only means to levitate if I have to.” He glanced at the sky king’s palace in the distance. Open, light, and airy, it looked like a frothy wave frozen the moment it hit a rocky cliff. “I may need to use it.”

The board also contained a mechanism, which could always come in handy for a gorgonian.

“Do you have a plan?” King Galan asked, his voice ringing with uncertainty and some worry.

The king’s emotions echoed in Kyllen’s chest.

“Not yet.” He scanned the area along the cloud river bank. “But I’ll come up with something.” That didn’t sound reassuring.

The dragon shifted his massive weight from one clawed foot to another. “I need to leave you, King Kyllen, before someone spots me.”

“Right…” Kyllen broke off a low hanging branch of a tree nearby. “Can you share some of your fire with me, before you go?” He was completely unarmed. While a dragon’s fire presented a formidable weapon.

King Galan cast a cautious glance around. “Fine. Stand back.”

Kyllen secured one end of the tree branch between the rocks of the river bank, propping it upright, then jogged away a few paces.

The dragon’s chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, his bright scales glistening in the sun.

As he exhaled, a stream of fire burst out. The branch and even the nearby tree caught on fire that crackled with gargoyles’ magic.

“Thank you.” Kyllen yanked the branch out, feeling a little better prepared now for what he was up against.

“How will you get back home?” the dragon asked.

Kyllen shrugged. “I may have to catch someone with wings to give me a ride.”

King Galan shook his head adorned with two pairs of horns, the long ones that slightly curved backwards, and the two shorter ones pointing forward in front of the other pair.

“Good luck, King Kyllen,” he growled. “Let it not be the last time I see you.”

With that, he pushed off the rocky river bank. His wide wings unfurled, allowing for the huge creature to soar with ease. Instead of heading straight down to the world below, King Galan circled in the milky clouds of the river.

Maybe he hoped to take Kyllen back home himself, once he was done? Or maybe the gargoyle was just curious to see how Kyllen would fare taking on the Sky Kingdom on his own.

Kyllen had no time to ponder King Galan’s reasons to linger. He circled the sky castle under the cover of the trees, surveying it from a distance.

Despite looking very different from the gorgonians’ tree castles, it bore some similarities to them, too. Like the gorgonian dwellings built inside the giant royal trees, the sky castle grew from the ground. A million thick vines curved smoothly, intertwining with each other to form the elegant walls of the sky king’s home. The tall wide windows, open patios, and many balconies of every size and shape made the tall palace look as if it was constructed from lace.

Kyllen shoved his hood off his head and spread wide hissenties,opening all their eyes. There was no one in this land he feared to harm. Amira could look at him directly now, without turning to stone. And the sky fae… Well, if anyone attacked him, he had no qualms about ending them.

Through his bond with Amira, he searched for her, probing gently. She was there somewhere—alive and alert. He sensed her worry. She was sad but not dissolute. Resilient and ready to fight.

“That’s my girl,” he murmured as a warm wave of love and pride for his wife washed over him. “I’m coming for you, my sweet pea.”

He wished she could hear him, feel him being close, but no response came from her end of their bond. His mate seemed tense and on guard, her senses shielded from the world and sadly from him, too, by default.

Coming a little closer, he studied the smooth curves of the palace walls. They were green with vines climbing up, but the base of the walls were long slim tree trunks and reeds—dry wood. Tilting his head up, he spotted clay chimneys on many fragmented roofs of the elegant structure.

This was the home of the man who dared to take Amira from him. It deserved to burn to the ground. The logic was simple, as was the plan forming in his head.

He sat on the ground under a tree and out of sight from anyone who might be looking in his direction from the palace. Setting his makeshift torch of dragon fire aside, he focused on his flying board.

The dragon fire was a mighty weapon. However, one fae’s magic could always be conquered with the magic of another fae. The Sky Kingdom inhabitants presented mighty adversaries. Their magic was complex and strong, with their king being the most powerful of them all.

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