Page 106 of Storm of Desire
The enormousdrekilanded in front of her and sunk its chest toward the ground, in some strange almost bowing maneuver. Then he paused and glanced up at her, a softwhumpfsound echoing in hischest.
"You want me to sit on your back?" sheblurted.
Drekiwere lords of the storm. They didn't carry people around like pack mules. The best she'd hoped for was for him to curl his claws around her and haul her into the air, but that would be painful andprecarious.
One arctic eyeblinked.
Oh.
Malin stared at his sleek scales. What would it be like to fly? For a moment she could almost forget her fears, for the only thing more powerful was the yearning for the air. For years she'd watcheddrekitake to the skies, and stared longingly after them. Sometimes she stood outside Hekla when the storms raged, and let the wind whip her hair around her face as she closed her eyes and imagined what it would belike.
Her fingertips glanced his scales. They felt like polished gemstones to the touch, though the heat beneath his skin was hotter than she'dexpected.
The enormousdrekiprince curled his wing around her, and Malin froze as it curled her against his side. Then she realized he was dipping the finger joint of his wing low enough for her to use his shoulder to climbup.
Her mouth wentdry.
He nudgedher.
"Yes, well," she said sharply, squeezing her eyes shut. "I amtrying."
The ripple of muscle shifted beneath her hands, sharp-edged scales rasping her palms. Malin blinked. It was easier if she thought only of him, and not of what he intended. Her gown constricted around her ribs as her lungs expanded. Malin stroked his scales, blanking everything out of her mind except the sensation of his warm scales. He felt almost like an enormous cat, sinuous with muscle and covered in diamond-hardarmor.
Somehow she put the tip of her boot on the spine of his wing. It shifted beneath her foot, and then she was gasping, clinging to his side like a nervous rider hanging precariously of the side of a horse. Malin scrambled for purchase as he shoved her higher, and then there was nothing she could do except swing her leg over the curve of his shoulders, or fall face-first over the otherside.
Before she knew it, she was sitting astride him, her dress hitched up around her calves and her heart hammering in herchest.
Sweet goddess.She was mounted upon adrekiprince with a notoriousreputation.
One who glanced at her as if to assure himself she was fully seated, before spreading hiswings.
"Not yet!" Malin cried out, her knees and thighs clamping aroundhim.
Thedrekibeneath herfroze.
Wind curled through her hair. Malin looked up at the rosy skies above them. By all the gods, this was amazing. And the heat of his skin warmed her right through herstockings.
She had the sudden horrific thought she was straddling what was technically a nakeddreki.
You have the Blackfrost between yourthighs.
You arenotgoing to think ofthat.
But a burst of nervous laughter tore from her, and Sirius bared his teeth as if to questionwhat the hellwas wrong with her, and she had no answer to that. Or at least, none she could share withhim.
The laughter subsided, and she suddenly feltill.
This was going tohappen.
"I have a confession to make."Traitor, whispered her heart. But she was so damned confused. And he... he hadn't hurt her. Perhaps he truly did want to rescue Árdís. "I didn't tell you earlier, because... well, I didn't really want to help you. And I didn't trustyou."
Muscle shifted beneath the plated scales, and she grabbed hold of the heavier ones that ridged his neck as he glanced ather.
Now was probably not the time to irritate him. Malin swallowed. "I wouldn't have told you this if you'd simply hauled me into the air. But there's something you should know about the princess. She's not going to be able to change intodrekiform. That's why she's moving so slowly. Someone put a magical bracelet upon her, and trapped her in her mortal form. So Roar and the others... they're looking in the wrong place. If you want to find her, then we need to continue north. She's clearly heading in that direction for a reason. And she won't have gone as far as youthink."
He considered her for a longmoment.
"Well, what-are-you-waiting-for?" All of the words fell out of her mouth in one unbroken stream. She was not ready for this, but then she didn't know if she ever wouldbe.
