Page 50 of Runt's Haunted Ride
I didn't hesitate. Whatever Kai had planned, it was better than what we were currently facing. I eased off the throttle, bringing the bike to barely above idle speed. My hands gripped the handlebars so tight my knuckles went white.
"What are you—"
I felt Kai's arms release from around my waist. The sudden absence of her warmth, her presence, sent panic shooting through me.
"Kai!"
"Hold on!" she commanded.
I did as I was told, trusting my mate. I felt her weight shift as she stood up on the seat behind me. The Harley wobbled dangerously, and I had to fight to keep it upright. Through the ghostly fog, I caught a glimpse of her in the bike's mirrors—behind me, she stood on the seat, arms outstretched.
Then she shifted.
The transformation was instantaneous. Her massive phoenix stood balanced on the motorcycle seat. Heat radiated off of her.I glanced back and saw enormous sharp talons gripping the leather seat.
The ghostly spirits scattered away from her light, their moaning turning to shrieks. Her phoenix fire blazed golden and brilliant, pushing back the supernatural darkness.
Then she launched.
Her massive wings beat once, twice, and suddenly we were airborne. The bike and I were lifted straight up off the bridge, Kai's talons holding the motorcycle—and me on it—like an eagle carrying a fish.
Kai moved fast. My stomach dropped as we cleared the bridge's stone railing, and she banked hard to the right, diving down and away from the bridge.
The wind screamed past my face as she plummeted. Clear of the fog, I could see the trees coming up fast. My hands were locked on the handlebars in a death grip, my legs pressing tight against the bike's body, my entire body rigid. We were flying on a motorcycle being carried by a phoenix. At that moment, a phrase I'd read popped into my head:Phoenixes can lift and carry tremendous amounts of weight.
"But a grown man and his motorcycle?" I said, tightening my hold on the bike and my sanity.
This was insane.
This was impossible.
And this was fucking amazing.
Kai caught a current of wind and leveled us out, her wings spread wide as she effortlessly glided. We soared away from the bridge, away from Mortis and his ghostly army. The October night rushed past, cold and clean, free of supernatural taint.
Behind us, I heard Mortis' voice one last time, booming across the distance with unnatural volume:
"THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!"
But Kai paid no attention. She carried us farther and farther away, flying with ease but also with purpose. At times she rapidly flapped those gigantic wings. We flew for what felt like hours, covering miles of territory, but it was probably only twenty minutes.
Finally, when my enhanced hearing couldn't detect any pursuit, Kai began to descend. She found a clearing deep in the forest, far from any road. She set the bike down gently—more gently than I would have thought possible—before releasing her grip. The moment the wheels touched ground, she landed beside the bike and shifted back to human form.
I killed the engine and practically fell off the Harley, my legs shaking from the adrenaline. I caught myself on the handlebars, taking a moment to remember how to breathe.
"Take a second." She leaned me back against the seat. "First-time flyers need a moment to acclimate to the moving feeling." She smiled. "Was that your first time?"
"Being held by a phoenix, plummeting off a bridge, soaring over trees while holding a motorcycle—aww, hell no, that's a regular Tuesday thing for me." I tried to stand again and felt as if I might be sick.
"That was—you were—fuck," I couldn't find words. "You're incredible. That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. I've never flown."
"Aww, I took your flight virginity," she teased.
Nausea or not, I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her. I realized she was shaking too. The adrenaline crash hitting both of us.
"What happened?" I said, pulling open my leather jacket to include both of us.
"I couldn't let him bind us," she said against my chest. "He was chanting the same binding spell he used on me. I recognized it."
