Page 23 of The Silent Mountain
“I want to head to the shore,” I say. “And would like to take you with me.”
“Because of the two albatrosses?” she asks, instantly interested.
“Now that Cassie is here, it’s time to put her abilities to the test,” I say. “And her loyalty. Stefan, let her settle in with Frederick and his mate, then pick her up and fly her down to the shore. We will take off in a couple of hours.”
“We are flying?” Alana smiles.
“That is, unless you prefer walking?” I tease.
“Thank you,” she chuckles. “I know the path now. If I have the chance to fly, I will take it anytime.”
Inside, I can feel my dragon stirring contentedly. He is very pleased that she feels so comfortable with our dragon side.
You are doing well,Favia reassures me.She is slowly but steadily feeling more and more comfortable here.
eight
The Birds
*ALANA*
It’sthesecondtimeI’ve ridden on Favian’s back, or rather his dragon’s. I spread my arms, allowing the wind to dance around me. Favian indulges me by flying higher just to sink suddenly, making me cling to his neck, laughing.
I can’t believe you enjoy that,he links me.
Favian barely talks to me or anyone through mind link, so it feels unusual at first, but not unwelcome. He prevents using his mind link so that his dragons can get stronger and heal mentally. Maybe, now he feels more comfortable reaching out that way. It’s a good sign.I never imagined flying would be this fun,I admit.
With how you love adrenaline, I shouldn’t be surprised.
I’m not chasing an adrenaline high usually,I defend myself while touching the scales of his neck.I guess it’s different when it’s my favorite dragon.
Are you saying you weren’t the type of girl to jump down cliffs into the water and dive into the ice-cold water or-
Alright, alright, you called me out,I chuckle.
Hold on tight,he says, the smirk evident in his voice.
I cling to his neck, squealing when he twirls his body around and then picks up his speed. I wonder if the stunt he showed me a few nights ago would also work if we jumped together. Could he catch me from the air?
There is no time to ask him, however, as we slowly reach the shore. Despite Favian showing off his skills, we are still the first to arrive. He lets me slide down his back, and I take the moment to gently touch his dragon’s nose, snuggling against it. “Thank you.”
When Favian shifts back, he smiles at me. His smile is wiped off his face, though, the moment his eyes move to the distance. “By Aengus,” he mutters.
It takes a while to register. I’m so used to hearing my goddess’s name that it still feels foreign to hear the dragon’s deity. I don’t ponder on it for long because, noticing the shocked expression on Favian’s face, I turn around to follow his gaze, my mouth dropping open.
“Goddess,” I blurt out, taking a step toward the terrifying scene in front of me.
Favian grabs my wrist and pulls me back. “Don’t,” he says. “Let’s tread carefully.”
“You are right,” I mutter, while my gaze moves over the usually so beautiful shore, covered in ice and snow, now covered in hundreds of dead birds. I feel sick at the image. Only a few days ago, I was flying with Favian over the ocean, and there were birds flying with us. Now… so many are lying here dead. “How can this happen?”
“I don’t know,” Favian says. “It never has before.”
He turns his stare slightly up towards the sky, where Stefan’s green dragon carries Cassie, followed by Barbara’s brown and Ludwig’s red ones. The moment they land and shift, their faces carry the same shocked expression as Favian’s had.
“This is…“ Stefan looks around. “This is… I don’t have any words.”
“Am I correct in saying this never happened before?” Favian asks him.
