One of the lads reluctantly raised their hand. “I could try?”

  Frae nodded at the sky. “Then get up there, Heard, and be quick about it.”

  Heard scurried toward a few yards and positioned his broom between his legs. He focused hard on the handle and I watched in amazement as he was lifted off the ground.

  “Now fly as high as you can without feeling any brush spin,” Frae commanded him. “The moment you feel that you get below it. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” Heard agreed before he shot straight upward.

  We all gaped at the figure as he grew smaller and smaller. He didn’t stop until he floated above us some five hundred feet, a speck among a few low stationary clouds.

  “Not a bad height,” Frae mused as he turned his attention to us who remained. “Alright, who’s next?”

  Heard’s bravery had opened a wellspring of courage among the others

  “Me!”

  “I’ll go!”

  Frae stepped back and grinned. “Then get going, the whole lot of you!”

  The lads separated and eagerly climbed aboard their brooms. They shot into the sky and soon joined their comrade. All that was left was Smolt and me. I reluctantly climbed aboard my broom as the elderly gentleman did the same with his rustic handmade vehicle. We faced each other and he winked at me.

  “Nothing to it, lass,” he assured me as he gripped the groom with both hands. “Just treat her like a woman. Let her do what she wants but don’t let her run you over with her demands. Otherwise, you’ll both go tumbling down.”

  I snorted. “That’s a really interesting example. You’re married, aren’t you?”

  He grinned. “How’d you guess? Now up with you, lass, and let’s see how you fly.”

  I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the broom. “Here goes.”

  I focused all my attention on the broom and my feet left the ground. The broom and I wobbled a bit at the loss of solid earth but I steadied myself and slowly floated upward. Smolt and Frae followed me and I noticed they kept close below.

  “Don’t look down unless you’re aiming to land!” Frae scolded me.

  I whipped my head back up and focused on the glowing horizon. The view from that height was just breathtaking. The mountains stretched into the distance, dotted by trees, streams, and even a few small lakes. It was all so quiet and peaceful. I felt so relaxed.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  I looked to my right and the tip of a wing nearly brushed against the tip of my nose. The surprise threw my focus off and I jerked back on the broom. My vehicle veered sharply left and plummeted toward the ground. Panic nearly overtook me but I clutched onto the solid surface of the broom and managed to pull up. The broom shot upward at a steep angle and took me for a fast ride for a few seconds before it drifted into a gentle pace.

  I clutched my chest over my heart and glared at the dragon who rejoined me in flight. “Don’t do that to me!”

  “Sorry about that,” Tegan apologized.

  “Stop being an ass, Bael!” Frae shouted from back where the others floated.

  Tegan twisted around and waved. “A good stock of trainers you have this year!”

  “Don’t go kissing my ass after you’ve tried to kill one of them!” Frae snapped.

  I snorted and the motion relieved some of the tension in me. A frown still ruled my lips, but the glistening light through Tegan’s wings caught my attention. This was the first time I’d been able to study his wings in flight and they were a natural marvel. Twitching and shifting with every change in wind and weight.

  “Was it hard to learn how to fly?” I asked him.

  He shook his head. “Not too hard, but I had a good teacher. The hardest part was working the muscles enough to get them to hold me.”

  “How are they healing?” I wondered as I examined the spots I knew had been torn.

  “Stiff, but I should be able to carry you when we leave here,” he assured me.

  I gazed out at the wonderful sight, especially the valley below. A smile slipped onto my lips. “Maybe I’ll be carrying you.”

  He grinned and shook his head. “I’ve been on one of those before and I would rather not repeat the incident.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “What happened?”

  “Miss Kate, get back here!” Frae shouted. “I’m not done with the lesson!”

  Tegan chuckled. “I think you’re being summoned.”

  “And I don’t think I want to disobey the command,” I quipped as I gently turned the broom.

  I made a very wide, shaky arch back to where the others hovered. We were now only a hundred feet from the ground. A healthy drop, but not so terrifying that I would be paralyzed with fear by the altitude. I floated up beside Smolt who smiled at both Tegan and me. A few of the other younger lads gawked at the dragon and his wings.

  Smolt bowed his head to my companion. “A pleasure to see you again, sir.”

  Tega smiled and returned the gesture. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  “Skip the formalities and shut your traps,” Frae barked as he floated in front of our little group. “Now I’m going to show you fellas how to do a tight tumble just in case you get into a tight spot, which most of you will undoubtedly get into,” Frae mused as he hunkered down so his chest was pressed against the broom. “Hold tight to the front and cross your ankles over the rear of the broomstick. And mind the bristles! Many a flyer’s got himself into trouble by forgetting they hit things, too, and they’ve tumbled to a nasty death.”

  Frae pushed the tip of the broom downward and shot toward the ground like a bullet. At the last moment, he yanked the broom up and pressed down with his ankles. He pulled the vehicle out of the dive and brushed along the grass before flying back up to us.

  Frae sat up and grinned at us. “Now who wants to try it?”

  Again, the volunteer list was short. Smolt finally raised his hand. “I believe I can do that.”

  Our teacher pursed his lips. “I’m not sure you should try this one, Smolt. It’s not easy.”

  “Then tell my wife I had a good time at the end,” Smolt joked as he positioned himself on his broom. “Farewell.”

  He dove down amid a gasp from his audience, me included. Tegan floated a few yards away from our group and he dove down after Smolt. Together the pair threw themselves toward the ground and my heart thumped loudly in my chest.

  Smolt pulled up shorter than Frae and didn’t brush the ground, much to my relief. Tegan was right behind him and the pair flew back up to us. Smolt had a proud smile on his face. “That was just wonderful. You should all try it.” The lads looked doubtfully at each other. Smolt chuckled. “Surely you strapping young men are not afraid of what an old man like I can do.”

  The lads straightened and stiffened their chins. They separated and got into position. The lads dove down one at a time and performed the same feat with various successes. The important part was they all returned to our altitude with all their bones intact.

  “Your turn, Miss Kate,” Frae insisted.

  I shook my head. “I think I had enough fun with Tegan a moment ago.”

  Tegan grinned. “I can vouch for her on that part.”

  “Well, then all you lot go and practice your flying,” Frae instructed us as he waved a hand toward the town. “You won’t be able to handle anything if you don’t practice what I’ve taught you.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  I gladly accepted Frae’s tutelage and turned toward the town. There was hardly a breeze as I eased the handle down and swooped toward the rooftops. Tegan followed beside me and his wings cast a gentle breeze over me.

  I flattened out and lifted my nose to enjoy the sweet air. “I can see why you wanted to bring me here. It’s wonderful.”

  “There’s no place in the world quite like it,” Tegan agreed as he cast a soft smile over the green plateau.

  “And you’ve been around?” I guessed.

  “Quite a few places.”

  I cast a curious look at him. “Is there any place you haven’t been? Like a famous lake or something?”

  “There are a few kingdoms I have yet to see,” he admitted.

  I cocked my head to one side. “Why not?”

  “They have some stringent border rules and I haven’t passed their tests.”

  I blinked at him and my focus was shaken. The broom likewise rattled beneath my hands. I retook control and sheepishly grinned at him. “I guess I’m not passing this test very well, either.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “You’re doing just fine.”

  I dared look down against Frae’s directions and viewed the center of the town. The blocks of the small metropolis ringed one another, each inner one becoming increasingly smaller. A circular town square occupied the center where the smooth, shimmering cobblestones swirled around until they met the low walls of a gurgling foundation. The whole of the town was surrounded by a low wall and I noticed the dragon gate created a sort of tail like a snail’s shell.

  “Did someone build the town like that on purpose?” I wondered.

  Tegan shook his head. “I’m not sure. It’s not something I’ve looked into. Mother might know something about it. She’s volunteered at the library which holds all of the records for the city.”

  I glided lower and beheld a statue situated on one side of the fountain as though like an afterthought.

  “Would you like a closer look?” Tegan suggested. “We could go for a stroll and I know a good place to eat, too.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “How are you going to pay for it?”

  He grinned. “I have a secret, but we’ll see to that before we eat.”

  I smiled and nodded. “That sounds like fun.”

  Tegan twisted around to face Frae. “We’ll be going now, teacher! Thanks for the lesson!”

  “Don’t think you can get out of tomorrow’s class!” he scolded us. “I’ll be expecting both of you at the same hour!”

  Tegan gave him a salute. “We’ll be there!”

  We dove down and I was glad when my feet touched solid ground. My momentum carried me further than I expected and I ended up stumbling a few steps before I caught myself. I swept the broom out from under me and forgot Frae’s warning about the bristles. They knocked against the back of my knees causing them to buckle. Only Tegan’s swift action saved me from kissing the cobblestones.

  I sheepishly looked up at him. “I think I just swept myself off my feet.”

  He chuckled as he righted me, sans wings. His appearance had attracted a little attention from the buyers but the stall sellers didn’t give him a second glance. “I’ll have to take notes.”

  I grasped my broom against my side and looked about us. We stood at the entrance to the town square where a bustling market of local goods was exchanged for coins. The stalls were spaced quite a few feet apart with empty gaps between them.

  Tegan pursed his lips as he looked around us. “Half as many stalls as there should be. They must be really suffering from the lack of merchants.”

  I furrowed my brow and lifted my broom. “Why don’t they just fly all the goods up the mountain?”

  “Flyers can only carry so much,” he warned me. “I wouldn’t try more than a passenger, and two makes for a very slow ride. To carry all the goods the town needs would be impossibly expensive.”

  The stalls were the least of my interest as I strolled toward the statue. It was slightly larger than life-size and portrayed a standing figure atop a low, square pedestal. I jerked to a stop a few yards away as Tegan joined me at my side.

  I gaped up at my companion. “Is that you?”

  The statue did indeed bear a strong resemblance to my dragon lover. The man wore a simple worn cloak about his strong shoulders and his short hair fell in unruly patches over his face. He looked out toward the valley with such a look of determination that I found sturdiness swelling within me.

  He shook his head. “That’s my father.”

  “And a finer man there never was!” a voice spoke up and a man of about fifty sauntered over to us to stand at Tegan’s other side. He, too, admired the statue with a soft smile. “I remember the day he flew in with his new bride and the little bundle in her arms. They were looking for a nice place to settle down and he remembered this quaint town on one of his jaunts.”

  Tegan offered the stranger his hand and a smile. “It’s been a while, Terwine. How have you been?”

  Terwine grinned and shook his hand. “Could be better. The townsfolk got it into their heads that I should be the mayor, so here I am.”

  Tegan chuckled. “My condolences to the townsfolk. They don’t know what trouble they’ve gotten themselves into.”

  The man’s good humor faltered a little. “I wish I could jest about that.”

  “That serious?” Tegan guessed

  “I’m afraid so,” Terwine confirmed as he nodded in the direction of the valley. “They’ve been confined to the valley thus far, but I’ve been receiving reports that they’re climbing the mountain. Everyone knows what they’re after, of course, and if they do come up I’ll try to convince them there isn’t any, but that’s never worked before.”

  “If you need a good pair of claws to help out, I have them,” Tegan offered.

  A faint smile appeared on Terwine’s lips. “Just like your father but I hope it doesn’t come to that.” He paused and looked up at the statue. “I’d hate to have to commemorate another statue to your family.”

  “Why is there a statue dedicated to Tegan’s dad?” I asked the pair.

  Terwine lifted an eyebrow at me. “Bael hasn’t told you his father saved the town from scima two decades ago?”

  “It hasn’t come up in conversation until now,” Tegan defended himself.

  Terwine puffed out his chest a little. “Then let me tell you I have never known a more brave and selfless man. We were being invaded by a deadly group of scima who intended to burn the whole town to the ground and search the rubble for the gold they thought we held. Amalric faced them in his full dragon form and drove them back, but not before they struck him with dozens of their poisoned swords. Their leader, too, had the gift of earth magic and impaled him with many spikes. He collapsed just there where the statue is and so we erected one to honor our hero.”

  My heart fell and I looked up at Tegan. His eyes had a slightly glossy look in them as he studied the statue. He had stiffened his jaw and his hands at his sides grasped his pants. I slipped an arm through one of his bent ones and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

  Tegan shook himself from his sorrowful reverie and smiled down at me. “There’s no need to apologize. He died protecting us.”

  “And who is this young woman?” Terwine inquired as he smiled at me. “Surely history isn’t repeating itself with a dragon bringing his bride to our humble town.”

  Tegan grinned. “Not quite. Miss Kate Harrow, allow me to introduce Terwine Howard, esteemed mayor of Glistnia.”

  Terwine grinned as he took up one of my hands and pressed a light kiss on the back. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Harrow.”

  “Please call me Kate,” I told him as he released my hand. “The only people who use my last name are my boss and my teachers.”

  The mayor chuckled. “I would like to avoid being both, though I’ve heard Frae has wrangled you into his flying lessons.”

  “Are they for increasing income or helping scout for the scima?” Tegan wondered.

  Terwine sighed. “A little of both, I’m afraid. We need more scouts than the men can provide so Frae is enlisting the lads to help us out. Even old Smolt has offered to learn to fly.”

  “Can anyone learn?” I spoke up.

  The mayor shook his head. “No, but it’s a skill that runs through many of the bloodlines in the town. I suspect it’s how our ancestors managed to reach this town so high from the valley.”

  “How are the crops this year?” Tegan inquired. “Mother mentioned they weren’t as good as they should be.”

  Terwine sighed. “Another cause for concern. The soil is losing its luster. We’ve tried everything we could think of to make them grow, even leaving them fallow for two years, but nothing has worked. Still-” He clapped his hands together, “-I won’t bore you two with our troubles. I hope you enjoy your stay and should you need anything don’t be afraid to ask.”

  Tegan grinned. “We’ll do just that.”

  Terwine left us but I could see his words still lingered on Tegan’s worried brow. “There’s a lot of trouble around here, isn’t there?”

  Tegan pursed his lips as he raised his eyes to the statue of his father. “Unfortunately, there is. We’ll see if we can’t help them any way we can.” He paused and looked down at me. “If you don’t mind.”

  I snorted and tugged on his arm. “I’m game if you are.”

  His eyes shimmered with pleasure before a mischievous glint slipped into them. “Then what do you say to a little game of racing to the cliff walls?”

  I stepped back and grasped my broom. “I say you’re on.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “So why are we racing toward the cliff walls?” I asked him as he led me to one of the off-streets. “I thought you said you were going to take me somewhere to eat.”

  “You did mention I was out of coins,” he reminded me as we stopped shy of the street and a cart rolled past us. “I need to fetch some from my horde.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Then you really have a stash of cash?”

  Tegan chuckled. “Doesn’t every dragon?”

  “I don’t know any other dragon.”

  “Well, most of us do have a tidy sum tucked away courtesy of some heroic deed well rewarded or an inheritance from some ancient family estate.”

  “You guys don’t live any longer than us, do you?” I wondered.

  He opened his wings and tested them with a few flaps. “No, but you’re forgetting something.”

  I blinked at him. “What?”

  “To get ready.”

 

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