I hadn’t realized that I’d half-drawn my sword until I felt Yaltu’s hand on my own.
“Do not,” she said. “She is Amin, and she has long been my friend and companion. Please do not harm her.”
I returned Ebon to its sheath and lifted one arm to protect my eyes from the dust the beast was kicking up as it flapped its huge wings and settled gently on the ground in front of us.
“Greetings, Jacob.”
The words felt like they came from within my own mind. The voice was female, sultry, and wise. I wasn’t sure what the expression on my face looked like, but Yaltu’s smile and laughter told me it was funny. The dragon had also known my name. I figured either she had some limited form of telepathy that could read my thoughts, or Yaltu had told her my name.
“Wow,” Skrew whispered as he tugged on my arm and pointed, as if I couldn't see the silver dragon sitting right there in front of me.
“Greetings, Amin,” I said.
A feeling of pleasure and acceptance touched my mind. I wasn’t sure how, but I was certain the feeling came from the dragon.
“This is your preference to walking?” I asked Yaltu.
“I will take you upon my back to where you must go,” Amin said.
That mental link washed over me again and whispered of the dragon’s love for Yaltu, and, by extension, me as well.
As for Skrew, she promised not to eat him.
I laughed. My enemies were about to get a big surprise.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Keep your legs tight against her flanks,” Yaltu instructed.
I mounted the dragon and caught hold of a bony ridge to use as a handhold. The dragon offered me a small moan in response, and I yanked Skrew up to sit behind me.
“Mind that you don’t slip when she lands; you might find you lose something rather precious.” Yaltu tapped the handhold on the ridge of the dragon’s spine between my legs as she climbed effortlessly onto the back of our majestic method of transportation.
“Hold onto me,” Yaltu instructed. “It’ll make it less tiresome for Amin when she turns.”
The air cooled as Amin coiled herself and took a running start.
With three powerful thrusts of her wings, she launched herself into the air. Dust, leaves, and pine cone-like seed pods bounced off nearby trees, pattering us like they were at war.
We headed south, staying low to the ground, no more than 10 yards from the treetops to avoid being spotted.
To our north was a forest so thick, I could barely make out the hills and valleys it grew upon. The treetops almost touched each other, making the forest look like the green fur of a gigantic, sleeping beast.
I held onto Yaltu, per her instructions, so I could lean with her in the turns. She said there was little chance we would fall off, but holding on to each other would help Amin keep us safe.
I didn’t mind wrapping my arms around Yaltu’s waist. She was thin, but beneath her clothes, I could sense a strong body and couldn’t help wondering how different we might be.
I was curious, but my imagination was hindered by the fact that Skrew had all four of his arms wrapped around my body as well. Getting hugged by an insane vrak wasn’t something I’d ever get used to.
“Shadow!” Skrew called to me as we soared over the treetops.
“What?” I asked, unsure I’d heard him correctly.
He removed one of his hands and pointed to our left. “Shadow,” he said again. “Jacob must never go to Shadow. It is place of much bad. Many bad.”
I looked where he was pointing and wasn’t sure what I was seeing at first. Several miles away was a huge lake. From the center of the lake, a triangular shape jutted from the surface like an icy spike. A heavy mist veiled most of the structure. All I could see was a vague outline and the needle-like point protruding from the clouds.
I was curious enough to know that someday, I’d have to take a closer look. Whatever the thing was, it was unique among the other features of the landscape. That uniqueness gave it a definite artificial, constructed look.
A tight cluster of chaotically built structures with pale, red roofs were surrounded by a tall city wall ahead of us. The population, it seemed, had outgrown the walls meant to protect it from the rest of the world. There were hundreds, possibly thousands, of small buildings surrounding the city as well. The buildings were interlaced with the colorful patchwork of farmland, unmistakable from our height, even though thick pillars of smoke obscured much of the city. The residents of this planet sure liked to burn things.
“Why aren’t we flying into the city?” I asked when I noticed that Amin was making a low turn to Brazud’s west.
“My home is not in the city,” Yaltu said over her shoulder loud enough to overcome the rush of the wind as we flew. “And those within Brazud hunt those like Amin. If she flew close enough, they might strike her from the skies.” She patted the dragon on her neck reassuringly. “We will be safe in my home.”
“You will be safe there,” Amin echoed to me reassuringly.
“I have food, drink, and a place to rest for all of us.”
“She does, indeed.” Amin turned her head to gaze at me with one of her pale, blue eyes. “She has a place of rest, a place I cannot stay. But worry not for me, young Jacob. I shall make my way to my own place of rest.”
I opened my mouth to speak but wondered
