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“And you can’t do anything to help me,” she said calmly. “You know you can’t.”
“But I don’t know when I’ll see you again,” Heath persisted. The unspoken words, or if I’ll see you again, hovered in the air between them.
Merletta didn’t respond, unable to deny it. “Just tell me you’ll be watching for me on the other side,” she said instead, with the hint of a smile. “So you know when to come and meet me, and hear all about it.”
Heath held her gaze for one silent, heavy moment. Then he crossed back to her in three swift strides, muttering as he came, “Just in case.”
The next thing she knew, he’d swept her into his arms, and his lips were pressed onto hers. She felt herself mold into him, as though they were made for this moment. Without realizing she was doing it, she twined her arms behind his back, as if to keep him there forever.
But a moment later, Heath had pulled away, releasing her and stepping back beside the dragon, who wore an openly disapproving expression. Merletta felt dazed as she raised a hand to her lips, her eyes locking with Heath’s across the distance. He looked a little dazed himself. She knew, somehow, that the kiss hadn’t been the heart-melting one that Rekavidur had interrupted. But it was still enough to make her new legs feel as wobbly as jellyfish.
“Don’t die,” Heath said, the words an order.
Merletta gave a shaky laugh, but there was no time to respond. Rekavidur had seized Heath’s shoulders, and a moment later, the two companions took to the sky.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Heath’s thoughts were swirling so frantically as Reka carried him across the water that he could hardly get his bearings.
Percival was in danger.
He’d kissed Merletta.
Merletta was half expecting to die in her test.
And he’d kissed her.
He didn’t know when—or if—he’d see her again.
She’d kissed him back, though.
But Percival was in trouble.
Heath opened his mouth to shout to Reka, but closed it again. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell the dragon to turn back, or to get to Valoria faster. Had he really kissed Merletta? Had she really put her arms around him, pulling him closer as her lips moved against his?
Why had he pulled away so quickly? Would a delay of a few minutes really have made a difference to Percival? A cold rush went over him. He hoped not. He remembered his last conversation with his brother, the night before. They’d snapped at each other, and gone to bed without even trying to make it up. If that was the last conversation he ever had with his brother, he’d never forgive himself.
What was Percival doing? He needed to see. At once, without Heath really trying, his unpredictable extra sight flared to life. He could see his brother’s face, a hint of defiance mixing with his exhilaration as he pushed his horse hard. Reka was right, Percival was riding for the capital. But Heath had no idea why. And his sight was clearly not as developed as Reka’s, because try as he might, he could see no sign of the armed men the dragon had mentioned.
“Can you still see those men?” he shouted above the wind.
“Yes,” Reka replied instantly. Clearly he was also keeping an eye on the situation. “They are closer to him now.”
“Will we make it?” Heath asked in alarm.
This time, the dragon didn’t answer straight away. “It will be close,” he said at last, and Heath’s terror mounted. He didn’t urge Reka to go faster. He knew the dragon understood, and was doing all he could.
By the time the coast of Valoria approached, far below them, Heath was in a state of such anxiety he could barely breathe. The dragon didn’t pause as they soared over Bexley Manor, continuing northwest instead, toward Bryford. They didn’t actually reach the capital, however. Reka had descended when they neared land, and was now flying low enough to elicit shouts of fear and excitement from humans below them as they crossed the country. They were moving too quickly for anyone to recognize the burden in the dragon’s talons, most likely.
Straining his eyes, Heath saw Percival before he heard the dragon’s grunt of warning. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of what looked like a dozen tiny figures, clearly locked in a deadly struggle in the middle of the main highway. Percival seemed to be giving a good account of himself, but even he couldn’t fight off so many alone. As Heath watched, his brother went down, borne to the ground by the weight of the combined attack. Heath reached for his back, but his bow wasn’t there. He’d left for Vazula in too much of a hurry to grab it earlier in the day.
But of course he didn’t need it. Reka touched down beside the highway, letting out a gravelly roar as he did so. All of the men, Percival included, looked up in shock, and the fighting halted. Heath ran toward his brother, but before he even reached Percival, the men—who were masked—had all fled. They had horses nearby, and within moments they were all mounted and thundering away.
Percival struggled to his feet, his eyes wide and shocked. Heath swallowed at the sight of him. He’d never seen his brother bruised and bleeding like this. No one had ever been able to land him so many blows.
“Percival!” he cried, hurrying forward and reaching out a hand. It hovered in the air as he searched for an uninjured part of his brother’s body to grasp. “Are you all right?”
“I’ll live,” muttered Percival, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth with his elbow. “I guess ten is over my limit.”
