Page 36 of Ignite
Aster nods, a look of understanding on his face—as if he can feel the judgment in my tone.
A scream pierces the air, and my body goes rigid. I peer around Zephyr, my muscles tensing as I reach for my magic. But Zeph pushes me forward with her wing, causing me to stumble away from her. Just enough to see where the scream is coming from.
My eyes widen as I take in the rest of the land behind her. At least twenty—if not more—wyverns soar from the side of the cliff, their bellies showing and wings stretched out wide. They fly into the air, hovering briefly before landing on the ground with a light thud that causes the rocks at my feet to vibrate.
Villagers ride atop the wyverns; these Riders are more like Willow and Aster—free. Wild. Not bound by training programs or separated into small groups. They all land as one, each marching to the beat of their own drum.
They’re dressed similarly to Willow and Aster today in hand-stitched clothing and a mix of cotton shirts and leather vests. A few of them have thick wool cloaks on, cloth sashes tied at their waists.
A small, amethyst-colored wyvern catches my eye, running in a circle around Aster, which draws a burst of laughter from him. In the blink of an eye, he jumps atop her and settles into a worn leather saddle.
The closer I look, the more I realize theyallhave a saddle.
Well, that would make my life a lot easier.
“Come on,” Aster shouts, looking back at me.
I shift closer to Zeph, ignoring the burst of energy that shoots down our bond at his words.
“Where are we going?” I ask hesitantly.
Aster winks and points to the sky. “We’re going for a ride.”
Fifteen
Amethystus
Goingfor a ride is the opposite of what we should be doing right now. Aster’s words echo in my mind:“They’re learning what it means to have fun again.” Funisn’t at the forefront of my mind right now, however. They may have given up on helping the realm, but I haven’t.
The ever-present weight settled against my shoulders presses down, heavier than it’s been since we arrived in Kauri. There’s a loneliness that rises to the surface, mingling with the weight of a hundred souls all waiting onusto set them free.
I shake my head and take a step back, a flicker of anger surging through my veins.
“Trust me,” Aster adds, sensing my hesitation. “It isn’t without reason.”
Calix catches my eye, a muscle in his jaw tensing as he watches me. Blindly trusting this Undine isn’t something I’m willing to do.
“You’re new to your wyverns,” Aster urges, drawing my attention to him. “If you want to use them to your advantage, you need to learn how to connect with them—how to use them in a way Eurydice has intended. You’ve encountered battles with your beast, but you have yet to enter into war with her.
“You’re not just hurting yourself by not learning.” Aster’s voice lowers. “You’re hurting Zephyr.”
I swallow, his words hitting me square in the chest.
If there’s anything that would get me to follow him right now, it’s the possibility that my actions could ultimately lead to my wyvern being hurt. Zephyr chose me to be her Rider, and I can’t let her down or put her in harm’s way. Brielle was our only link to learning how to be a unit, and we can’t wait for her to be fully healed to start working on that.
Anything helps right now. We would not only be stupid to ignore their help, but negligent of our wyverns’ safety, too.
With a deep sigh, I climb up, hoping there’s more to this than just a fun little flight around the island for sightseeing. Calix does the same, both of us without saddles.
Once I’m up, I see Sidra, Orla, and Maddox atop their own wyverns. Everyone is here but Brielle.
The village Riders are still on their wyverns, the beasts’ wings stretching out and preparing for flight again.
Aster shouts, the sound echoing off the rocks behind us. In the same breath, his wyvern flares its wings outward and pushes off the ground. They only glide up enough to clear the ground, then disappear over the edge of the cliff.
Wyverns follow after them one by one, cascading over the cliffside until only my friends and I remain.
“Are we sure about following them for this ride?” Sidra asks, glancing between all of us.
