Page 41 of Blood of Olympus

Velira?

Sensing my nearness, Caelus twisted in his saddle, eyes wide. The fact that I could see the contrasting black and silver meant we were dangerously close to impact.

VEL!

At the last possible moment, her lilac wings flared with a resounding leathery crack. My body was thrown into her thick, muscular neck, as hers glided perpendicular to the ground, swooping past the giant wolf and his precious cargo. Vel nipped playfully at the beast on her way past, Caelus grinning as we soared by.

I whooped with joy, threw my arms out, and tasted the wind on my fingertips as we flew.

I’m fucking flying!

You are, she laughed, climbing higher.

What else can you do?

Oh, it’s like that is it? Hold tight.

She twisted sharply to the right — but unfortunately my body stayed left.

Velira twisted again, screeching and diving — and I watched it all play out from below, in slow motion, as I plummeted to the ground.

“Well, I didn’t bet on that,” my imagination taunted as the ground rushed up to meet me.

CHAPTER 10

Nyssa

Thank fuck a pair of obscenely muscular arms were there to catch me.

“Oof,” I huffed — breathless, heart racing.

“There she is, falling for me all over again,” my storm-wielder murmured, pulling me in close to nuzzle my head with his chin.

I cracked my eyes open just as Vel soared past with a brazen screech, her terror and guilt visceral through our shared link.

That would have hurt, her voice quavered.

I scowled as she made another pass.

That could have killed me.

She hummed, the gravelly sound grating at the back of her throat. You’re durable. You’d have survived.

You should have caught me.

My dragon’s guilt intensified as she carefully considered her next words. You’re right. I should have. But you shouldn’t have fallen in the first place.

I leaped out of Caelus’ arms, completely misjudging our height — and toppled right off of Lykos’ furry back.

Velira snorted as she landed, violet flames dancing out her nostrils.

See? What a clumsy goddess you are.

“Velira, that’s enough!” I yelled, loud enough to startle a nearby flock of foraging sparrows. “No more teasing. This” — I gestured between the two of us — “is not good enough. We need to be better. We need to be perfect.”

Perfect might be a stretch… but I understand your meaning.

“Would this be a poor time to suggest a harness?” Caelus winced as he pointed to the brown leather rigging atop Lykos’ shoulders.