Page 76 of To Fight and To Fold

She skated her hands over the corset at Aaryn's stomach, then down her hips, to the top of her thighs. Thea knew the shape of Aaryn, had seen her in her work trousers for months on end.

Feeling her shape was entirely new, and something sharp pitched in Thea's stomach as her hands skirted over the fabric of her dress, over her knees and along her shins.

"See? It's not so bad," Thea managed to say, though her voice felt half stuck in her throat. "Turn around."

A little noise choked from her and Aaryn abruptly spun. The dress swished around her ankles, the fabric slapping at Thea's thighs.

Thea bit down on a delighted laugh.

She stood and rested her hands on Aaryn's shoulder blades, skating them south.

She bit the inside of her cheek as her hands ghosted over Aaryn's waist, her lower back. Thea's breath caught as Aaryn leaned into the touch—before snapping back into place, tension lining her.

Thea tried not to grin. Because just for a second…

Thea shamelessly continued her search over the globes of Aaryn’s backside and down her thighs, each touch haunting in a way that heated her blood. Her warmth was imprinted onto Thea's palms and she dared not shake it away.

"Nothing to find," Thea mused, voice almost normal, and patted Aaryn's hip as she got to her feet. "Good girl."

It slipped out by accident, a delicate taunt rather than anything sultry, but embarrassment coiled in her anyway as Aaryn⁠—

Sputtered. "Oh, just—take me to Starspark already!"

Thea was entirely smitten. "I will—but the archdruid should be⁠—"

"Who?"

"Did you hear that? An owl?" Thea snipped, and walked forward between the two widest pillars to reveal the most charming landscape, or what could be seen of it in the shadows of night. Tall trees and pathways filled the spaces between buildings—raised from the earth, carved from rock or the very hillsides—and in the glimmer of the magic torches along them they could see the shine of scales, of lithe creatures blending right in, as much part of the scenery as they were the community.

"Holy dragons," Aaryn said, eyes wide as ever.

"Welcome to⁠—"

"The druid circle," Aaryn breathed, awe in her voice. She slowly spun to take it all in, head shaking slightly, as if she couldn't believe it. Aaryn paused as she faced the teleportation area, the trees behind it a natural barrier. And past that, a swirling shimmer protected them all from the blanket of clouds below, glowing with the light of the moon. "But… how?" She took a step toward the treeline, eyes wide.

"Magic," Thea answered in a conspiratorial whisper. "Barriers and heightened levitation runes. This is the safest place, somewhere Evergale would never think to look despite their noses being lifted so high: the clouds."

"I didn't know—" Aaryn blinked rapidly, disbelieving. "I didn't know there was still this much magic left in the world." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Technically, it never left," Thea told her, as if she was speaking of the weather instead of contradicting Aaryn's entire idea of magic. "It was just… reallocated, thanks to Evergale. We knew better. So we use it, because it's ours to use."

Her mouth slipped open again, parted, pouted, and flattened. "That's… so much," she said, and Thea finally dragged her gaze away from her lips to, like, anywhere else.

"Well, it's about time you got here," a familiar—to Thea, anyway—voice said from behind them, rescuing her not for the first time. Bless that woman.

Aaryn startled, and together they spun to meet… the archdruid. Standing tall and commanding and elegant and tough and—Thea grinned. Skies, she loved it when Vaelen played scary.

The archdruid waited for them just ahead, trees framing her path. Behind her, a large dragon lazed, paws crossed as if not a care in the world. He made Starspark look like a hatchling.

The rings in Vaelen’s centered braid caught the light, practically glowing along with the runes on her deep brown skin. "Aaryn, I take it? We've been waiting for you."

Aaryn dragged her attention away from the large dragon, and nodded.

"It has taken us many attempts to convince you to join us. Shall I trust your intentions now that you're finally here?" she asked, brow lifted.

Aaryn flushed deeply—an appropriate response to coming face to face with such a force. Vaelen was powerful not only because of her knowledge of magic and the ease with which she wielded it, but because she walked this earth with the confidence of someone who had helped give life to it, and knew every blade of grass and flower petal like an extension of her own body. Someone who would go to great lengths to protect it.

Aaryn floundered for a moment beneath that gaze before she finally said, "I just want to see Starspark."