Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
A feeling of humble gratitude swept over her, and she knew Tarian felt it, too. That must’ve been Stratow’s response.
She ducked a bit as they continued to climb in elevation, the air starting to thin and cool. In no time, she was shivering and gasping for breath.
It’s okay. Here, lean back into me. She felt Tarian’s hands on her upper arms, coaxing her to lean back.
Had he lost his fucking mind? The wind threatened to rip her right off this creature’s back and fling her into the great, wide abyss. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but usually, when she encountered them, she had something to hold on to or a metal enclosure around her.
Concern radiated through her as she gasped harder. It wasn’t her emotion, though. It came from Stratow. He leveled out, and she felt a hard grip on the back of her shirt. Tarian yanked, ripping fabric and forcing her to slide back.
She screamed again and wasn’t embarrassed about it. She tried to clutch on to the mane as her fingers slipped, but the yank was too hard and unexpected, and suddenly, she was sliding. Falling back. Her legs kicked at nothing as air washed around her.
Tarian’s strong arm wrapped around her middle. His hand splayed against her ribs, and even through her clothes, she could feel the heat of his touch. The hard planes of his chest pushed against her back as he leaned over her, enveloping her in a warmth that couldn’t just be from his body. The wind stopped rushing her face, and the atmosphere gained density, offering more oxygen.
She took a deep breath, somehow inhaling his delicious scent despite the wind. Her body shook, not from cold, but from fear. You could’ve put that bubble around me while I was still clinging to the mane.
I’m sorry, he whispered in her mind, his face brushing against hers and nestling into her hair. I panicked. I didn’t realize humans couldn’t tolerate the change in air pressure and temperature from flight. I have you now. You’ll be okay.
His legs gripped the stormback, and his hand fit in a deep groove at the back of the stormback’s wing. For all intents and purposes, he’d had a handle to hold and purchase for his legs while she’d been up at the neck sitting. She’d gotten the shit end of the stick on that one.
His arm squeezed her tighter, and his thumb moved, stroking against her, the tip barely sliding along the underside of her breast. This time the shiver wasn’t from cold or fear. The force is greater back here, and I worried you wouldn’t have the grip strength to hold on. If you’d slipped from the neck, you would’ve slid into me. I could’ve held us both.
It would’ve been nice if he’d done that in the beginning with his oh-so-mighty grip strength, the weasel. It would’ve kept her from thoughts of certain death.
A vibration under her legs and a rolling sea of mirth indicated Stratow thought all this was humorous. She didn’t see the joke.
That’s because you’re the punch line, Tarian said, and she glanced to the side, wondering how much effort it would take to push him off. The rumbling continued.
Other stormbacks flew in close, the Fallen atop them looking at ease and windswept, but with concerned expressions. They really needed to focus on hanging on better. A little turbulence and those fuckers would be headed for the ground.
The rumbling intensified.
Honestly, what is so funny? she thought in exasperation.
A clusterfuck of emotions ran through her. They were complete gibberish. She wasn’t good at stormback communication.
She thought about looking over the side to see how high up they were but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not with only Mr. Grip Strength to keep her on this beast. Their angle had changed again, back to climbing. Her stomach was getting queasy, and now would be the worst time to figure out she actually was afraid of heights.
He says you are not like any fae he’s ever met, Tarian said.
He does know I’m human, right? And why doesn’t he speak in words anymore? She closed her eyes, swallowing thickly. It would be embarrassing to throw up. It would be more embarrassing if she had to use the restroom.
He probably couldn’t be bothered. That, or he’s trying to force you to communicate with him properly.
She shook her head, not wasting effort on answering. She didn’t have many cordial things to say, anyway. The fear was getting to her. She’d probably blurt out the wrong thing, he’d roll to the side, and bye-bye, dumb human.
How are you now? Tarian asked, his strength surrounding her. She had to own that it helped. The warmth certainly did.
She thought about looking over the side again. When her bowels started to roll, she decided she’d better not.