Page 21 of The Shtriga
Spotting our destination, I dropped low, and Zamir shrieked, his fingers sinking into my neck as his heels dug into my sides.
I glided toward the bare cliff edge, and Zamir braced himself as I landed near the trees—the last thing I needed was for the cliff to break off because I landed too close to the edge. Been there, done that—folding up my wings as Zamir sucked in deep breaths above me.
"Wow. That was... wow. I'm gonna need a minute, okay? My legs are jelly."
I laughed, which sounded more like a growl in this form, and Zamir leaned over me. I raised my head, and realized that even upside down, Zamir looked mesmerizing. His wild curls were windswept, falling into his sparkling eyes as he grinned ear to ear. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss between my eyes, and I lowered my head before I developed a crick in my neck.
"Okay, I'll climb off now," he said, and I lowered myself to the grass as he slid down my side with a laugh. I waited until he walked a few paces away before shifting, and he shook his head. "I'll never get tired of seeing that."
I smiled at the implication that he'd be seeing it often, and closed the distance between us, taking his hand in mine. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Hell yeah. I feel like I'm high. My skin is buzzing. I can't wait to do that again on the way home!"
"I'll take you flying as often as you wish," I said, and his grin softened, his skin turning the lightest shade of pink over his beard.
The moon was bright, and with our supe senses, it was easy to navigate the weeds and loose stones to the edge of the cliff where the large basket I'd stashed earlier waited for us, a slim ring of dragon fire around it keeping the big and small critters away.
"Oh," Zamir murmured when he saw the basket, and I smiled. I pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, then let it go so I could set up.
With a wave of my hand, I extinguished the fire, then removed a thick blanket from the basket, and spread it over the rocks. I hoped it would be soft enough to negate the hard ground underneath. Instead of candles, I filled the air around us with small balls of my fire, dousing the area in a soft orange glow.
Zamir joined me on the blanket, and seeing my fire reflected in his dark eyes filled my chest with warmth. "Nolan, this is wonderful. Thank you."
I smiled, then pulled out a red rose from the basket, holding it out to him. "This is for you."
He beamed as he took it from me, and held it to his nose, humming as he breathed in the scent. I'd made sure to pick one that smelled good without being overwhelming.
"This is the best date I've ever been on," Zamir declared, and I grinned, satisfaction coursing through me. It was exactly what I'd hoped to hear, but that didn't mean I was done. Our date was just getting started.
