Page 39 of Reign

“I don’t know why it’s snoozing here, in the forest, but it’s got reins wrapped around its neck, so clearly it belongs to someone.”

“What is it?” I asked, struggling to recognize any part of the satiny creature cloaked in vapor.

“A wyvern.” Bash crouched, picking up a fallen stick and tossing it at the beast.

“Don’t disturb it,” I muttered, but it was already too late.

The creature’s wings unfurled, shaking off the leaves and moss that had settled on its back. I gasped as it reared its head from the undergrowth, its long neck stretching toward the treetops. Iridescent eyes blinked sleepily before the beast snorted, sending snot flying from its snout. Droplets splattered against my face as I stared up at the wyvern, awestruck.

“Studi, studi.” Steady, steady, Bash instructed, coaxing the wyvern out of the dense woodland and into an open plain.

With each forward step, the creature’s enormous talons tore up the grass beneath its feet, while plumes of smoke puffed from its nostrils. My breath hitched as I took in the thick, lead-like spikes gleaming along its spine.

“You want to ride him, or should I?” Bash asked, pulling back his white locks and tying them away from his face.

I noticed that under the moonlight, the strands of his hair shimmered like stardust.

I gestured toward the wyvern. “After you.”

Bash chuckled and offered his hand. “Together?” He raised an eyebrow, his contagious smile spreading across his face.

“Won’t we get caught?” I asked. “Surely our heads will end up on spikes?”

I was desperate to uncover the magical remnants in Lyonesse, but I knew soaring through the moonglow wasn’t just dangerous—it was deadly.

“Fog’s hanging low tonight,” he replied. “As long as we don’t fly lower than the mist, we’ll stay hidden.”

“Have you done this before?” I asked, glancing between the blinking wyvern and the grinning Bash.

He nodded confidently. “Many times. Once we’re sky-bound, no one will see us.”

“I’m trusting you know what you’re doing,” I remarked, hesitating before accepting his hand.

Bash pulled me close, encircling my waist in a firm grip. “Grab the spikes—pull yourself on,” he instructed, effortlessly lifting me as I dug my fingers into the wyvern’s scaly hide and cocked a leg over its thick neck.

Bash mounted behind me with ease, his arms brushing past my sides as he seized the reins coiled around the creature.

“Meve forewearde.” Move forward, he commanded, kicking his heel into the belly of the beast.

The wyvern lurched into a trot, quickly gathering speed as it barreled through the dense foliage. Leaves whipped against my face, spilling a blur of green across my vision, like watercolor bleeding across parchment. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable whip of a protruding branch that could cost me my head.

Bash’s arm tightened around my torso, anchoring me securely to his chest while his other hand steered the beast skyward.

“Heh.” Higher, Bash said.

The wyvern obeyed, its wings beating powerfully as it soared toward the stars. My stomach somersaulted at the sight of the kingdom shrinking below—the distant camp looked like brown freckles on green skin. My legs trembled, gripped by a single, unyielding fear—being bucked off and sent tumbling to my death.

“Scared?” Bash called over the rush of wind.

I shook my head, too frightened to even speak, yet unwilling to show weakness.

“Why are you shaking then?” he teased.

“Don’t let go!” I yelled, my voice cracking to reveal the fear I struggled to hide.

Bash adjusted his grip, pulling me even closer as his legs pressed firmly against mine. His hot breath cut through the icy wind, warming my neck and sending a tingle down its length. In that instant, I feared falling for Bash more than slipping off the wyvern. I’d felt the sting of limerence before—the longing ache of unrequited affection. While I lived as a man, Bash and I would only be friends. I shimmied off the shivers he sent down my spine, burying my hidden desires and vowing to never yearn for the unattainable.

Above the clouds, the dark sky seemed infinite—swarmed with stars that pulsed like glowworms. I wondered if we kept soaring straight, would we fly until we reached the end of everything?