Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

He looked to the woods and back, flapping his wings, chirping, screeching.

Oh shit.

I glanced towards the woods again. I had spent my entire life wanting to fly. But not on a demon, on a dragon.

Letak screamed.

But he seemed terrified, and he wanted to help.

So, without thinking, I ran over, grabbing a handful of feathers, and flung myself onto his back, almost falling off the other side.

He started running before I was able to get myself settled, my cloak and hair ripping back behind me as I, in a panic, tried to tuck my legs under his wings, tried to find a good place to settlebefore he—

He launched into the air.

It took everything I had in me not to scream as he pushed himself higher and higher.

I leaned into him, my knees squeezing into his sides, my hands gripped tightly into his feathers. I even felt some come loose, but I couldn’t bring myself to apologize.

He pushed and pushed, galloping on unseen platforms as we flew higher into the sky.

I hadn’t realized I had closed my eyes until Letak finally slowed, chirping back at me.

It took longer than I wanted to admit to force my eyes open, and even longer to force myself to sit up, finding a world below me. A world of trees and snow and endlessness.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, and I found myself unable to force my legs and hands to relax. This was absolutely terrifying. Far different than what I had imagined in my head.

My teeth chattered as I looked up, lips parting, heart thundering in my ears. I had never been this close to the stars in my entire life. All I wanted was to go higher. To go so high, I could touch them, capture one even. If I could just grab hold of one, I would never let it go. I would keep it safe for the rest of my days.

Starkeeper, they would call me.

I paused, a smile breaking out across my face. An idea formed in my mind for another book. My fingers already itched for my pencil.

Letak chirped, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned back to him, finding him gesturing to the ground below. I followed his gaze as we hovered andfound the reason he had run. It wasn’t a tycron, far from it. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see what he saw without letting the bile that started to rise reach my mouth.

But I couldn’t see that far. I couldn’t figure it out, so I sat back and looked around me. Looked at the ocean of trees, and in the distance, the rolling hills that led up to the Emaris Mountains. They weren’t as rugged as the ones nearer to the Cursed Lands, which was furthest West in the Human Court, but they towered above the world just the same, already covered in snow.

Just beyond the Emaris Mountains was Emore, the Holy City. That’s where the Priests’ temple resided. From what I could find of that city, it was filled with people called the Devout. People who were solely devoted to worshipping the Priests.

I had seen so little of the world. I knew what it held, knew the magic that ran through the veins of it, but I had seen none of it.

My terror eased as my thoughts raced.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I wasn’t sure where to go or what the future held for Mark. It was terrifying, but if Trick wouldn’t answer me, I knew who would.

I leaned forward, patting Letak’s neck. “Take me to the cottage.”

Letak nodded, sniffed the air, and then banked left, his movements smooth, quiet.

I took the short flight to take in everything around me. To take in the white fire of the moon, the glowing stars, the sky that the dragons used to kiss and make love too.

I hated it when we landed. Hated when he folded hiswings in. Hated when I dismounted, my cloak falling around me because for those few minutes after the fear had lifted, I finally felt free. My thoughts had stopped, my pain, my anger. For just a few minutes, I felt weightless.

I placed my hand on his neck, finding his eyes. “Thank you, Letak. Stay clear of them, whoever they are, I’ll send someone out to inspect, okay?” I couldn’t let whoever it was remain. Whether it was witches, humans, or something else. If it was Trick just lurking around then I would find out soon enough, but until then, I had to be sure.

He purred and carefully bent his right foot under him, bowing his head.