“How do you do that?” Ursula asked.
“You talk to them. They’ll respond to your instructions.”
“They know English?”
“No, but they understand tone and inflection.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Ursula jumped up. Guess we’re still on, then. “I’ll get it.” She hurried across the floor, flinging open the front door.
With the sunlight streaming behind him, Bael stood in the doorway, dressed in black riding leathers. His gaze trailed over her nightgown.
Of course, she hadn’t bothered to get dressed before she flung open the door. But then—after their conversation yesterday—she had the strongest urge to distract him out of spite.
“Hello, Bael. Come on in.” She turned, knowing that he’d get a full view of the nightgown’s plunging backline.
“Do you plan to wear clothes to this training?”
“Thinking about it,” she said, turning back to him. She let the sleeve of her nightgown fall down, exposing her shoulder, but not so far that he could see her breast.
His gray eyes pierced right through her. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
Cera cleared her throat. “I feel it’s time for me to leave.”
“Not yet,” said Bael, his eyes still locked on Ursula. “Please help Ursula find some clothes.”
Cera let out an exasperated sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on with you two.”
As Cera hurried toward the stairwell, Ursula called out, “Make sure it’s not too distracting for Bael! He gets distracted easily.”
His jaw tightened.
She crossed her arms. “Wouldn’t want you falling off your bat.”
Bael’s features softened, and he glanced away. “Is Cera okay?”
“As good as can be expected. She wants to murder Abrax, but that is perfectly reasonable.”
Bael stared at the floor. “I had to kill Massu. Abrax had driven him insane. Once corrupted, there is no returning from the madness.”
Ursula nodded. “I know. Plus, he was about to mess up your pretty face.”
Bael glared at her. “Pretty?” He spat the word like an insult.
Cera’s footsteps thundered down the stairs, and she bustled into the room with a bundle of clothes in her arms.
“That was fast,” said Bael.
Cera nodded at the pile. “These should be appropriate for training.”
“Thank you, Cera.”
Bael nodded, his gaze landing on the top of the pile—on the lacy black knickers and bra.
He turned to walk for the door. “I’ll meet you on the roof.” When he was halfway to the door, he turned to face Cera, nodding so deeply it was almost a bow. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Chapter 28
Ursula stepped out of the elevator and onto the roof, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight. On the sleek black roof, Bael crouched next to the bulk of an enormous black bat. As she approached, her heels clacking over the marble, Bael turned to look at her.
She wore thick woolen leggings, a leather jacket with a fur collar, and black riding boots that almost reached her knees. To complete the getup, she wore a large leather-covered helmet. She’d asked Cera if the helmet was strictly necessary, but the oneiroi had insisted.
Bael’s lips curled in a smile. “Nice helmet.”
She frowned. I knew the helmet was a bad idea. “Cera said it would protect my head.”
Snorting, the bat shifted. It was monstrous, at least twice the size of Sotz.
She pointed. “Am I riding that?”
Bael patted the bat’s back. “Vesperella? No, she’s my baby girl.” He put his fingers to his lips and whistled. A flapping of wings beat the air, and a moment later, Sotz landed next to her.
“I think you’ll find it’s easier to learn on a bat you’re already familiar with.”
She nodded at Sotz. “We’ve been getting to know each other.”
“Can you steer?” he asked.
“Not really.” Not at all.
Bael nodded. “You’ll need to learn how to do if yourself if you want to have any hope of surviving the race.”
“So how does it work? There was a harness that I held onto before.” Ursula tried to remember how she’d seen Cera steer, but her vision had been blocked by Cera’s back.
“You need to learn to ride bareback.” Bael climbed onto Vesperella, demonstrating as he spoke. “You can hold onto the loose skin just behind the ears. Then just direct the bat’s head the way you want it to fly.” He tugged Vesperella’s head to the right.
Ursula took a deep breath, glancing at Sotz. He narrowed his eyes. As she moved in closer, a low rumble rose in his chest and he bared his teeth.
“Easy, Sotz,” said Bael. “Just step over his shoulders. You’ll need to crouch a little bit.”
“His shoulders?”