I shot her a dark look. ‘You’re just saying that because you hate all men.’
Fae shrugged and picked up her belongings, slinging them over her shoulder. Pulling a bow out of her quiver, she pointed it at Dagon’s chest. ‘One wrong move, Paddy, and I’ll send this through your skull.’
‘Is she always this frightening?’ Dagon asked me, watching the arrow with apprehension.
‘Drop it, Fae.’ I said, feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. ‘I don’t want to be your babysitter.’
Fae put the arrow back in her quiver, glaring at Dagon with dislike.
‘Are we ready?’ I asked, slinging my rucksack over my shoulder. They nodded. ‘Great. We’ll take to the skies in just a moment. Dagon, make sure you’ve got everything you need.’
‘Skies?’ he repeated, his face losing all of its colour. ‘Yeh didn’t say we were going to fly.’
‘How else do you think we’ll get to the capital?’ I asked. ‘I’ve walked that path once before, and it takes weeks.’
‘Lass, I can’t fly. I’m … I’m a water breather, yeh know? My place is on the sea, not in the sky.’
‘Don’t tell me you’re afraid,’ said Fae, smirking.
‘I’m sorry, Dagon, but it’s the most efficient way to travel,’ I said.
‘I knew he would be a burden,’ said Fae, coldly. ‘He wants to slow us down.’
‘C’mon now. Yer being a little harsh, don’t yeh think?’
‘Will you fly, or not, Dagon?’ I asked. ‘I’d really like you to come with us.’
Dagon seemed to be struggling with a great fear, but tried his hardest to keep a brave face.
‘I’ll try it, but I ain’t promising nothin’.’
I clapped my hands together, rather pleased. ‘Well, what are we waiting for?’
I led Dagon outside to where Hawthorne, Emilija, and Shadow waited for us. They jumped to their feet as we approached, tails wagging eagerly.
‘They, erm, look happy, I guess,’ said Dagon.
‘They’re gentle, I promise,’ I said.
‘Which one will I be ridin’?’
‘You can come on Hawthorne with me,’ I said. ‘Emilija doesn’t like to be ridden by anyone.’
‘Feisty one, is she?’ he asked, edging around the female Vulmessian with care.
I laughed. ‘No, it’s not that. I guess she doesn’t trust us yet.’
‘Well, maybe she just needs a lad who has a way with the ladies.’ Dagon winked, and my face turned scarlet.
‘Surely you can’t mean yourself?’ asked Fae, throwing her leg over Shadow’s vast back, with Willow and Rue clutched in her bag.
Ignoring Fae, Dagon approached Hawthorne timidly. ‘Hey there, big fella … are you sure he’ll be able to take my weight?’
‘For a short while,’ I said, mounting Hawthorne. ‘You’re much heavier than Jack, so we’ll only be in the air for twenty minutes at the most before taking a break.’
Clumsily, Dagon mounted Hawthorne, sitting behind me. I felt his hands hold my waist tightly.
‘Feckin’ hell woman, yer burnin’ up like a furnace,’ said Dagon.
‘Don’t sit so close then,’ I said, my face becoming pink.
‘When you two have finished flirting,’ said Fae icily, ‘Can we go, please?’
‘She’s a right piece of work, ain’t she?’ Dagon muttered in my ear.
Ignoring both of them, I leant down to tell Hawthorne, ‘Head towards Scyre – the Greenwood’s home. But take a rest whenever you get tired. I know he’s heavy.’
Groaning at the prospect of carrying Dagon’s weight, Hawthorne stretched his wings out wide. Even this simple act seemed to scare Dagon out of his wits. He clung to me like a child seeking protection from his mother.
‘Try not to fall off,’ I called over my shoulder.
Dagon swore under his breath, clearly scared out of his wits. I felt bad for making him do this, but what other choice did we have? If we walked the whole way it would take over a week.
‘Let’s go, Hawthorne,’ I said, giving him a soft kick in the side.
‘Oh, dear, oh, no, bloody hell,’ Dagon’s profanities continued.
With a giant leap, and a beat of his wings, Hawthorne launched into the sky. It was a bumpy ride, as he wasn’t used to the extra weight, but eventually, we rose higher and higher. Dagon was swearing at the top of his lungs, his arms around my waist like a vice.
When we finally rose above the cloud bank and land was no longer in sight, the journey finally became smooth. Hawthorne glided on the wind, the tips of his wings skimming through the clouds.
‘I don’t know how yeh do it, Lass,’ he said in a shaky voice.
‘Don’t worry,’ I said, grinning. ‘You’ll get used to it.’
‘I feel a bit dizzy, actually,’ he said. I felt his hold on me slacken slightly, and for a moment, I thought he’d gained the confidence to ride hands-free. On the contrary, however, Dagon slumped to one side, completely unconscious.