Wild ― Piper McLean

―viii. NOT soaring, NOT flying

VERONA PRACTICALLY SIGHED WITH RELIEF when the glow of Quebec City was finally behind them.

"You were amazing," Jason told Piper.

Piper said something back in French that the rest of them couldn't understand.

"What'd you say?" Verona asked.

"I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

"Hey," Jason said, "you saved me from joining Khione's subzero hero collection. I owe you one."

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack. He'd been quiet ever since they'd told him what happened in the throne room. "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"Really?" Verona asked.

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow might look pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

Verona smiled, but Leo didn't look pleased. He hadn't said much about his own experience at the palace, or why the Boreads had singled him out for smelling like fire. Verona could tell he was hiding something, and his mood seemed to be affecting Festus. The dragon grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.

Nobody talked. Whatever they might find in Chicago, they all knew Boreas had only let them go because he figured they were already on a suicide mission. Verona was still trying to understand what had happened in Boreas's throne room. Why had he changed into Aquilon? Why had she recognized him as Aquilon? What did any of it mean, and what did it have to do with where she and Jason had come from?

They ate their sandwiches as they flew, small talk few and far between as the moon and stars appeared overhead and Verona's thoughts petered off into quiet wonderings.

As her eyelids grew heavy, Piper leaned back against her chest, waking Verona right back up. Piper closed her eyes and seemed to be out in seconds, leaving Verona to obsessively overthink whether or not she was actually comfortable sleeping against her chest or if she should wrap an arm around her or—

Gods, had she always been such a disaster?

She glanced back at Jason, who looked like he was fighting a smirk.

Verona narrowed her eyes. "Not a word, Grace."

"You two look cozy."

"I will end you."

"You might wake her up."

Verona glared harder.

🌿

Verona wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but when she finally woke, she was free-falling through the air.

"What the—?" Verona started to scream, cut off by a body tackling her midair.

"I've got you!" Jason shouted over the roar of the wind. "Hold on!"

Verona immediately wrapped her arms around his neck in a near-chokehold. "Piper and Leo?"

Jason didn't need to answer—Verona saw Leo shoot down past them, screaming, "NOT COOOOOOOOL!"

Piper wasn't as far down, but she was still falling fast.

"Piper, level out!" Jason yelled. "Extend your arms and legs!"

Piper did, and Jason shot down toward her, like—like he was flying.

As soon as she was in reach, Verona hooked one arm around Jason's neck and wrapped the other around Piper, pulling her into their huddle.

"Are you flying?" Piper screamed over the wind.