Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 65

The plane whistles, shuddering as we ascend into the sky. 

A parting gift from Lotta, allowing us a government-issued private jet to safely get us to the secluded airport. We would not be returning to the beachside property in New York; we would be heading towards a more mountainous region where it might be possible to find a lake large enough to achieve our end goal. 

We had to get back into the dragon realm. 

Tonic would be there with Echo to meet us. We'd managed to divert them from returning to Europe, for with Senator Campbell invading every inch of our lives, it would seem it was not safe for anyone on our side to be there. She could easily be considered an accomplice, and then we would be out of luck to gain access to her. 

Unfortunately, it would mean more delays all the same. Her party must travel to us by boat; the lycans who lived in Iceland did not have the means to fly, nor did we have the ability to transport them. Lotta could only do so much, and Verando had to be conservative with his money. 

Ron was good to us in that regard, making sure that we didn't do anything foolish. 

My hand rests on Verando's thigh. I expected him to be tense, but we'd opted to get him drunk, and he seemed to have taken the opportunity to lose consciousness. While I'd been willing to medicate him, he had been entirely reluctant to partake in any sort of drug use while his younger self was there as a reminder of his past. 

My light-weight warlord flinched at my touch, startling him into a yawn before he shifted to lean against the top of my head.

Scoffing at the height difference, I press my cheek against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth emanating from his body. It was a twelve-hour flight; the longer he could sleep, the better.

Pulling out a book, I immerse myself in a romance novel. Though reading in English had never been easy for me, I was getting better at it every day. Without even realizing that hours had passed, I detect movement, and when I glance up, I notice Tyler is attempting to get my attention.

"Yes?"

Tyler sits across from me with a smile, seeming almost timid, as if he were worried I'd send him away. "Glad to see y'all figured everything out. I really was gettin' worried with all this past mess. But, hey, what the heck do I know about relationships?" Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair, leaning back into his seat as the attendant brings him a water. 

I decline; the position I was in wasn't conducive to drinking anyway, and I didn't intend to wake the slumbering man. "Thanks. I think." I'm still not the best company. Tyler had managed to thrive without me; it would seem that once I gave him the basics, he had found some sort of pain to keep him motivated. I could only imagine that the discomfort he focused on was Helen.

 I never understood his love for the girl, "So..." I press, encouraging him to talk or let me get on with it.

Tyler flinches, as if he weren't expecting me to wish him to move this along. "Sorry, forgot how straightforward you both were, Your Grace. Er.. Nic. Is it still all right to call you that? I was just hoping to catch up."

"Of course, Tyler. You're family." Crossing one leg over the other, I exhale, wondering how the man leaning on me could manage to sleep in such a position. "Are you doing alright?"

"I'm managing. You know, y'all have done more for me than I can really say. Lord knows there are trials, and damn, they can be tough. I've been focusing on a whole lot of those spells we used to pull you from the past. Have you thought any on sending these boys back? The most difficult part of this will be capturing a dragon capable of it. We don't have much magic to trade with; you were kind of our biggest bargaining tool last time."