Charred Hope

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

An hour later, she released Mason and slid off the back of the largest horse she’d ever seen. The Pegasus was black from head to wings to tail, and the flight was far smoother than she expected. 

The winged horse folded its wings and walked to the edge of the plateau where he’d dropped them off, the highest point they were able to reach that had a ledge large enough to hold them and any potential winged visitors who found them. 

Skylar pulled her knit cap over her ears. The air of the peaks was cold, and she pushed her hands into her pockets. 

Mason went to the edge of the plateau and gazed out over the peaks, saddles and valleys below them. He was quiet. She joined him. 

“Cats hate flying,” he sat at last, a grimace on his face.

She smiled, somewhat satisfied to know he was as much outside his comfort zone as she was. 

“Can you sense anything?” he asked. 

“I don’t even know how,” she admitted.

“You can feel when one of us is near you and know our names, right?”

She eyed him.

“I felt it when my magic was in you,” he said with a smile. “Can you feel anything else right now?”

“I don’t think so.” She turned her focus internal and listened for the instinct that was humming with the nearness of Mason and the Pegasus. “What should I be doing to sense them?”

He shrugged. “You’re the Protector.”

Gee, thanks. She blew out a frustrated breath. 

“Maybe it takes a little while?” he asked, inquisitive gaze on her.

“How would I know?” she shot back.

“Fair enough. Want me to call the boss up to see if she’ll meet with us while we’re waiting?”

“Absolutely,” Skylar said, surprised he was offering after avoiding the topic for days. “I get to meet the mysterious figure behind this mess at last!”

“She’s a dragon, so …” He cleared his throat. “I think you know what that means in terms of moodiness.”

“Bring it. You all need me for some reason, so I’ve got nothing to fear.”

“Always so optimistic.” Mason pulled out his phone and texted someone quickly.

Skylar found herself reaching for the cell he gave her to see if Chace responded. She was pleased to see he had.

Cabin always liked you more than me anyway. 

She smiled. “Mason, why did you do this?” She held up the phone. 

“I told you,” he said, glancing up from his text. “I’m not your enemy, Sky.”

“You’re a funny kind of ally, though,” she said. “You want to use me to control the shifters. My whole life was wiped out for this purpose.”

“Second chances,” he whispered. “This is mine.”

“To do what? You seem to be after the same thing you were before!”

“I don’t want you hurt. Or miserable. Or brainwashed. I want you to be who you need to be,” he said in clear aggravation. “Whatever form that takes. Even if you and my boss disagree.”

“So … what? You’re sticking around to protect me?”

“Until Chace can, yes.”

“Interesting.” She gazed up at him, sensing truth in his words but not wanting to admit it after all he’d done to help destroy her world.