Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Both Jai and Gideon knew the other wanted to trade places with which dragon they were flying on and who they were with. But at least from this vantage point, he was able to spot Lyv's bright smile as Roshan dipped and dropped and soared higher, making her, Gideon, and Elys laugh. Elys's laugh was infectious, floating back to him on the wind. He was sitting in front of Lyv, his arms spread wide like Roshan's wings, and calling out directions. Roshan would reply with a happy roar then do whatever he'd asked.

"Doesn't look like he gets tired out too quick now, does it?" Thia called back to him, leaning sideways to look back. "And at least he's all right after Lyv healed him up yesterday."

"I still can't get over how big he got," Jai nodded, even though she knew he wasn't really watching Roshan's flying skills.

"Lyv said he only just stopped growing, even though he's over a year old."

"Erly seems happy to be back with him, too."

"Of course! You saw how mopey she's been since she and I got back to Ayveri," she laughed, leaning forward to pat the momma dragon's side.

They'd been flying for only an hour or two. Jai didn't have a sense of time at the moment, not when someone else occupied his attention. Even Thia made a note that Jai's preoccupation was getting a little creepy, watching Lyv every time she was near. He couldn't help it, though. She and Gideon got to spend weeks with her without the glamour Bridget put on her when she was a baby. He was trying to memorize every new feature since every one of them changed.

Except for her eyes. Those were the same emerald shade he couldn't help but love.

All right, so maybe he should stop. The last thing he wanted to do was push her away now that they were together again.

This morning, Lyv would hardly glance at him, even as he walked past the canvas partition of Elys's makeshift room, watching her wake him and get him dressed. She had on her leather riding gear, her burgundy hair half up in a braided crown around her head, the silver strands weaving in and out of it and several falling in her curls as they flowed in waves down her back.

Gods above, was she beautiful.

He couldn't help his smile as she pulled Elys up by the arms as he groaned, not wanting to get up. But then she mentioned breakfast and his eyes popped open. Even Lyv had started grinning then...until she caught Jai watching them.

It hadn't helped that Elys caught sight of him either after she got his shirt on. He bounded over barefoot with his boots in hand and grinned up at him, wrapping one arm around his leg to hug him good morning. Then he asked Jai if he could help him get his boots on and, of course, Jai couldn't refuse.

So, as he sat down in one of the chairs, he lifted Elys on the table as he helped him. He babbled about random things as Jai slipped them on without tying them, mostly because Elys wanted to demonstrate how Lyv taught him to lace them up and secure the buckles. The female in question had been watching, packing up all his stuff while her eyes never wavered from them. Even Gideon and Thia couldn't help but smile when they finally appeared for breakfast, Gideon from the small washroom and Thia from checking up on the dragons.

After breakfast, it took Jai a moment to process everything Lyv was doing, using her magic to neatly compact the tent into a simple square of canvas and place it in her bag. The casual way she used her magic made him pause the same as it did the day before. Even though her magic was still familiar, it was so much more powerful, her abilities catching him off guard even if they were simple.