“You’re falling asleep,” Willow whispered. “Do you really want to fall off?”
“I can’t help it,” he murmured. “I got tired in the dark before the separation, and now it’s worse.”
“Your body is more flesh than magic, now,” she replied. “You need more rest, like everyone else.”
“But you all sleep for a third of your days,” Light said. “That must be such a waste of time.”
Senia glanced back. “It kind of is. Doesn’t mean we can avoid it.”
“Am I going to have to sleep that much?” Light shuddered at the thought. “My head is beginning to hurt.”
“People sometimes get headaches when they are tired,” Willow said. “It’s fairly common.”
“Am I going to get sick too?” he asked.
You’ll be fine, Isray rumbled, the thoughts coming into Light’s mind. The dragon sounded annoyed.
Behind him, Willow pulled her whip from her flesh and wrapped it around Light’s body, binding them together. Light shivered as her hands brushed across his waist. Willow smiled faintly, the expression dim in the darkness.
“I’ll hold you,” she said.
“Thank you my love,” Light murmured, and closed his eyes. A dragon really was a great place to sleep . . .
Chapter 11: Targeted
“Light!” Willow hissed.
He snapped awake, and then groaned. He raised his hand to the bright sunlight streaming into his eyes. Why did the sun have to be so bright? He shoved Willow’s hand away and tried to go back to sleep, before he realized what he was doing.
“What time is it?” he asked, appalled at the late hour.
“Almost noon,” Senia called back. “Since you were sleeping so soundly, we just kept going.”
“I slept late?”
He’d never slept late a day in his life, not unless it was overcast or exceptionally dark. He’d slept extra in the Deep, but they’d been underground and he hadn’t been able to see the sun. Whenever the sun came up, he experienced a surge of energy that erased any fatigue.
“I love sleeping late,” Willow said.
“Me too,” Senia said over her shoulder, her tone wistful.
“But it’s me,” Light said, rubbing sleep from his eyes as if that would help. “And I slept until noon? Noon?”
“You did.” Willow seemed to be suppressing a smile.
He wanted to protest further but his stomach rumbled. “And now I’m starving. What did you eat for breakfast—wait, was it determination? Did that taste good?”
“It’s rather unsatisfying for a meal,” Senia said. “If I’m totally honest.”
I prefer a few juicy horses, Isray said. Or a nice roast pig.
“Stop,” Light protested. “You’re making it worse.”
“Bacon and cheese on a nice slice of bread,” Willow said with a smile.
“Or elven frybread with sugar and fresh berries?” Senia asked.
“Please,” Light pushed a fist into the ache in his side. “Stop talking about food.”
The two laughed and Senia directed them out of the sky. Isray dropped through the clouds and banked south. He spotted Terros to the north, it’s spires and war camps arrayed in the midday light, but they were traveling away from the city.
“I thought we were going to Terros,” he said.
“I looked ahead,” Senia said. “Shortly after we would have landed, we would have been told that Lachonus is leading a cavalry unit through the elven forests. We’re going to meet him in route.”
Light looked down at his stomach. “And how soon can we get this monster fed?”
I haven’t eaten in days, Isray said. Stop complaining.
“Your stomach is bigger than my whole body,” he protested. “You can eat a few times a year if you want to.”
“Here,” Willow said. “I was saving this in case of an emergency, and this clearly qualifies.”
She passed a small pouch of dried fruits. He wanted to savor them, but the first tasted like the dews of heaven, and the pouch was empty in seconds, except for the last one, which he offered back to Willow.
