“You want us to do what now?” I ask the Ariziadian marked incredulously, as I shift the leather backpack I'd been given on my shoulders. They’d given us each a leather backpack with some supplies for our trip. I’d taken a quick peek inside and noticed a small box I’d yet to open, an old-fashioned water canteen–with no water in it–and enough food for only a day, at most. Clearly, they expected us to find our own.

I glance nervously around the courtyard where we're waiting for our escort. The other Ariziadian marked are sitting on the far side of the courtyard, seeming to be avoiding us. Which, considering their king's vision, I suppose couldn't blame them.

“We want you to ride us,” he replies, not seeing the issue with his wording. Locke however, thinks it's hilarious, and is in fits of laughter behind us.

“Sorry, mate, you're not really my type,” he jokes. Only Logan laughs. I'm not sure if it's more of a twin sympathy laugh, or if they've just got a similar, albeit awful, sense of humour.

The Ariziadian marked looks at Locke curiously. “I do not understand? You have a preference of which of us to ride in dragon form?” he questions.

“Wait, you shift into fucking dragons? You're the dragons that Logan and East saw flying around?” he questions in disbelief.

“Did I not mention that the marked that grabbed us turned into dragons?” I ask innocently, batting my eyelashes ridiculously as I turn to face him.

“You left that out on purpose!” he accuses me, and I grin.

“Maybe,” I say, dragging the word out as I turn to face the Ariziadian marked.

“So, you're going to fly…and we're all just going to what, ride on your backs? Do you have harnesses? Seats? Something to hold onto so we don't plummet to our painful deaths?” I ask, while picturing just how high a dragon could fly. Fuck, why do we have to ride the damn dragons? The marked laughs at my questions, clearly finding it highly amusing how nervous I am to hop onto a dragon's back and soar through the sky. My eyes narrow. “It's not funny,” I snap.

“It's very funny. You Earth marked are so strange. And quite rude as well. You haven't even asked for my name, and yet, you expect me to fly you to the edge of the path to Zarrci Honzel,” he says, folding his arms. His bulging arms. Gods, why are the marked here so huge? East decides to save me from further embarrassment, and he steps up so he is in line with me.

“You haven't asked for our names either,” East says to him, and the man smiles.

“I know all of your names. Mackenzie Crowe, Easton Elias Black, Locke & Logan Valentine, Enzo Langston, and—”

“Look, we get the idea. You know our names,” Enzo cuts him off in an irritated voice, and I quickly glare at him for being rude before turning back to the marked.

“What's your name?” I ask.

“Taelon,” he answers with a smile.

“So, Taelon, why are you so chatty compared to your friends back there?” Logan asks, gesturing to the other Ariziadian marked that are still hovering right on the other side of the courtyard.

“Not all of us think it is a bad thing that you are here,” Taelon answers with a shrug. “Now Earth beings, are you ready to fly?” he asks, and I look around again for any sign of Kelly.

“I don’t think she’s coming, Kenz,” East says gently, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I sigh, snuggling into his side for warmth.

“I know, it’s just hard,” I mumble quietly.

“You are sad your seer friend did not come to see you off?” Taelon asks curiously, and I nod. “She is very gifted, far more gifted than we would expect any of your seers to be. She’s also gifted with healing, is she not? It’s very strange in our world to meet someone with just two marks, but to have so much power within those two marks, that’s even stranger. Here someone with only two marks would be seen as defective. I’m not sure if it’s even happened before. I once heard of a man with only five,” he comments, and I bite my tongue. I don’t like how he’s talking about Kelly, but we need their help. I need my marks back, so I can fight my father.

“You okay, Crowe?” Enzo asks, and I jerk my head in a stiff nod, not trusting my voice.

Taelon, seemingly done with the conversation after my sudden silence, walks back over to the other Ariziadian marked. One by one, the four men shift into large dragons, forms much bigger than their human ones. I realise quickly the numbers don’t quite add up.

“How are we doing this?” I ask, looking between the guys.

“Kenzie can—

“I’ll take—

I look between Logan and Daniels, who’d both spoken at once. “Maybe I want my own dragon. Why don’t you two share a dragon?” I ask.

“Well, seeing as all of us have an air mark, it makes sense for you to come with one of us. Just in case, Crowe. Can’t have you falling without one of us to catch you,” Enzo answers for them. I hate to admit he has a point. I sigh.

“I can take, Kenz,” East offers.

“I don’t mind taking you either,” Enzo says to me. Turning to face Locke, I cross my arms over my chest.

“You going to offer, too?” I ask, feeling like the shiniest toy in the box.

“Nah, I want my own dragon. I am going to try and convince him to do loops and stuff,” he admits, making us all laugh.

“Are you really that attached to Locke? I mean, you have another that looks just like him,” Daniels questions in an exasperated voice.

“Hitting me right here, man,” Locke says, mimicking himself being stabbed in the chest humorously.

“Yes, I’m very attached,” I answer with a tight smile.

“Then you should go with Locke. He’s less likely to do something stupid with you to look after,” he replies, and Locke doesn’t look thrilled. I nudge him in the stomach playfully as I walk past him and towards the hulking dragons.

“Being stuck with me won’t be that bad,” I tease, and he jogs to catch up with me, sliding his arm around my waist as he reaches me. I feel his hot breath against my neck and shiver.

“Being stuck with you was my plan the whole time,” he whispers in my ear quietly. I pull back and look at him, seeing the devious grin and playful look in his eyes.

“Sneaky. I like it,” I reply, leaning up to kiss him. I’d intended just a quick, light kiss, but Locke isn’t having any of that. He pulls me up against him tightly and crushes his lips to mine. I mould right into him, forgetting that we have a scaly audience waiting for us.

A loud, impatient roar reminds me of their presence, and I sigh, turning around to face the dragons. Trying to appear confident as I walk up to them, I stride quickly towards the dragon that I think is Taelon, but I can’t stop my eyes from widening a little at the sheer size of him. The fact they really don’t have harnesses, or anything else to hold onto, doesn’t help my anxiety either.

“Ladies first,” Locke says in a humorous tone, seeing my hesitance to climb up onto the beast. I roll my eyes at him, before realising I have no idea how I’m supposed to actually get up onto the dragon.

East notices my predicament and uses his air mark to lift me up into the air and safely deposit me onto the dragon’s back. I shoot him a grateful smile as Locke uses his own power to bring himself up, and he rests his arms around my waist. I watch the others as they each get onto a different dragon’s back.

I rest my hands tentatively on the dragon and notice that the skin beneath my hands doesn’t feel slimy like I’d expected. The scales feel pretty smooth, but a little cool to the touch. I look around for something to grip onto, and spot a sharp ridge at the top of his back, where his neck meets it. Hesitating before grabbing on, I freeze staring down at it, my hands half out-stretched. Should I hold onto that, or is it frowned upon?

My decision is made for me when the dragon just lurches up into the air, and my hands slam down onto the ridge, gripping it so tightly my knuckles go white. Its wings have stretched out into a massive wingspan that I couldn’t have imagined it having. The dragon’s wings curl as it builds up air underneath them, before launching itself even higher into the sky, the air slamming into us the higher it soars. As the dragon finally evens out in the air, I realise how tightly Locke is gripping my waist and smile. He won’t be asking for loops and turns anytime soon.

“This is incredible!” Locke shouts in my ears, needing to shout over the air rushing over us.

“Terrifying!” I correct him, trying not to look down. I really don’t need to see how high we are right now.

“Terrifyingly incredible,” he amends, and I feel the rumble of his chest as he laughs behind me. I close my eyes tight and just feel the air flowing around us. My stomach lurches every time the dragon drops or rises like a damn rollercoaster.

Opening them again, I finally look around and see the world below us, looking so much smaller with how high we are. I take in the strange landscape, and I feel my body relax a little, having to remember to keep holding on, as I finally let myself just enjoy the ride.