Everything felt lighter when you were flying through the air on a giant bird. The future of life as I knew it might have been hanging in the balance, but somehow it didn’t seem quite so bad while viewing the ground from thousands of feet in the air. I could almost pretend none of it was happening, and all that mattered was the sky. I felt freer than I had ever felt in my life.

I felt James’ arms around my waist and pelagorn feathers under my hands, but otherwise it was just me and the sky.

There was no question I had a new favorite animal and a real appreciation for birds. The pelagorn was the coolest creature I had ever met. Although I’d been afraid at first, his reaction to me had quickly turned my fear into awe. I felt as if he knew me— he understood my turmoil and was trying to soothe me. I also knew I was going to have to say goodbye to him, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was tired of goodbyes. I wanted to fly off into the distance and pretend none of my problems existed.

All too quickly, we landed near the top of the mountain. I didn’t jump off right away. I felt safe on his back, even if when we flew I could have easily slipped off. Reluctantly I let go and jumped down onto the ground.

I looked off the edge of the mountain side. The pelagorn followed me as if worried I was going to fall. I patted his left wing to let him know I was fine.

We were really high up. We were surrounded on all sides by clouds. It was as if we were literally inside a cloud.

My breathing was labored. It freaked me out at first until I remembered that the higher the elevation the less oxygen there was in the air. I needed to stay calm. The pelagorn nuzzled me with his peak. I really loved that bird. He needed a name. Skyborn. I would call him Skyborn.

“There is supposed to be a fountain up here with water that heals altitude sickness.” Elron walked toward me. “But then again, I have never heard of a human drinking it, and it could theoretically kill you.”

“Let’s skip the fountain.” Theoretically kill me? Was he serious?

Skyborn nuzzled me again.

I patted him on the head. “Thank you. I hope we meet again.”

He let out his little whimper. This was a sad whimper, not the happy sound he made earlier.

“You need to send him off.” Elron spoke softly. I wondered if it was the altitude bothering him, or if it was because he knew how little I wanted to say goodbye to my feathered friend. “It is not safe for him to stay here.”

I nodded even though I wanted to shake my head. No matter how much I wanted Skyborn to stay close, I wasn’t going to sit back and let this beautiful creature get hurt. “Off you go, boy.” I gestured off the mountain side. “Thank you.”

He lowered his head. “I will miss you too, Skyborn.” I wasn’t sure what he was saying, but I wanted to think it was about missing me.

He didn’t move.

“You have to go.” I gestured again.

He whined.

“Now. You have to go now. I will see you again.”

That seemed to make him feel better. He moved to the edge of the mountain side and took off. I watched his bright red scales disappear into the clouds.

“Beautiful creatures.” Elron stared out at the clouds where Skyborn had disappeared.

“Yes. Are they are they all so gentle?” I remembered Elron’s earlier warnings. Had I really feared that Skyborn would eat me?

“No. And my guess he is not either, but you had an effect on him. I wonder if it was just this one pelagorn or if it is all creatures. Do animals usually like you?”

“Not any more than normal.” I never had the Disney princess, animals following me around thing going for me.

“Perhaps it is only birds,” Elron said in an off-hand way.

“The birds back home don’t flock to me.”

“But have you ever tried to befriend one? Sometimes you have to make the first move.”

“I can’t say I have ever tried.” I wasn’t afraid of birds like some people were, but that didn’t mean I’d ever wanted one as a pet or anything.

“You should sometime.” Elron still stared out into the clouds as if he could see through them.

He couldn’t, could he? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t. It would make it even harder to think of Elron like a human.

“Maybe I will.” I doubted any bird could be quite as cool as Skyborn.

“My guess is he will stay fairly close.” James put an arm around me. “He is protective of you. Just as I am”

“Do you really think the Elders would hurt him?” I didn’t know anything about these creatures, but would they really hurt an animal for no good reason? If they would, then I was even more afraid of them than I already was.

“They are very defensive of who comes near. I am sure they already know we are here.”

“Then why aren’t they out here?” I glanced around, wishing the cloud cover wasn’t so thick.

“Because they want us to go to them. At least that is my best assumption. It is a good sign in theory. They did not immediately kill us.” Elron managed to sound upbeat talking about our possible death.

“Funny you didn’t mention that possibility before.” I was feeling jealous of Skyborn. I wanted to be out flying instead of discussing my death.

“Not funny. Strategic.”

“I realize that.” I sighed. “I remember you having more of a sense of humor.”

“I generally do.”

“But this situation is so bleak you lost it.”

“That just about sums it up.” Any trace of his upbeat attitude disappeared.

“Ok. Then I’m done waiting.”

A loud horn blew somewhere in the distance.

“What was that?” I glanced between James and Elron.

“What was what?” James asked.

“Elron, please tell me you heard that.”

“Heard what?”

“Come on, this isn’t funny.” Great. Now on top of everything else I was hearing things.

I heard the horn again. It was low and long.

“That horn. You guys had to have heard that horn.”

James furrowed his brow. “You heard a horn?”

“You wouldn’t mess with me like this.” I closed my eyes. Fantastic.

“What kind of horn are we talking about?” Elron asked.

“A horn. How am I supposed to know what kind it is?” Was horn distinction a skill people were supposed to have? Maybe in the places where these guys were from.

“Ok. What did it sound like?” James rubbed the back of his ear.

“A horn. It sounded like a low, deep, horn. Does that help?”

“Marginally.” Elron rested his chin on his fist. “But it would be better if I could hear it myself.”

“It would be way better if you could hear it because it would mean I’m not crazy.” And that would be a fantastic thing to know. In the back of my head there was a voice asking if all of this was a dream—an elaborate dream. The only thing making me ignore the voice was the need and desire I had for James. There was no way I could dream that part up.

“You are not crazy. If only you hear the horn it is because whoever is blowing it only wants you to hear.” Elron gave me a stern look.

“A self-selected audience? How is that possible?”

“How is anything possible?” James traced his fingers over my hand. “I have finally stopped letting anything surprise me.”

I heard the horn again.

“Again?” Elron asked.

I nodded. “Yup.”

“Is it getting louder? Softer?”

“No. It’s the same.”

“Ok. I understand.” Elron walked a little ways off. He disappeared into the clouds.

“We can turn back.” James ran his hands through my hair.

“No we can’t.” I fought the urge to kiss him. A kiss would turn into so much more.

“Am I interrupting something?” Elron returned.

I took a few steps back from James to make it easier to resist him. I picked up the conversation we were having before Elron left. The horn was what I should be worrying about. Not sex with James. “What does it mean? What does the fact that the sound isn’t changing mean?”

“I am not sure.” Elron wrinkled his brow. “But I have a guess.”

Before he could continue the horn blew loud as if it were right behind me. I covered my ears with my hands and turned around. I saw nothing.

“You okay?” James asked.

“It was louder this time.”

“And it came from that direction?” Elron pointed behind me.

“Yes.”

“Follow it. We will wait right here.”

“Are you joking?” James’ face reddened. “Telling her to walk off into the clouds alone?”

“She is the only one who can hear the horn, which means the message is for her alone.”

“That does not mean she should be left alone.”

Elron was right, and James wasn’t going to be easily convinced.

I took advantage of his distracted state and walked into the clouds.

At first I saw nothing. I was close to turning back, but then I saw a shadow a little further away from the others.

I took a few tentative steps toward the shadow.

I squinted trying to get a better idea of what was standing there.

In a blur something warm brushed against me, and in the next moment I was smothered. I couldn’t breathe. This was it. The end. I needed to cry out, but I couldn’t because there was something over my face. I struggled, flailing around to clear my face. at first it wouldn’t move, then it easily fell away, and I touched something silky.

“What?” I looked down at a white silky object in my hand. Had that been it? A piece of fabric? I felt a wave of embarrassment that nearly cancelled out the relief. “Hello?”

“Ainsley?” James called. A moment later he appeared next to me. “Why did you walk off?”

“They gave you a robe!” Elron exclaimed. “Perfect.”

“Perfect? A robe?”

“You have to wear a robe when you seek an audience with the Elders. That means they are giving you an audience.”

“But where are our robes?” James asked. “She is only holding one.”

“Yes she is only holding one because she is the only one they want to speak with.” Elron eyed James warily.

“Absolutely not.” James grimaced. “She is not doing this alone.”

I tuned out on their dispute. I was stressed enough already and not in the mood to listen to the two bicker. I already knew what I had to do, and I had no choice even if it was going to make James incredibly angry. Sometimes in life you have to upset the ones you love in order to protect them. He wasn’t thinking straight. A side effect of our bond was it was difficult to look outside of us as a couple. It was even harder for him with the darkness seeping in at every turn.

I braced myself, not wanting to fight with James, but accepting it was my only choice. "I have to do this myself." I was getting tired of using that line, but I didn't really have a choice. Even if it weren’t for the appearance of a single robe, I would have known what I had to do. My father may not have out right told me, but I knew. I might not like what the Elders had to say, but I had to hear it myself.

"No. There is absolutely no reason for that." James’s hands balled into fists at his side.

"There is. I have to." It was hard to argue with someone when you wished you could agree.

"No. This is dangerous." James gritted his teeth.

"James, I worry about her safety too, but if she thinks—” Elron started.

"No." James cut him off. "You have no right to tell us what to do here."

"Except that you are here because of me. I am trying to save Ainsley not hurt her."

"So you say." James eyes darkened.

"Ok. Stop." I wrung my hands. "This is ridiculous."

"How is it ridiculous?" James face was a mix of exhaustion, anger, and fear. I knew exactly how he felt.

"The darkness is seeping into him." Elron met my eyes. “You know it as well as I do.”

"No. Do not worry about that, Ainsley. I am fine.”

"It is spreading." I spoke in barely a whisper. "Which is why I have to do this myself. You can't come with me." It was nearly impossible to say no to James. I wasn’t sure how much of that was the bond and how much of it was natural. Maybe the bond was natural. It was impossible to separate any of my feelings from it anymore.

"Then take Elron." James’ face twisted as if he were in pain. That was hard for him to admit, which is what made my response all that much harder. 

"No. I can do this myself." Surprisingly I sounded like I kind of believed it. I didn't for a minute. Me standing before a group of god-like beings to ask for something? It was crazier than crazy. Maybe even crazier than stepping into the water to talk to my dad. I wanted to say ‘and look how good that turned out’, but I wasn’t sure if it had turned out well. It had sent me on this dangerous journey and made me mourn a man I had merely wondered about before. Maybe the right option would be to demand Elron and James take me home—but I knew as well as my traveling companions what would happen to my home if I turned my back on things right now.

"But you haven't gotten any other messages?" James shifted his weight from foot to foot. "How can you be so confident this is the right move?"

"Because I remember enough to realize what's at stake." Everyone I cared about.

“That isn’t fair.” James’ expression darkened. “I remember enough too.”

“Then you realize why you can’t come.”

“No. I realize why you think so. I can fight the darkness. I can do anything if it involves protecting you.” His eyes were deep pools of emotion, but there was something dark behind the emotion, and that darkness was enough to keep me firm in my decision.

“Yet you were ready to accept the darkness.” I closed my eyes wishing I could push away those memories and only hold on to the good ones.

“Because I have to save you.”

“But I am not more important than the survival of everyone else. You know that as well as everyone else.”

“I love you, Ainsley.” He held me tight.

“And I love you. Don’t forget that.”

“Why would I forget that?” His jaw went slack. “Why would you say that?”

“You never know what’s going to happen.”

“What are you implying?” Fire danced in James’ eyes. I was treading on thin ice with him. The ice reminded me of someone else. Someone dark.

“What about Gregor?” I remembered, so I assumed James did too.

“What about him?”

“We have to get rid of him…” Ok, that sounded harsh but that was the truth.

“What does Gregor have to do with you doing this all alone?”

“It’s a reminder that none of this is simple, and we all still have a lot of work to do.”

“Be safe, Ainsley.” James pulled me into his arms. I hugged him back before wrapping my arms around his neck. His lips met mine in a spark filled kiss. He pressed me against him, and for a few moments I forgot everything. All there was to know was the feel of his arms around me and the taste of his lips. His tongue found its way into my mouth and tangled with mine.

I would have stayed lost in that kiss forever if it weren’t for the sound of Elron clearing his throat.

I reluctantly moved away from James. “I’ll be back.” I stepped into the clouds in the direction I had heard the horn. Hopefully finding the palace wouldn’t be as hard as saying goodbye to James.