The wind whipped past Marcus's face. It stung his eyes and roared in his ears.
He sat on the edge of the woven wind carpet. His knuckles were white as he gripped the side.
Below them, the dark forest passed by in a blur of shadows.
Ventessa had not lied about the speed.
The carpet moved faster than any horse. It cut through the night air like a knife.
Marcus looked back. The dragon girl was huddled in the center of the rug.
She had her arms wrapped around the grey teddy bear. She buried her face in his fuzzy stomach.
The bear patted her head with a stubby paw. He looked like a stoic captain on a stormy sea.
"Are we there yet?" the bear shouted over the wind.
"Almost," Marcus yelled back.
He looked forward.
Lights appeared on the horizon.
It wasn't the warm glow of a home. It was the harsh, yellow flickering of torches.
The town. The lawless border settlement where Voss operated his trade.
Marcus felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
