Danna

She laughed as they raced through the sky, on Seshi’s back, Prior holding on to her tightly and kissing her neck occasionally. They’d left Dovetail two weeks earlier, and she was glad to be going back in the desert. There’d been some arguments about Prior leaving the guard but he’d simply shrugged and said that he would go where she went, and that was all there was to it.

She was grateful. So grateful that he’d chosen her, she’d been ready to say goodbye. But their time together now had made it absolutely clear.

“We should be home soon,” she sighed. “And it’s a good thing, Seshi’s getting tired.”

“I am not tired,” Seshi said with a huff. “Do not blame your desire to mate on me.” Prior laughed and kissed her.

“Mate, hm?” He whispered. Danna shrugged. “You’re everything to me.” He slid his hands up her side and she shuddered. The desert was stretching beneath them, infinite and beautiful.

“Good,” she said. “Because I have no idea what there will be for you to do in Westran.” He laughed.

“Dangerous things and people in that desert,” he whispered, “and I know how to fight them. I don’t need a green coat to do that.” She smiled.

“You’ll keep us safe,” she said softly. She felt him kiss against the back of her neck. “I like the sound of that.” He’d gone into meetings with the chieftain when they’d been there, and she hadn’t asked what they’d been talking about.

A few more hours passed and the sun got low and they landed on the bluff, overlooking the village where she’d lived all of her life.

“Happy to be home?” Prior asked.

“Yes,” Danna said. “It looks so small now.” She exhaled. “It’s going to be a mess.”

“Nah,” Prior said as Seshi went off to likely greet Bel. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply and he pulled her close. “The Dumanis will argue over who has the rights to the glass from dragon fire for an age, which means they’ll hunt down Cole’s men with certainty, if Nika hasn’t taken care of them already.” She leaned her forehead against his. “Where do you want to live?”

“Hm?” She asked. “Here.” He laughed.

“I meant in the big house or your house,” he said. She blushed.

“Mine,” she said, “I want our life to be where my parents was. They came here to be free and safe, and I want to honor that by being free and safe. And I wasn’t that in the big house.”

“I understand that,” he said. She knew he did. They’d flown over the place where he’d grown up and he pointed to the castle, which she now knew he hated. He noted that someday, maybe, when it was Evan’s it could be freed from how horrible it was. But for now it was too haunted. She’d burn the big house to the ground if she could. “What do you want to do with it then?”

“We could give it to Jade,” she said. He snorted a laugh. “I don’t care what happens to it.” They walked hand and hand into the village. They reached the tavern and Tanner smiled at her.

“So,” he crossed his arms. “You’ve had an adventure.” They settled into stools opposite of him.

“Yeah,” Danna answered her old friend with a grin. “I’ll tell you about it some time.”