Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Thirty-Three: Radiant

"Your Dragon is a magnificent sight, my lord," Yilba said breathlessly. I snorted in time with Thorn as Murtagh gritted his teeth and gave Yilba a charming smile.

"Thank you, my lady," He replied. "But my Dragon isn't an unintelligible rock-lizard. You should direct your words to him."

I looked at Yilba as she turned her eyes to Thorn. Her lip curled slightly as I continued to rub the side of his face and neck.

"He doesn't bite," I said in a sweet voice before cocking my head to the side briefly. "well, unless he is feeling peckish that is. Has he eaten Murtagh?"

Murtagh cough to hide his open laughter as Thorn gave Yilba a smile full of his razor-sharp teeth. Yilba paled as her ladies shrieked and huddled together. I glanced at Murtagh as I started to snicker.

"Yes," Murtagh finally said as he got his laughter/coughing under control. "he has eaten. You need not fear is appetite."

"Shame," I muttered as I dropped my arm from the brilliant red scales.

"Care for a ride, your highness?" My eyes darted to Murtagh as he held out his hand. A ride? I would kill for a ride, and I am certain one of those empty-headed twits would do.

"If you aren't busy, that would be lovely," I said as I took his hand. Thorn lowered his belly to the floor as we walked towards the saddle. "it was a lovely chat, ladies."

Yilba turned red in the face as she gripped the skirts of her dress. Behind her, Tolme watched at a distance, a genuine smile on her lips. Hmm, perhaps there is someone in this city that isn't a complete airhead.

"Need help getting up?" Murtagh asked as he placed a hand on my lower back. I shot him a brief dirty look as his fingers brushed lower than respectable.

"I am quite capable, thank you." I hissed at him, swatting the hand that was near my rear. With the grace of a Gazelle at the base of the Beor Mountains, I jumped up Thorn's side and sat down on the saddle.

Murtagh sprung up Thorn's side with the same skill and settled in behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. Muscles bunched underneath my legs as Thorn crouched low before leaping into the air, flapping his wings.

Air streamed past my face as the Dragon rose higher and higher. Sighing, I rested my face on Thorn's neck, closing my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Alethea's absence, however necessary, was slowly eating away at my consciousness.

"Just how much riding did you do with Saphira?" Murtagh asked in my mind. I opened my eyes and began to shift in the saddle. I switched my legs, so I was sitting facing Murtagh.

"More than Eragon, that I can assure you," I responded as I looked him in his eyes. "After we fled Carvahall with Brom, I didn't feel safe on the ground, so Saphira let me ride her while Eragon rode Cadoc."

"It still keeps you up, doesn't it?" I pressed my lips into a firm line before giving him a small nod.

"At least when I'm with a dragon, my nightmares seem to stay away." Thorn suddenly decided he wanted to do a nosedive. Letting out a gasp, I latched onto Murtagh, my fingers digging into the back of his tunic as the weightless feeling hit me. Seconds later, Thorn evened out as I groaned into Murtagh's shirt.

"A little warning next time, please." I moaned out as both Murtagh and Thorn laughed. Pulling backward, I glared at Murtagh as he laughed, my scowl only making him laugh harder. I punched him in the stomach and huffed. "It's not that funny."

Their laughter faded as Murtagh reached up, cupped the side of my face. We stared at each other as the wind whistled and hair flew about.

"What?" I finally asked him. Rather than answering me in words, Murtagh pressed his lips against mine. His hand moved as he dug his fingers into my hair, pulling my head backward to deepen our lip lock.

With fervor fueling our actions, we hungrily soaked in each other's touch, knowing that it might be the last time we ever had contact. With Galbatorix holding our puppet strings, every day we had free was a blessing. When we separated from each other, Murtagh refused to let me go.

Thorn descended back towards the castle, using the air currents to coast down at a gentle glide. When he landed just outside his nest, I saw that both Lydia and Frida were waiting for me.

"Oh dear," I muttered as Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

"Friends of yours?"

"My handmaids," I corrected him. "They've probably been running around looking for me."

Murtagh slid off Thorn and held his hands up to catch me, with a wrinkled nose, I slipped out of the saddle and landed in his hands. I muttered thanks before walking towards my two handmaids.

They took one look at my sweaty features and started rushing me towards my bathroom. I glanced back at Murtagh, not knowing that it would be three weeks before I would see him again.