She forced herself to nod.
“I promise I won’t let go.” Raising his voice, he called out, “We’re ready.”
What? No, they weren’t. But before she could voice her protests, the dragon flappedits wings.
One powerful burst of air was all it took to propel them into the sky. Vivienne’s heart hurtled against her ribs, and she shut her eyes.
Oh, gods.
This was how she would die.
The dragon dipped, and Vivienne lifted from her seat. She screamed, the sound lost to the wind and the flapping of wings. They were so high, and the heat was so overwhelming.
Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods.
The prince’s arm tightened around her, and she slammed back down. He had the audacity tolaugh, the deep sound tinged with delight as it rumbled through his chest.
“Isn’t this great?”
Delusional.
Marius was absolutely, one hundred percent delusional. Did the king and queen know? Maybe that’s why they kept him so close. Anyone who thought this was fun needed to have their head checked.
Vivienne gritted her teeth against the rushing wind and shook her head. “Not exactly.”
Awful was more like it.
Lips brushed her cheek. “Live a little, Viv,” he coaxed. “Open your eyes and look around.”
“I can’t,” she breathed, tightening her death grip on the spike in front of her.
“You can.” The hands holding her moved in gentle circles. “He won’t let us fall.”
The prince spoke with so much confidence. She didn’t feel any of that right now.
“He could,” she argued.
How much trust could they place in the shifter, anyway? What would he do if they slipped off? Even though her eyes were closed,she knew it was cloudy, and the moon was barely visible. What if the dragon didn’t catch them in time? What if she couldn’t call on her wings fast enough?
What if, what if, what if.
The questions were so loud that she could barely hear anything else.
A low, soothing rumble moved through the prince’s chest. “No, he won’t.”
How could he be so sure?
They were up so high.
The wind was rushing at them.
The ground was so far away.
Those knots in Vivienne’s stomach tightened to the point of pain, and her lungs squeezed. Each breath was more difficult than the last. Panic threatened to drown her in its tight embrace.
“Breathe.” The quiet, stern command was whispered in her ear.
The prince’s thumb slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, rubbing slow circles on her bare stomach. She sucked in a sharp breath, held it for three long seconds, then released it.