Erus was relieved when he finally tucked the wings back beneath his skin. He had worried about the logistics of entering the city with those bulky limbs on his back. More importantly, without the wings, the uncontrollable danger he carried was suppressed.
He looked at Cana, impressed by how quickly she found solutions to his problems. But her behavior remained a problem—she could switch personalities like a lunatic. It kept him frantic, his instincts constantly on alert for whatever she might do next.
"Still not feeling well?" Cana asked, noticing Erus staring at her. She was fixing Uruja's messy bun, ruined from her crying earlier. She had already assured the woman that everything was under control—that there was no real threat to Erus' life. She had it handled.
"I'm light as a feather," Erus answered. "How did you know how it would work?"
"You mean your wings?"
Erus nodded.
"I wasn't sure. It was all gut feel."
Erus frowned. She had gambled his life on a guess? If her gut feel had been wrong, he would have been dead.
"I... I can't believe someone like you exists," Erus muttered in a defeated tone.
Once she finished with Uruja, Cana stepped toward him again. She inspected him like a specimen.
"What are you up to?" Erus asked. He wasn't afraid of her, but he was still reeling from the revelation of his mark.
Cana tapped her index finger against her chin, pacing around him in deep thought. She lingered behind him, staring at his back and analyzing the space where the wings had been.
"Cana, spit it out," he snapped. His patience was thinning. She had been dissecting his physique ever since the wings sprouted; he could practically feel her eyes crawling over his skin.
"I'm just thinking," she paused to face him. "Your wings are broad and long. Sturdy, too. They're built for speed and long distances."
"You're implying...?"
"We don't need that bird with the tiny wings."
Erus caught her meaning immediately. She was right, but something about the look in her eyes felt wrong. She even gave him a sweet smile, but it only made his skin crawl.
He wished he could read her mind—then again, maybe not. If he actually saw what was going on in her head, he'd probably never have a moment of peace again.
While the two were talking, Uruja regained her composure. She watched them with a smile, surprised at how casually they spoke. To her, it looked like a normal day.
It didn't feel that way to Erus; he felt like he was preparing for war. His body had just undergone massive changes from the Reaper wings, and although the pain had faded thanks to Cana, he remained on edge.
"Yeah, I don't need that bird." Erus turned and called out to Uruja. "Actually, Mom, can I grill it now?"
"What nonsense!" Uruja shouted back. "You better head out now. It's better to travel while the sun is up. Being caught in the dark is where unexpected things happen," she added, her voice carrying a double meaning.
Neither Cana nor Erus caught the humor. Uruja ended up scratching her head and clearing her throat to break the awkward silence.
A few more minutes of debating how they would travel with only Erus having wings, and the match was settled. Uruja's idea won, and she took the winner's badge.
Erus and Cana ended up in a stiff position. Cana stood in front of Erus, her back pinned against his chest. To make sure she wouldn't fall, Uruja cast a binding spell using a magical ribbon that tied their bodies together.
Cana's face was flushed, and she couldn't hide it from Uruja. She could feel Erus' hard chest and abs pressing against her back. His breathing vibrated through her, and the heat radiating from his body made her feel like she was melting. This was far more intense than that time she'd been accidentally pulled on top of him.
Erus, on the other hand, was struggling to control his breathing. He had abandoned his proper techniques; if he used them, Cana would only feel the movement of his chest even more. This position was far more awkward than the night he had a fever and woke up with her arms around his neck and his waist pinned down by her.
"Erus," Cana spoke softly. "It wasn't my idea, so please don't kill me after this."
Erus snorted. What kind of logic was that? He'd rather kill her now than carry her for hours just to finish the job later.
"Your hair is annoying," he muttered instead.
Cana realized her hair was still loose. With a swift move, she gathered the strands and expertly twisted them into a bun. The movement exposed the flawless skin of her neck.
Erus was enchanted for seconds before he realized what he was doing. He turned his eyes away and swallowed hard. Had he made the wrong call? It was just Cana's neck. Nothing was special about it, but here he was, acting like a creep.
"Erus," Cana whispered, lightly tapping his arm to make him look at her again. "Your belt is poking my back."
Erus didn't know what to say. He couldn't bring himself to laugh at her words. Shame flared in him because she had felt his hardness. He couldn't deny she affected him physically, but he hadn't intended to be a total creep. He had no control over that part of his body. He wasn't sure if Cana actually knew he wasn't wearing a belt and was only saying it to ease his tension.
He was surprised when Cana raised her hand, her palm flickering with blue flames. He could smell the fragrance from it. She could cast it without any enchantments, just like him.
"You want some?" Cana asked when he did not move.
He did not expect her to do it on her own. After that heavy drama over the fire he had eaten, she was now offering it herself. Erus did not hesitate and gripped her hand to bring it to his mouth.
The taste of the blue flame was a comfort to him. It made him relax.
"Thank you," he said after letting go of her hand. "And I'm not wearing a belt," he added, whispering.
"What the—You didn't need to mention it. I knew," Cana said in her lowest, gritted voice. "I just didn't want the obvious."
"Scared? I thought you wanted my body?" Erus whispered. His mood had lightened because of the blue flame he just ate.
"What? Who told you I—"
"Mom, we're heading off!" Erus called to a confused Uruja, who couldn't hear their whispering.
"Oh, yeah. Good," Uruja answered, totally unprepared. She had been busy trying to gossip. If Erus hadn't told her to keep her distance, she might have become part of history before they could even leave.
She stood several meters away, out of reach of the black dust coming from Erus' wings as he let them out again. It was smooth; he showed no pain, as if he had grown used to it in a short time.
Erus gripped Cana's waist despite being bound and covered her face. Then, with a swift flap, they were up above the tallest trees on the island.
"It will hurt your eyes. We're flying fast above the walls," Erus said when Cana tried to remove his hands from her face.
Cana did not resist.
When they were out, he removed his hands from her face while staying still, flapping his wings. They were above the dark clouds, surrounded by lightning bolts.
"Wow!" was Cana's reaction. Instead of being afraid, she was amazed. The sight below them looked like the ball of energy she had accidentally released on her first day of meditation, only a much larger version.
"Let's go," Erus said. He was about to cover Cana's face again, but she stopped him.
"I want to see everything," Cana said excitedly.
"Blue shield?" Erus was surprised by what she did. She cast a thin blue shield enveloping the two of them like they were inside an egg. There was air inside it that they could breathe while they were also protected from the gustiness of the wind and the noise outside. It was like his golden shield. "How did you learn it?" He was becoming more and more curious about Cana's capability because she always had something up her sleeve.
"Would you believe me if I said it was gut feel or instinct?" Honestly, Cana had really no idea why she had this kind of magic in mind. Maybe from those movies she had watched before.
"How so?"
"I felt this magic exist, so I did it."
Erus chuckled, his chest vibrating against Cana's back.
"What a menace," he said, then started to swiftly fly again.
His every flap was strong; it made them move at a tremendous speed. Erus felt flying was natural to him, as if he were used to having wings. It was odd for him because this was his first time. He could leap on trees using his physical strength and magic but had not tried flying before.
"Woah! It's so beautiful," Cana gasped as she saw the clouds reflecting the rainbow colors from the sun. They were on rainbow cottons.
"Cana..."
"Yes?"
"Outside that island, people see me differently. I'm afraid they might see you in the same way too," Erus said out of nowhere. He just felt Cana had the right to know.
"Please elaborate."
"They call me a tyrant, a walking curse, the child of a witch. They treat me like a disease that everyone should avoid and hate." It should have been painful, but Erus had grown used to such words. He had become numb.
"As in everyone? You're a total monster if you survived all of them."
"Let's say ninety percent of the kingdom's population, including the king."
Cana gave a sarcastic laugh which confused Erus. "Really? How tough of you. Though those titles seem to fit you."
"What do you mean they suit me?" Erus asked, his tone carrying a warning.
"It makes you look cooler and hotter," Cana said, then laughed.
Erus' mind glitched for a second. He sighed, relieved Cana didn't react the way he expected. She was a weird woman—the one his mother picked and he accidentally marked.
"Is that ten percent actually genuine?" Cana asked. Her tone was serious.
"I don't really care," Erus answered.
"Yeah. It doesn't matter who's genuine or not. What's important is you know your limitations."
Erus stared at Cana's head. He slowed his flight because her words had a deeper meaning he understood. She seemed to have gone through the same grit he had.
"What do you mean by that?" He played dumb.
"Enjoy your time while they ride with you, but never trust anyone around you."
That was direct. He thought she was about to judge his morals, but she was talking about survival.
"Are you telling me not to trust you too?"
"I'll be walking side by side with my master, so I'm not just someone around you. I'm a different matter."
Cana tried to look back, but he held her head still before she gave herself a stiff neck.
He didn't want the awkwardness of her catching him smiling like a delirious man. Even with the golden dragon mask hiding his tomato cheeks, the thought of her seeing him like that was enough.
"Erus, you've been slowing down for minutes. Are we getting close?" Cana asked. Her voice wasn't annoyed. "Or are you taking advantage of the situation?"
"What are you saying? I'm just enjoying the view while flying."
"Really?" Cana mumbled sarcastically. She looked down at the arm that had blocked her earlier. It was across her chest now, while his right arm hadn't left her waist since they took off. "I can see your arm is really enjoying itself."
Cana didn't expect it when Erus clamped his hand over her mouth. "Too noisy," he said.
He kicked off the air, accelerating into a swift flight. He looked like he was kicking against a solid surface every time he exerted himself to gain speed. Cana pulled his hand away from her mouth, but she didn't let go; she held onto it.
It gave him a strange sense of reassurance—a silent reminder that he wasn't going to be alone anymore. Maybe the heirloom he claimed to want was just an alibi, a distraction from the fact that fate had arranged someone he could finally rely on. Should he believe now that fate actually existed?