“The Faelands. I will soon take you home, but we have a task to accomplish first.”

“Task?”

“See below. He follows like the wind.”

I peer along the line of a pale road that disappears into the distance behind us. Beyond a cluster of multicolored roofs and chimneys nestled within the trees rises the sandstone edifice of Blackriver mansion. It looks insignificant from this height—like a miniature model. At the gates of the road this side of the town, a billow of dust curls into the air, the trail of something speeding into the Faelands.

My heart thuds a beat. “Flanagan?”

“You have done well, my love. And in so short a time.”

Done well?

I lose my next question to a burst of expletives when Alexei makes a sudden arc downward. My stomach lurches into my throat as the ground rises like a promise of death. I squeeze his hips so tightly my thighs tingle with blood loss.

Another chuckle ghosts across my ear, deep and sexy.

“Jerk,” I growl.

Alexei levels out closer to the ground. The ugly tangle of trees surrounding the Faelands gives way to rich green forest. If I reached out, I could run my fingers through the leaves. I can’t see the distant puff of dust signaling Flanagan’s presence anymore, but I know he’s coming. The stubborn bastard won’t be willing to let Alexei win. Even if it puts his life at risk.

“He follows you, Michael.”

Did Alexei just read my mind? “What do you mean?”

“You are compatibles. A True Grounder and a Whisperer. He will follow you, and he will die to protect you.”

How does Alexei know I’m a Whisperer?

Wait. Was that a threat to Flanagan’s life? I lean back to scrutinize Alexei’s face. “What’re you going to do?”

His smile glints like a rapier. “Take advantage.”

With a sudden swoop, we travel upward again, my breath catching as the canopy drops away. Behind me, the pale face of a cliffside races by as Alexei rises to its height. When we reach a wide rock shelf, he floats down and lands with featherlight grace.

The moment my feet hit the stone, I shove back from his hold, stumbling as I adjust to solid ground. “What are you planning, Alexei?”

The prince’s wings crack and rustle as he folds them. “Shh, be still. I would prefer the Lycan to remain alive, and I have no wish to incur the wrath of the Goddess. But I cannot waste an opportunity.”

Opportunity?

I peer into the distance, trying to glimpse rising dust. Maybe I can warn Flanagan before he arrives. Blackriver mansion sits like a pale dot at the edge of an emerald sea, but the dense woodland obscures my view of the road. Surely Flanagan can’t see where we landed. Maybe he won’t find us.