Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 105: Idle Talk

Author's Note: This chapter Is shorter than usual. But the next one will be much longer.

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Chapter One Hundred and Five: Idle Talk

Flying was hard.

Flapping his wings with a fervor that made his whole body ache, he struggled to rise higher than the treeline on the opposite end of the lake shore. Steam blasted across his body and made his struggles easier, but he was still ridiculously tired by the time he got into the air.

He let out a sigh of relief when he was at a relatively large distance from the ground.

Snapping his wings shut and flipping his body into a forward dive, he angled himself toward the ground and quickly snapped them back open. Arching like he had before, he caught the warm air currents and held himself parallel to the water through sheer muscle power.

When his hair was blasted back, his stomach dropped and his eyes widened. He looked down at the water below as the wind caressed his face and slowly spread his arms.

Reality smashed down on him.

Hard.

But for once, it wasn't unpleasant.

"Holy fuck," Xaphile whispered. "I'm flying... I'm flying!"

It was freaking exhilarating!

It was more like a glide, but it didn't change the fact that he was soaring through the air on his own power, and it was fucking amazing. He felt unexpectedly free, like he could go anywhere.

Once he reached the other side of the lake, he let his lower half swing forward and started flapping madly, wincing as that spot between his shoulder blades started cramping.

His descent was swifter than his ascent, but he sank down to his knees once he landed, taking a moment to catch his breath.

A gentle breeze swept across his sweat-soaked skin, cooling him off immensely.

It had left him feeling tired, but he'd managed to soar through the air not just once, but twice.

After experiencing the pleasant sensations that gliding had given him, he actually felt a little excited about having wings. Even though it betrayed every bit of common sense that he had, he was definitely more open to the thought of them being there.

Oddly, it just felt right, which was strange for him to realize since everything about his body was still oh so wrong.

Deciding to take a breather, he shifted his position and sat down on a patch of grass near the boiling lake and threw a small pebble in the water. He could still hear Sinmir's words ringing in his head. He knew, deep down, that the man had meant everything he'd said earlier.

He'd sensed it every time he'd stepped in to offer advice. He'd seen it in the almost fatherly smiles. He'd heard it in his laughter. He'd felt it in every hug.
Prince or not, the guy really did love him and Vrael, but what Xaphile couldn't understand was... well, why?

Why did Sinmir always have so much faith in him?

Was it because he was supposedly someone of political importance? No, it wasn't that. It couldn't be. Sinmir didn't seem capable of ulterior motives.

Then again, that was another thing he hadn't really thought about.

How could he, Xaphile, possibly be some sort of faery prince? It didn't feel right to him, nor did it make any sort of sense. Well, actually it did make sense, but he still felt like a nobody so his mind hadn't yet had that lightbulb moment of recognition.