The feeling of flying through the air in the arms of a strong male was something that Candi was starting to get used to. It was thrilling in a heart-stopping manner.

They were up at dizzying heights with the wind rushing through her hair and making her eyes water.

Most of the times, his large body and wingspan sheltered her from the sun’s glare. At the moment however, they were flying into the sun so it was shining directly on her face.

She turned her eyes away from the glare and pressed her nose into his chest, inhaling the scent of his maleness.

As always, he smelled like the fresh scent of leaves and trees with a touch of wild grass mixed with that unmistakeable musk of Slate-ness. She could recognize his scent anywhere.

“Uh oh. We have company.” She heard him whisper to her inside her mind.

Candi looked up.

From the distance, she could see another flier coming towards them. It was most likely one of his brothers, but she could not tell because this man was also completely covered in bat-wear.

The two were talking, she could tell, because he was focused in the direction of the oncoming winged warrior.

As they got closer together, he hovered in the wind and waited until the other warrior came closer. They began circling around each other on the wind surge.

“That’s Byron. I’m going to transfer you over to him.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“There seems to be a bit of an issue at my castle that I need my free hands to deal with. He will take you to a safe place.”

Candi nodded. It wasn’t as if she had much of a choice.

“Wait. How are you going to—AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

She screamed as he pushed her away from him.

In the space of a few seconds, there was no support and she was levitated away from him. Her arms came out and stretched towards him, but he had already begun to move away.

Suddenly, a new set of arms grabbed her from behind and she was once again enfolded in the arms of another winged warrior.

She turned into Byron’s arms and squeezed her eyes shut. It was terrifying, those moments where she felt no support at all and was in between the two of them.

Her fluffy white skirts flared out around her as her arms clutched onto Byron.

Free-falling was not something she enjoyed, especially with no parachute and no lifeline.

Once Candi was caught in Byron’s arms, she could immediately feel the difference. He smelled differently, felt differently, and did not hold her in the same manner as Slate did.

With Slate, she felt as if tree trunks were squeezing her tightly to his body.

Byron, on the other hand, held her princess-style. There was less intensity, but it was a bit more relaxed and graceful.

“Hold on. I will take you to a safer area. There were a few more Earth ships that have come into Erenveil.”

“Why? Are they hostile?”

He shook his head.

“On the contrary. They are visiting dignitaries. Your heads of states are here. They are insisting that you be released into their care.”

“They’re going to arrest me, aren’t they?”

“I’m afraid so, and we cannot allow them to do that. I do not want to start intergalactic incidences, especially at such an important event as the Avgo competition.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We are going to avoid them completely.”

“How?”

“You are coming with me back to the Royal Palace. They will not dare to intrude there.”

He began to soar downward towards a destination in the distance.

She turned her head and saw the greens and golds of a large walled garden come rushing at them.

The pinks and blues and lavenders of flowers became clearer and within moments, they had dropped down into a garden filled with strange flowers of all colors and shapes.

As they touched down, a myriad of ladies in green and gold came rushing towards them.

“Take her to get changed. I will come for her within the hour.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.” The ladies bowed and ushered her away.

As Candi walked away with them, she turned back and saw Byron changing from the large dark bat warrior back to the tall red haired male she had met at the top of The Tower.

His reddish-brown eyes caught her gaze and he nodded with assurance.

“Go with them. I will see you shortly.”

She pressed her lips together and turned back to the ladies who were now surrounding her. There were four of them, all red haired and wearing the same green and gold outfits.

“This way, M’lady.” They led her past blooming camellias and alstroemeria bushes towards a covered walkway. The breeze riffled through the palm leaves, bringing the unmistakeable scent of water and in fact, she could hear the dull roaring of falling water from a distance.

The walkway led into a building that was made of huge cut chunks of a creamy white stone with flecks of gold glitter. The outer chamber was lined with marble flooring and spacious high ceiling decorated with touches of amber colored lights.

They moved past the antechamber into the main room with its skylights and various seating arrangements atop huge rugs of a deep shade of blue.

Past the main room there were several doors. The ladies in waiting took her through one of the doors which opened up onto a large sleeping chamber with a king sized canopy bed in one corner and a seating suite on the other.

One of the ladies went to the bank of windows and drew back the curtains to let in the light.

Candi’s eyes widened. This room had its very own mini courtyard, complete with tiny trees and bushes, and a tiny splashing fountain at the center, surrounded by colorful flowers.

They began helping her to undress all the careful layers of skirts that the twins had put on her and then led her towards a bathing room.

After a fairly brief bath, she was once again led to the bedroom where she was helped into a large flouncy dress made of some heavy hunter-green brocade material decorated with fancy gold trimmings. It was fancy and quite formal.

“Am I going to be attending a party or something?” She asked the ladies.

“You will be attending the Royal Lunch alongside the Crown Prince, M’Lady.”

“Crown Prince?”

“Yes, M’Lady.” The Lady-in-waiting nodded as she put her finishing touches on Candi’s makeup.

They were putting shoes on her feet when Byron stepped into the room.

He was also similarly dressed in royal robes of the same hunter-green style and fabric that brought out the deep red of his hair and eyes.

The white of his crisp inner shirt reflected against his rugged jawline and noble nose. His angled cheeks and high brows were elegant and regal; his air, indifferent.

“I see you are ready.” He looked her up and down, his red-brown eyes temperate and satisfied.

She gave a hesitant smile and nodded.

He held out his arm.

“Come.”

She placed her hand on his arm and he led her through yet another doorway which led them deeper into the palace.

Past several turns and hallways that were almost identical to each other, Candi was not sure she could find her way back to the bedroom that she had occupied.

“We will be dining with the Emperor and Empress of Erenveil. Do not be alarmed at their mannerisms. They are rather…unconventional.”

Candi was about to ask him to elaborate when she heard a voice call out to them in loud declamation.

“Well well!!! We finally meet in person, Avgo Female from Earth!”

She turned towards the sound. It was the same person she had seen within the virtual terminal during the flight in Slate’s transport pod.

She was in the presence of the Emperor of Erenveil.