Fieran heldPip’s hand as the two of them strolled from the tram to the hangar. His heart hammered harder in his chest, but that was mostly just from holding her hand.
As soon as they stepped inside the hangar, the flyboys hurried toward them. But they halted in their tracks as, almost as one, their gazes dropped to Fieran’s and Pip’s clasped hands.
“Finally!” Lije grinned.
Stickyfingers swatted Tiny’s arm. “Told you.”
“It was rather obvious.” Pretty Face smoothed his mustache.
Deeper in the pack, a few of the flyboys exchanged money. As if they had been taking bets. Even some of the elven pilots exchanged looks, as if they had been expecting this.
“You all…knew?” Pip stepped closer to Fieran, her eyes wide.
Lije crossed his arms and huffed. “Duh. The two of you were obvious as sunflowers in a wheat field.”
“Why do you think none of the rest of us so much as flirted with Pip?” Pretty Face pointed a finger at his own chest. “Not even me.”
Aylia strode between the others and smirked at Fieran. “And why do you think I never flirted with you?”
“Yeah, the two of you have been walking around with bigTakensigns.” Stickyfingers jabbed a finger first at Fieran, then at Pip. “No one dared get between you.”
Fieran shifted and shared a look with Pip. They really hadn’t been all that subtle.
Mak strode between the flyboys, halted in front of Fieran, and crossed his arms. “So. You’re courting my sister.”
Pip huffed, losing that hunched look. “Mak. Don’t you dare go all big brother on him.”
“It’s my job. I’m obligated.” Mak’s gaze didn’t waver from Fieran’s. “Don’t hurt her.”
Fieran held his gaze, his own stance firm. “I won’t.”
“Then we won’t have any problems.” Mak held out his hand, and Fieran gave it a firm shake.
Pip just huffed again and rolled her eyes, as if she was rather fed up with their male posturing.
Lije grinned and bumped Pip’s arm with his. “Well, it’s good to have you back, Pip. Things haven’t been the same without you here. You and Fieran.”
Fieran forced his smile to remain in place. Things wouldn’t be the same again. Not with Merrik fighting to walk again in Estyra. He might never return to active duty, much less flying in their squadron.
Pip drew her hand out of Fieran’s and planted her hands on her hips. “All right, I’m glad to be back, but I need to get to work. There’s a shipment of new synchronization gears that will be coming up the tram any moment. I’d like to get them installed as soon as I can so there will be no more crashes from broken propellers.”
Several of the flyboys cheered.
Fieran grinned and gestured in the direction of the tram platform. “Since everyone is so excited, who wants to volunteer to help haul the crates to the hangar?”
The groans were more exaggerated and halfhearted than real as the squadron trooped toward the platform.
Chapter
Fourteen
Fieran kept a firm grip on the control column of his new Defender as it climbed higher into the sky. This new aeroplane was far more touchy. The more powerful rotary engine created more torque and kept wanting to tip his aeroplane over if he wasn’t careful.
This high up, he could see the smudge of shapes on the horizon, the new Little Aldon re-forming upriver.
Four other aeroplanes circled in the sky. Two of them were at the far end of Fort Defense near the Wall while the other two were headed in the direction of the airfield, preparing to land as soon as Fieran and his wingman were in the air.
He pushed the rudder bar with his feet as he worked the ailerons, turning the aeroplane to circle over Fort Defense. The familiar buildings flashed below, and he further relaxed into the new aeroplane’s seat.
