Page 34 of Crown of Death

Again, he doesn’t look at me. But I can feel his smile. “Yes,” he respondssimply.

We glide through the air. The headset crackles and Vince’s voice fills my ears. He tells us about the surroundings. He circles the skyscrapers of downtown. Hovers over the Broncos’ stadium. Shows us other places of interest in Denver. Places I’ve visited more than once, but never seen from theair.

And then he banks, and we head toward themountains.

“Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited?” Cyrusasks.

I look away, watching as we approach the mountains. “Uh,” I think, thinking back through all the trips we took growing up. “I’d say Hawaii, maybe. But there was something…isolated feeling about it. Knowing I was surrounded by all that ocean, and nothing but ocean, for so far, it was a little terrifying, if I’m beinghonest.”

IfeelCyrus’ eyes narrow on me and wonder what’s going through his mind. My eyes dart away from his. “So, I guess it would be the Redwood Forests, in northernCalifornia.”

Foothills rise below us. And I can’t help but think how much more beautiful this tour would be during the winter, when the mountains are capped withsnow.

“What about that area captured you?” Cyrus asks. He crosses his ankle over his knee, resting a hand on the oppositeone.

I think about his question. And even though I’m looking at the Rocky Mountains, in my mind, I’m back among the moss and gigantictrees.

“I guess it was knowing how old everything there was,” I say. “There was this feeling of time there that I don’t really know how to explain. That everything there was ancient, but like I was a part of it too. Like we were in a simpler, easier world. The modern world just…didn’t matter in those trees. I felt…differentthere.”

I remember the smell. Of water and rotting wood and wild. The air felt different. Thicker. Like it’s own alive being that occupied those woods. I remember feeling as if I could disappear in-between those trees and assimilate into a world of mossy knells and sneakingfoxes.

“Would you like to visit that feeling again?” Cyrus asks, pulling me from the forest. “Oftimelessness?”

My eyes flick to his, and my browsnarrow.

Such a strangequestion.

Such bizarre confidence, like he is powerful enough to obtain eventhat.

“I wouldn’t mind visiting again, if that’s what you mean,” I say, blinking as I look away, back to the rocky ridgesbelow.

We ride out the rest of the tour in relative silence. Vince guides us through valleys and over high peaks. The mountains stretch up toward us, threatening to scrape the bottom of the mechanical beast. But safely we soar overthem.

And finally, we begin making our way back. Over towns. Over homes. Over businesses. Over thousands of lives, and I think about how I only ever get the opportunity to live justone.

Am I doing what I want if I only get to experience this onelife?

Hardly.

“Are you alright?” Cyrusasks.

I look over at him. I blink once, taking in his beautiful and terrifying face. The furrowed brows. The lips that hold my gaze. The penetratingeyes.

“Fine,” I breathe. “Why?”

“I’ve only spent hours around you, Logan. But you generally seem to have much to say, and the gall to say it. You’ve been…pensive.”

I look away and shrug. “I’m approaching the end of my life, aren’t I?” I say with a little bit of bite and bitterness. “I think this is a perfect time to bepensive.”

“Understandable,” Cyrusconsents.

The night is approaching by the time we land back at the hangar. Deep purples cut through the sky, accompanied by brilliantgolds.

I take my headset off and with Vince’s hand, climb out. A slight smile pulls on my lips as I look back at thehelicopter.

“Thank you for the lovely evening,” Cyrus says, shaking Vince’s hand once more. “It was a truly beautifultime.”

“My pleasure,” he says, closing up the helicopter. “You two love birds have a wonderfulnight.”