“It’s a long story.” Layla smiled, enjoying Trevor more and more. “I’m sure Dusk will tell you all about it when he wakes up, but he’s been through a lot in the past twenty-four hours. Are you hungry? We can have something to eat until he wakes.”
“Yeah, sure.” Trevor spoke, still staring at Dusk, amazed. “I mean, I saw all the crystal shards up on the plateau. Madness! Must have been a fucking huge barrier to bring all that down. The stories told in my clan about the protection around the Egyptian Deadlands are legendary. He must be one hell of a Royal, to do all that.”
“He is.” Layla smiled. Sitting down on the sapphire bench, she beckoned Trevor over. “Come on. Let’s chat, and you can tell me all about how you got into architecture, and about your clan.”
Moving over with less hesitation now, Trevor smiled genuinely at Layla. Claiming a seat next to her with the pile of fruit in-between, he picked up a fig. Layla had a handful of dates, listening as Trevor talked and wondering how many more Crystal Dragons were going to show up soon.
Probably even sooner than any of them expected.
CHAPTER 21 – SUMMONS
An hour later, Layla was still chatting with Trevor, whom she found was a lovely person with a fantastic sense of humor. She and Trevor were the same age, and their conversation had moved from Trevor’s childhood in his clan building anything out of crystal he could get his hands on, to Layla’s discovery of being a Desert Dragon late in life. Their conversation had turned to the contrasts between life in the Twilight Realm and the human world, where Trevor had been partially raised also. Now, they were laughing about stereotypes of people in Seattle versus Phoenix. Eating an Asian pear, Layla snorted as Trevor described white trash people in Arizona astrash bags– and then she perked as she heard Dusk wake with a stretch and a massive yawn.
Glancing over, Layla and Trevor both watched as a veritable flood of light washed through Dusk’s scales and hair. Trevor gaped at it, his food entirely forgotten as he stared as Dusk with enormous eyes. Rolling over on his amethyst bier, Dusk gave a Layla a sleepy smile, then instantly came alert as he saw she was with someone. Rising with incalculable grace and not a little danger, a flash of his Dragon took Dusk’s sapphire eyes. But before he could growl or do anything menacing, Layla rose quickly, Trevor moving fast to standing also as Layla gestured to him.
“Dusk. Meet your newest clan member. This is Trevor Sachs from Arizona. He’s a Crystal Architect, the Arizona Clan Third, and felt your call while he was in Luxor yesterday.”
Dusk halted immediately, blinking as astonishment took his face. Layla almost laughed at his befuddlement, as he suddenly ran a hand through his artful hair with a flash of illumination. The fury and protectiveness of his Dragon vanished, replaced by the Dusk Layla loved so much. As he shook his head, moving forward with a beaming smile devouring his face and his hand extended in greeting, Layla felt Trevor heave a tremendous shudder of relief.
They clasped hands solidly, Dusk’s eyes flashing with diamond-light as he chuckled. “Trevor Sachs. Good to meet you. Be welcome in the Egyptian Clan. I’m Dusk Arlohaim, Clan First. And part of me is fucking astounded my pulse actually worked.”
“Mr. Arlohaim, Clan First. Well-met.” Trevor blushed hard in his freckle-tanned face, his peridot gaze shying from Dusk’s but coming back up, intrigued. Trevor’s blushes wouldn’t quit as Dusk gave a rumbling laugh, gripping the young guy’s shoulder and shaking him. The rumble woke Adrian, who sat up with alertness on his bier – then moved to Dusk’s side with a slow grin as he watched the interaction.
“Your first clan member. Well done.” Adrian spoke to Dusk, his aqua eyes shining as he extended a hand to Trevor and the young man shook it also. “Adrian Rhakvir. Adopted brother to Dusk. First of the Desert Dragons of Morocco and the Mediterranean.”
“Another Clan First?” As he shook Adrian’s hand, Trevor was blushing so hard now that Layla thought he might just melt right down through the floor. She could feel rumbles of energy coming off Trevor now, though they were nothing like the power Dusk was able to manifest. The contrast made Layla smile, finally realizing how strong her Royal Crystal Dragon was among his kind. He truly was an anomaly, and as Layla watched Trevor glance between her two men and goggle at them, then at her, she suddenly felt intensely proud of their trio.
“So Layla… who are you to be hanging out with two enormously powerful Clan Firsts, and Royals to boot?” Trevor asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose. “Are you a Clan First also?”
“No.” Layla shook her head, smiling a little. “I’m a Royal Dragon Bind.”
“The Bind!” Trevor went from blushing to ashen, pulling back as if Layla might bite. “Seriously? But you’re so nice! I mean, I’ve heard stories that you were like this… like a…”
“Like a sex monster or something?” Layla grinned, and Trevor blushed again.
“Yes! No. I mean, I wouldn’t put it like that.” But from the way Trevor stared at her, Layla became aware she was achieving a reputation in the wider world. A reputation as being something big, bad, and scary – which she was surprisingly ok with, if it kept the people she loved safe. An awkward silence came as Trevor blushed. It was broken by a bubbling laugh from Yousry, returning through the vaulted entry at the rotunda’s front. Layla saw he wasn’t alone, either; he had with him not one, not two, but six people as he made a sweeping gesture to Dusk.
“My Crystal Dragon friends!” Yousry laughed delightedly, his body shimmering with his Djinn-magics as his vivid eyes flashed with pleasure. “Meet your new Clan First, Dusk Arlohaim of the Egyptian Crystal Dragon Clan. Dusk is a true and heart-worthy leader – I’m sure you will find him much suited to your needs as recent transplants to Egypt.”
As the new arrivals moved forward with enormous eyes and gaping mouths just like Trevor to see Dusk, they shuddered in sequence, producing a ripple-like effect that moved through the lit crystals of the dome. One man and two women looked like excellently fit Americans, though with bleached blonde hair and good tans. Two were dark-skinned, elegantly robust women in bright patterned dresses and head wraps that spoke of west Africa, most likely Nigeria. And the last was clearly some kind of monk, an aged old man beaming at Dusk with classically Tibetan features, dressed in saffron robes like the Dalai Lama.
Though they were all older than Trevor, none had scales of any kind, though all had jewel-tone eyes – all except the monk, whose eyes were a plain, kind brown. The old monk suddenly made a move to kneel before Dusk, but Dusk swiftly took a knee first, bowing his head like a servant before them all, including Trevor.
“My friends.” Dusk spoke, his heart opening in his voice and making the crystal dome all around them sing. “Thank you for coming here. I am sorry to pull you away from your lives in such a manner, and my heart grieves for the homes you left behind, in order to answer my call. But know that I will do my utmost for you in this time of change so you may feel welcome here in my ancient home, and that it may become a home to you also. For all of us here will be international transplants – none moreso than I. I hope you can find a new home here. And if you cannot, it is not beyond me to release you back to your original resonances. But I hope you will choose to stay. And I will try my best for you.”
Layla blinked, astounded to learn that Dusk could release these people from his re-imprinting. They seemed amazed also, glancing between each other with incredulous eyes, though the old Tibetan monk simply beamed at Dusk in an immensely pleased, supportive way.
“Never gonna turn down the opportunity ta see a real Royal out in the open, are we?” The tall, robustly-tanned guy stepped forward with an enormous grin as Dusk rose, slapping Dusk on the shoulder as he spoke in a heavy Australian accent. “Ain’t seen nothing like you down under for years upon years, not since King Markus took away the last of our Royals two decades ago. Name’s Jade Daley, Sydney – Bondi Beach. These’re my top mates Crystal Ives an’ Ruby Nile.”
The two women, both ultra-blonde and fit like pro athletes, moved forward to shake Dusk’s hand. Layla had no doubt the Australians were a threesome as they cuddled together, all ultra-tan and incredibly hot.
“Bondi Beach?” Layla asked, curious about them. “Do you three surf?”
“Taken gold in all the surfing competitions for years in the Twilight Realm,” the girl Crystal quipped brightly. “Who says only Sirens and Mermaids can surf, hey?”
“These three are the Twilight Realm’s equivalent of Olympic athletes, Layla,” Adrian chimed in with a pleased smile. “My company Desert Hardware sponsors them out of Sydney.”
“Yer the mysterious Desert Dragon bloke who owns Desert Hardware?” The guy Jade gaped at Adrian as his pale amethyst eyes went enormous. “Best outfitter fer travel through the interior, an’ basically throws money at us fer our surfing. Thanks fer that.”
