“It’s my pleasure,” Adrian smiled with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “You three are some of the best Dragon athletes I’ve ever seen, and sponsoring you gets my company’s name out everywhere. So my thanks to you, really.”
“Guess we might need to take up a different sport now, though,” the woman Ruby spoke up, her bright citrine eyes fixing sharply upon Dusk. Layla felt something like a standoff shiver between them for a moment, as Dusk cocked his head at her.
“I can take over your sponsorship,” Dusk spoke amiably, though his gaze was pinned to Ruby. “The Egyptian Clan has plenty of resources to send you to training around the world and to competitions, and I intend to modernize the plateau so we’ll have a runway. But I sense that’s not all that’s bothering you about me, Ruby Nile. Not a very Australian Crystal Dragon Clan name, is it?”
As Layla blinked, realizing the sudden truth about the standoff between them just as Dusk realized it, Ruby lowered her chin at Dusk. “I was outcast from the Egyptian Clan long before you were born, child of Arlohaim.” She spoke softly. “Do you revoke my outcast status, new Clan First?”
Layla had gotten zero impression that this woman was older than Dusk, and as she glanced between Dusk and Adrian, seeing them both frown, she realized they’d had a similar perception. It meant Ruby was far more powerful than she let on – powerful enough to hide it.
“What was your crime?” Dusk spoke softly, watching her.
“Manipulation of water.” She spoke back. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been able to push and pull water by vibrating the micro-minerals and salts in it. I caused a tidal wave by accident on the Nile when I was young, and drowned seven fishing vessels of Djinnic half-humans.”
“So it was either banish you somewhere with plenty of water where your skills wouldn’t be damaging, like the Australian coast, or start a war with the nearby Djinn.” Dusk spoke quietly. Ruby nodded, still watching him. Layla saw a flash of citrine scales flow across the woman’s cheekbones and through her long blonde hair, though in sunlight it might have been missed. But Dusk saw it, and his mouth curled up in a pleased smile. “You’re a Royal. I’ll be damned. Hiding this entire time just like me.”
“I couldn’t shift when I was young,” she spoke with no-nonsense. “My true Royal power kicked in fifty years ago, when I tried to dive off the Great Barrier Reef and see what was down deeper. I shifted spontaneously into my Dragon, underwater. It happened when the pressure got too crushing and I couldn’t control the water anymore. But because my shift happened underwater, King Markus wasn’t able to sense it. I’ve only allowed myself to shift underwater since.”
“So you’re still off his radar. And covering your changes with a glamour, even in the Twilight Realm.” Dusk chuckled, setting his hands on his hips and grinning at her now. The two shared an accord as the statuesque blonde finally smiled at him, though something in her citrine eyes was still hard-edged. She was a survivor, the leader of their trio though Jade was the most talkative. Layla watched her threesome benefit from the slow surges of power moving off Ruby now, as another flicker of citrine scales emerged at her cheeks and temples – then hot red ones like her name indicated.
“Well, welcome back to the Egyptian Clan, Royal Ruby Nile.” Dusk spoke kindly. “I’ll talk with the West Nile Djinn and clear things up. Stories last long among their culture, but not grudges.”
“I’m a fugitive from the Intercessoria, also.” She spoke, narrowing her eyes on him. “The dead were human enough for them to care, though as long as I remained on the Australian coast, the Juds wouldn’t press charges.”
“I’ll deal with that, too. I have an in with the Intercessoria.”
As Dusk held her gaze, something impressed moved through Ruby’s bright citrine eyes at last. With a small quirk of her lips almost like Rikyava Andersen, Ruby inclined her head to Dusk. Her trio followed suit, and with a fighter’s grace, Ruby moved her group back so the other Crystal Dragons could meet their new First.
The ladies from Nigeria moved forward with twin pleased smiles, and as Layla regarded them with their voluptuous curves, tiny waists, and elegant statures, she realized they were twins. Their features were identical except for the color of their eyes, one bright gold like tiger’s eye, the other a clear white color like pure quartz. With twin rumbles of power, they set their hands to their hearts rather than shake hands with Dusk, and Layla wondered if it was cultural.
“We are the sisters Light and Bright Adeyemi.” One spoke in excellent English, with a smooth Nigerian accent.
“We come with blessings to our new clan, the blessings of healing hands.” The other continued without skipping a beat.
“Born with twin gifts from our mother’s womb,” the first continued, “we bring great healings of love, light, and song through our vibrations.”
“Never apart, always together, we join our hands as one upon the injured, the sick, and the dying, and bring them back to health.” The second finished. “Though we are not Royals, we have trained in but a single talent all our lives, and it has given us singular skill. Come, let us lay our hands upon you, our First, that you may know the healing of the Light and the Bright.”
With a mystic smile, as if deeply curious about what was going to happen, Dusk extended a hand to the sisters. As one, they touched him, and Layla felt an enormous surge of resonance pour through Dusk – and from him, into her. With a grunt, Adrian felt it too, and as Layla staggered from the enormity of power now rushing through Dusk, Adrian steadied her.
But it was as if that power carried the most beautiful music, harmonizing everything inside Layla instantly. As the temple sang with a joyous vibration through every crystal facet, the whole place lit up bright as the high-noon desert. Layla drew an enormous breath as a fatigue she’d not known she’d been carrying since the previous day evaporated. And as a torrent of light and energy washed through Dusk’s scales and hair, flaring even brighter than the dome, Dusk gave a roaring laugh – a jubilant energy pouring from him as the sisters removed their touch.
“My god!” He laughed unsteadily. “Your ministrations are even better than I heard about!”
“The stronger the power within,” the first sister spoke with a pleased smile, “the stronger our power heals. Our First of the Nigerian Clan will be angry for losing us. You will need to make provisions to assuage him in the coming months.”
“I will keep that in mind.” Dusk spoke more soberly now as he realized what negotiations he would have to undertake soon, nabbing powerful Crystal Dragon clan members from all around the world. As Layla glanced at Trevor, his sweet gaze pinned shrewdly to Dusk, she realized that even the young Arizona man was a Clan Third. Trevor was far more than he seemed, and Layla found herself suddenly wondering if he wasn’t hiding Royal talent also, since he was the only person there showing scales openly.
But as the Nigerian sisters stepped back, the old Tibetan monk came forward. Hands tucked in the wide sleeves of his robe, he bowed low before Dusk, still not saying anything though he beamed pleasantly. As Layla watched, the man suddenly dropped a glamour so thick, he’d seemed human. But as searing diamond-scales flared over his entire body as his glamour disappeared, Layla almost threw a hand up over her eyes, he was so bright.
Glimmering before them with millions of serrated diamond-scales glittering in complex lines all over him, the old Tibetan man seemed mostly Dragon just standing there in his saffron robes. He’d grown five feet in moments, and now stood towering over everyone in the room as a ten-foot-tall Dragon-man, his body entirely scaled as long diamond-spines flowed back from his stout skull, enormous diamond-talons protruding from his fingertips, his legs powerful with muscle and walking on the balls of his taloned feet like a bird. Layla had never seen any Dragon take this kind of half-human appearance before, and knew from Adrian and Dusk’s tremendous astonishment rolling through their Bind that assuming this half-shifted form took an immense amount of power and mature energy. As the Dragon-man’s resonant voice rose in Layla’s mind, his scaled lips did not move, only smiled with delight like his entirely diamond-white eyes.
I am Norbu Gyatso, Clan First of the Crystal Dragons of Tibet and Nepal.He spoke telepathically, though from everyone’s expressions in the dome, they could all hear him.Long have I remained hidden in the human world, waiting for a Royal powerful enough to challenge our King. In times long past, I took a vow of silence and peace, so it was not I who could challenge King Markus Ambrose when his cruelty began. Many Royals did he steal from us in the beginning, until I discovered how he used them. Then did I hide my people in the human world, to do works of service and kindness until I sensed the call of one strong enough to bring a great peace to us. Many pulses I have felt, young First, many whose call I have turned down. But now, I am summoned. And though I am not to stay, for I have my own clan to govern, I come now to let you know you have allies. Though we raise no talons to fight, my people are strong in the ways of peace and negotiation. You will have need of us, to travel as your ambassadors all over this earth. And we will do so gladly – to bring the great joy of your Kingship to the world.
Dusk held stock-still, staring at the old man. His lips had fallen open and his face was pale now as he stared at Norbu Gyatso. “You must be mistaken. I’m not to going be King. I’m grateful for your support, but I’m sure I will only need your ambassadors to visit Clan Firsts I have stolen valuable members from, that’s all.”
For now.The Dragon-man spoke again. With a twinkle in his bright eyes, he turned towards the bridge and beckoned one taloned hand to Dusk. Frowning, Dusk followed him as everyone else came also, even Yousry. Silently, the Dragon-man led the procession back up the winding tiers of the underground cavern, up to the obsidian stairs they had come down yesterday. Moving all the way back up into the brightness of the Sun Temple, Layla discovered it was morning again. As everyone followed Dusk and Norbu Gyatso, stepping out into the sunshine and down the steps to the Crystal Highway where four intact Jeeps were parked now, Layla suddenly heard hard beats concuss the air.
Not the thundering roar of Crystal Dragon spirits, this was a mechanical sound Layla knew from the human world – the thudding beats of a helicopter. As she and the others looked up, a modern military Blackhawk helicopter came into view around one sandstone pinnacle, flying quickly over the crystal city. Layla blinked in astonishment. Clearly, someone with a little cash had felt Dusk’s pulse and was arriving in style.
