That part of me that knew instinctively what was true and what wasn’t came to life, showing me a rapid flicker of images. A dragon that gleamed as bright a gold as Argent was silver. A massive keep built high on a mountain of rock, dragons having burrowed into it to create living spaces. And her. The girl, the woman that had haunted my dreams from the very beginning. Light brown hair waving in the wind, blue eyes sparkling as she looked back over her shoulder as she smiled.
“That is our destiny…” I whispered, right as Argent climbed down into my shirt.
Chapter 8
Five years after the war between Harlston and the rest of Nevermere was won
Kael
“Good morning.”
I ran downstairs, slapping my flying gloves against my leg, before walking up to Mother. She was stirring a massive pot of oatmeal but paused to present her cheek for kissing.
“Give me a second and I’ll make you some breakfast,” she said.
“I’m not a boy who needs cosseting anymore, Mother.”
She let the wooden spoon stand up in the oatmeal as she turned to me.
“You’re my boy.” Her hands flicked away imaginary dust from my flying leathers. “Now eat.”
“You heard your mother.” Barry was older, more grizzled now, but still just as grumpy. Probably because he was eating a bowl of oatmeal, not fresh sizzling rashers of bacon and eggs.
“I did and I’ll eat something when I return from the patrol,” I replied.
“I’ll stay for breakfast.” Lorien appeared, but when he went to sit down at the dinner table, Dain slapped him upside the head with his gloves.
“You’ll get your arse on ‘Fang’s back, is what you’ll do.”
The children at the table all giggled. We had far fewer than before the war. Barry was officially retired once my father was thrown from his own parapets, but when we found children orphaned from the conflict, we brought them back to the estate for Mother and Barry to care for.
“Something’s going to happen?” I asked Dain cautiously.
His eyes went blank for a second, becoming filmy, but with a blink that was dismissed.
“A dragon.”
“Here?”
I didn’t need to direct the others to follow. The three of us were marching towards the lake where our dragons were lounging around, enjoying the morning sun. Barry emerged, strapping on his sword, but Mother rushed over to grab his arm.
“You stay here, Bartholomew Sanson!”
“She used your full name, Barry.” Lorien grinned over her shoulder. “Looks like you need to sit this one out. Up, ‘Fang, you lazy bastard.”
But as our dragons lumbered to their feet, we discovered what Dain meant.
“See that?” Barry said, shielding his eyes as he stared at the sky.
I did. A small black spot in the clouds, but I knew what it was. Someone had sent a bloody dragon to our estate. Children came rushing out in response to the fuss, but Mother herded them back inside. My gloves were jerked on and then I was up and over the fence, Slate already waiting for me.
“Steady, lad,” I said once in the saddle.
We will blast this idiot out of the sky?My dragon positively throbbed with territorial anger.I will tear him, limb from limb.
A tiny thing like that?I measured the size of the dragon with my eyes and saw it was one typical of the Royal Riders. They were sleek, fast things, but they would never outmatch the three of us. Drathnor was an ancient dragon and her sons were of her line, not the royal one. Each one of our beasts could’ve chewed this interloper in two with barely a thought.He’s not worth your time.We’ll see what he has to say and then decide whether or not you dine on dragon for breakfast.
Slate let out a huff of breath, making clear what he thought of that plan, as his brothers clustered closer.
