“Does that sound like a credible source?” Lance frowned as his arms crossed his chest. “The ancient dragons were by all accounts terrifying, but those are the powers of a god, not a beast.”
“We’ll discover the truth if we can find this damn nest somewhere amongst all the ruins that are scattered around the city of Wyrmpeak.” Kael rubbed at his face. “What if her den was under the city itself? What if the stones were tossed aside when humans built the place?”
The answer is in the earth.
We all turned as Lance’s dragon stepped forward.
“You keep saying that,” Kael snapped, “but I’m going to need something more if we are going to narrow the search down.”
“Viridian is earth attuned,” Lance shot back. “More so than any other green dragon I’ve met. If the nest still exists, he’ll find it.”
“How?” Fern moved to place a hand on the green dragon’s muzzle and he nudged her palm, obviously wanting a scratch. “Do we fly over the entire region around the capital, searching for the nest like one might a needle in a haystack?”
Kael’s arms crossed as he stared fixedly at Lance.
“If the general will let us fly free of the keep. He let you escort us to Harlston. Think you can get him to loosen his leash on us enough to do sweeps of the region?”
“I can try.” Both Kael and I began to shift as Lance’s eyes dropped to the ground. His frown had me stiffening. “But if he won’t allow it.” When he met our collective gaze, I started to smile pre-emptively. “Then I know a little something about living life outside of the keep. Me and Viridian.” He slung an armaround the green dragon’s neck. “We were among the first riders and dragons to leave the corp. Spent some time under the protection of Marcus Lighthands.”
“The head of the Wyrmpeak underworld?” I let out a low whistle. “That’s some interesting company you keep, Lieutenant.”
“He might not go by Lighthands anymore, now he’s respectable.” Lance’s grin was an echo of my own. “As he’s the prime minister.”
“Prime minister?” Kael’s eyebrow shot up as he lost that sour expression. “Think you can get a meeting with him? If anyone can get the general off our backs, it’s got to be him.”
“I might be able to.” Everyone stared at me. “A man in his office gave us a ride back from the tavern that day. Told him we’d put our dragons at his beck and call if he’d support us against the general.”
Talk to this human, Auren said, settling down beside Fern.But if that fails? I didn’t eat this general before when he insulted me out of respect for Hazel and Zafira. I’ll ensure they are not present if he tries to interfere again. The truth of what happened to Drathnor affects all of my kind, and I’m not above getting my father and the rest of the wild dragons involved if that’s what’s required.
“Sounds like we have a plan,” I said, walking over to Fern. My hands on her shoulders, rubbing the fabric there, it helped settle something deep inside me. “But what do you think, lass?”
“What do I think?” She turned then, scanning the circle before her eyes came to rest on Dain. “I think we need to get back to the keep as fast as we can. The sooner we return?—”
The sooner we can find our mother’s nest.
‘Fang used to rest his head against my chest when he was just a hatchling. What was cute back then had me stumbling backwards now.
“So if we want to get back to Wyrmpeak fast, you could ride with me, Fern?” I offered as I found my feet.
“Or with me.” Lance stepped forward. “I said I’d work with you on your flying skills on the journey.”
Males. Auren’s tone was withering.We queens ride together. You others will have to try and keep up.
All the dragons rose to their feet then, but Kael shook his head.
“After a good night’s sleep. Bed now and then we leave at first light, though if you want to share a bedroll?—”
“No.”
Fern started pulling her bedroll down from Auren’s back, but I was there in seconds. I had the ropes untied, then was carrying it over beside the fire. Next to Dain, because her eyes kept straying his way and that was fine. She’d look the same way at me some day if I played my cards right.
It also meant I could lay my own bed on her free side. With a series of grumbles, everyone else bedded down for the night, but my eyes remained wide open, staring at the night sky. The adrenaline that came from entering those caves was still coursing through my blood. As I traced imaginary lines between different stars, creating constellations of my own, Fern turned to me.
“Do you think we will find Drathnor’s den?” she said.
“We have to.” I smiled. “Fate had its hand on us the day we went into the tomb. It had us crashing down through the floor and allowed me to find ‘Fang.” My dragon snorted, his eye opening for a second, then falling closed again. “It brought us to the keep the very same day you arrived. We’re destined…” Her eyes widened just slightly. “To discover the truth, together.”
I held her gaze for some time, willing her to understand what I meant by the last bit, but she rolled over and buried her head under the covers. That was alright. A male dragon flew hard after his prospective mate, showing he had the strength, the stamina, to be a good father to her young. Well, I’d do whatever it took to make clear I was the right man for Fern. That was enough to have me falling asleep, dreaming of what that day might looklike.
