4
Gabriel
Hallucinating.I was definitelyhallucinating.
Except I wasn’t, because there were definitely strong, sharp, scary dragon claws holding me. In midair. About a billion feet aboveground.
It was all I had not toscream.
So when the little talking black bird asked me what my name was, I immediately lostmyshit.
“What thefuckis going on!?” Icried.
The dragon and the bird - a raven? - glanced at each other and chuckled. Igotmad.
“What’s funny?” Iasked.
“Wolf, you’re being carried by a flying dragon that just spewed fire and you have the audacity to be angry,” the raven said. “You’re aninterestingone.”
I shut my mouth, still agitated but now distinctly aware of how high up I was, and how powerful the dragon - the goddamn, real life son-of-a-bitchdragon- was holding me, I decided not to retortagain.
“So,” the dragon purred, craning his neck so that he could look at me, “let’s begin with names, shall we? I’m DanteDrakinus.”
“Ruby Corvae,” said theraven.
I blinked at both of them. Although I was scared out of my wits, I mumbled, “GabrielBrooks.”
“There we go. That’s a good wolf. Gabriel Brooks,” Dante said, as if tasting the words on his tongue. “Lovely name. Ilikeit.”
I blushed when he called me agood wolf. Just who wasthisguy?
“So, not to be rude, but are you actually a fire-breathing dragon or did those humans inject me with some kind of drugs?” Iasked.
“Not rude at all.” Dante grinned, flashing a full mouth of pearly white - andsharp- teeth at me. “I am indeed adragon.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “And you’respeaking…how?”
“Dragonspeech.”
The raven explained, “It’s an ancient vocalization style that registers in any listener’s mind as their own language, or any language theyunderstand.”
I turned to her - or at least, I assumed the bird was aher. “Okay… Andyouare speaking to me. Asabird?”
“Side effect of dragonspeech,” Ruby said. “As a servant of Dante’s family, the dragonspeech extends to measwell.”
“Okay,” I said finally, as if any of this made any grain ofsense.
“Excellent!” Dante said. “Now that everything’s settled, let’s return toCinderhollow.”
“Am I supposed to know what that is?” I asked,panicking.
“Dante,” Ruby chided, speaking gently as if I was a frightened rabbit, “perhaps we should find somewhere to rest first. The wolf lookstired.”
“Gabriel,” Icorrected.
“Yes, Ruby. His name is Gabriel Brooks, remember?” Dante growled. He held me closer to his chest, and for some reason my face went beet red. It wasn’t like I was about to argue with a dragon, though. “Is that alright with you,Gabriel?”
“I… I guess so,” I said meekly. Resting probably meant being on the ground again, which I desperately wantedrightnow.
