We share a good laugh; the sound carrying across the water, and decide to sit down on the cliff’s edge to watch the moon rise over the ocean and the stars emerge like scattered diamonds. The stone is still warm from the day’s sun, and the night air carries the scent of sea spray and wild grass.
In five days, I will officially know Corvis and Hemlocke are my mates. In five days, everything I once knew will change forever. The thought fills me with equal parts anticipation and terror, but as I sit here with Mom, watching the stars appear, I feel ready for whatever destiny awaits.
Chapter 21
Corvis
The great gathering has begun,and we’re on day two of the events. The air is thick with the scent of cooking meat, wildflowers, and the distinct musk that comes from dozens of dragons in close proximity. From what Klauth told us, Raven was born around the time the sun should be setting. Anytime around then, she should be able to sense what I am to her. The thought makes my silver scales along my neck tingle with anticipation and nervous energy.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a necklace with a pendant made from shed scales from both our dragons. The delicate piece feels warm in my palm, having absorbed my body heat throughout the day. It’s framed in sea glass and silver to turn it into a work of art—something beautiful enough to match the beauty of the woman it’s meant for.
“Getting nervous?” Ziggy walks up with a stein of beer in each hand, the foam spilling slightly over the rim as he moves. The yeasty smell mingles with the afternoon breeze.
“Is it that obvious?” I accept the stein from him, feeling the cool metalagainst my palm, and we clink them together with a sharp ring that echoes across the field.
“It is. I remember the night Mina chose me. I remember explaining to the others what I wouldn’t give to feel the love of my mate through the bond for the rest of my life. To be chosen by someone to be theirs until the end of your days.” He gets a faraway look in his eyes, lost in memories, before he laughs softly. “Mina kissed my neck, and the rest is history.”
“I’ve known since I was seven. I had to watch her date, have bad dates that almost made her commit genocide. Her and Thauglor almost committing genocide and starting a war. Klauth joining in, and the entire nest having to talk the three of them down.” The words taste bitter on my tongue as I remember years of helplessly watching. I show Ziggy the pendant I made for Raven, the silver catching the afternoon light. “I hope the bond brings her peace.”
“It will. You’re a good male. If you weren’t, we had a side bet on when Thauglor or Balor was gonna kill you.” Ziggy says so calmly that I can’t tell if he’s messing with me or dead serious. The casual way he mentions my potential murder makes my blood run cold.
I look out across the field where Raven is playing with her sisters. The five of them are running around, throwing wildflowers at each other, their laughter carrying on the wind like music. The sight makes something warm and protective unfurl in my chest. “Mina wanted her daughters—her children—to have the freedom to be children. Something she didn’t get to experience,” Ziggy says sadly as he watches Raven suddenly go on high alert and send the rest of the daughters running.
“What’s happening?” I ask my heart immediately jumping to my throat as I watch Raven’s entire demeanor shift from playful to predatory in an instant.
“I’m not sure, but it can’t be good.” Ziggy’s voice carries the weight of experience as we both take off running across the field. The grass isslippery beneath our feet, still damp from the morning dew. There’s a knot forming in the pit of my stomach, growing tighter with each stride.
Raven shifts immediately, her transformation explosive and magnificent. Her roar shakes the very ground beneath our feet, and I can feel the vibration travel up through my bones. It’s a summoning roar—something or someone unwelcome has arrived. Her skull dragon form looks down at whatever threat has materialized, and she lays a thick band of acid down before her. The green glow makes her look like something from a nightmare, beautiful and terrible in equal measure.
Thauglor’s massive dragon form lands behind his daughter with earth-shaking force, sending tremors through the ground that nearly knock us off our feet. He roars from overtop of her, the sound so loud it makes my ears ring. We almost lose our footing from the impact of his landing.
Ziggy vanishes in a blur of motion and reappears with Klauth and Mina in front of Raven and Thauglor. As soon as I reach the field, I shift without hesitation. My dragon form explodes into existence, and I fly to close the distance, landing next to Raven with a heavy thud. The warmth radiating from her massive form is comforting even in this tense situation.
Guard drakes—an entire nest of them—have arrived in their shifted forms. Their smaller, more aggressive forms are spread across the field like a plague of locusts. They want in on the great dragon gathering, but their presence here is an insult to tradition and protocol. Two shift back to human form and approach Mina and Klauth with arrogant confidence.
When they do, Raven lowers her magnificent head over her mother and huffs out an acidic breath that burns the air. The acrid smell makes my nostrils flare and my eyes water. It’s hard to breathe through the toxic cloud she’s created.
“I suggest you back up. My daughter and mate”—Mina motions to Thauglor, who looks down at Raven with paternal pride — “don’t like people too close to me.” Her voice carries an eerie calm that’s more terrifying than any threat. I can see what Thauglor is seeing: Raven is already half his size, an impressive feat for someone so young.
“We petition to join the gathering,” the head drake says with barely concealed arrogance.
Raven rumbles deep in her throat, the sound vibrating through the ground and into my bones. She’s telling them about how this one was calling her a winged freak. She also calls him and his nest snack-sized, her voice dripping with disdain.
Thauglor’s dragon form lowers its massive head, nuzzling his progeny with gentle affection. He rumbles about how proud of her he is, then agrees that they are indeed snack-sized. That comment earns him a sharp glare from Klauth before he nods in agreement.
“This is a gathering for true dragons. If you wish, we can hold another in the spring before your mating season for the subspecies of drakes,” Klauth says with all the authority befitting his station as the continent’s king.
Raven is in motion before anyone can stop her. It happens so fast it’s almost like watching events unfold in slow motion. One of the drakes spits acid directly at Klauth, the green stream arcing through the air with deadly intent. Raven’s wing slices down like a black shield, blocking him and her mother before she lunges forward with predatory grace.
With a snap of her powerful jaws, she picks up the guard drake and shakes her head violently. Blood sprays across the field in wide arcs, painting the grass vermillion. The metallic scent fills the air, mixing with the acid and creating a nauseating cocktail. In a move that almost stops my heart, she turns to her father, and he bites the other half of the guard drake. They pull it apart like taffy, spraying blood and raining entrails down between them.
The wet, tearing sounds make my stomach lurch, but I can’t look away from the raw display of power and violence. Mina appears to be just as shocked as I am at the sudden brutality Raven has displayed. She and Thauglor chomp down on the halves they have in their mouths, staring at the remaining guard drakes as if daring them to try something else. Blood drips from their jaws like crimson rain.
“You ask to join us, yet you attempt to spit acid on the continent’s king,” Mina says softly, her smile cold as winter ice. “If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of my daughter, who knows how badly my mate would have been injured.” Her voice remains soft despite the scales rising on the back of her neck, creating a pattern of threat and warning.
“We regret the actions of our clan mate. Please reconsider allowing us to join,” the male drake says, looking at Mina and trying to sway her with false contrition.
Raven’s massive taloned hand reaches out and gently grasps her mother and Klauth, pulling them closer to her protective bulk. She lowers her head to stare directly at the male and rumbles again, her voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. She tells them they have two choices: leave and live, or remain and die. Her scales rise along her spine and neck, making her appear even larger and more threatening. She clacks her jaws several times, the sound like massive bones breaking, threatening the guard drakes with extinction.
