He wasn’t sure. Part of him was tempted to let Meara know about them so that she could rid them of nuisance. But she was too unpredictable. And from what he’d seen, she was more likely to torture him and his group along with the ones in the lodge as she was to be grateful they’d reported them.
No...
There had to be some way to spin this so that he didn’t get skinned.
He just didn’t know how... yet.
“The king is worried about you.”
Tanis sniffed back her tears as Keegan entered her room. While she was still a dragon, she was now the size of a large unicorn. That actually made her smile. “What happened to you?”
“His Majesty wanted me to check on you while he goes over plans with the elves. When I told him I didn’t think I’d fit, he asked if I’d mind being pint-sized until he was free to come check on you himself.”
“He is thoughtful, isn’t he?”
Keegan moved to sit beside her bed. “He cares for you.”
“I like to think so.”
She lifted a claw and carefully turned Tanis’s head until she met her gaze. “No, Tanny. Hereallycares for you. You have to know that. It’s more than obvious to everyone else.”
Tanis wanted to believe it. “What difference does it make? I’m a dragon.”
“Do you have to become a dragon again? You seem awfully happy in your human body.”
She screwed her face up. “Not really. I mean... some of it’s not so bad.” Kissing Dash. And other things she did with him that were exceptionally wonderful, but living as a human for the rest of her life?
Grisly.
Tanis shook her head. “Even in this body, I’m a dragon and I miss being me.”
Keegan nodded in agreement. “I understand that a lot more than I did.” She held her paw and spread her claws wide. “It is weird to be something you’re not used to.”
“It really is.”
Keegan sat back on her haunches. “I am so sorry about everything. Especially for not being there for you these last years. You shouldn’t have been left alone.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
A knock sounded on her door. Scowling, Tanis answered it to find Ryper on the other side.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“I was just checking on you. Wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything.”
Tanis frowned as she noticed something for the first time. There were eerie similarities between Ryper and Dash. Not just in the cadence of their voice, but the way they held themselves. Even the way they stood.
He’d looked and sounded so much like Dash when he’d said that, they could have been twins.
Ryper frowned at her. “Are you all right?”
“Has anyone ever told you how much you favor the High King?”
He laughed nervously. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you? We’re nothing alike.”
She remembered during the fighting another similar detail. “You’re even a black unicorn... like him, aren’t you?”
“We don’t talk about that.”
