It’d seem they weren’t as prepared for questions as it was just indicated they were. Their feet slam to a halt as their gazes bounce between Creed and Willow.
“Are your souls not connected to Thayla’s?”
Corentin’s question has my mind growing fussy. An inkling I’ve had for quite some time now anchors in my chest as my eyes roam over them.
“No. Just hers to ours,” I say.
They nod.
“She owns our souls just as we own hers. That isn’t metaphorical, but literal. That’s the way of a true Nexus,” Caspian answers with nothing but pure conviction in his tone.
“We are one. It’s the best…” Draken trails off as his eyes shift into another form that have mine widening. His face grows slack and his mouth parts. “Elementra, look at them.”
In a blink, he’s sprinting full force forward, ignoring the three others as they call his name. My heart pounds in my chest when I realize what—who—he’s running toward.
“Don’t approach them like that!”
Riven’s and my shout goes ignored as Draken continues to barrel toward Verlet and Seismet.
My power shoots out, surrounding me as I sprint to intercept him before he reaches them.
“Don’t stop him, Kyzen,”Verlet orders and I slam to a stop.
He and Seismet rear up on their hind legs and neigh loudly as their power pulses through the meadow in waves. A responding…
Fuck.
The roar that blasts from Draken rattles the ground beneath my feet. My pulse thunders in my ears as I suck down a breath and stare at the bows our Veilatara are presenting to him.
“What in the actual fuck was that?” Riven asks as he and the others catch up to me and form a line.
“Are you referring to Draken’s roar or whatever it is those…what are those? Horses?” Caspian asks.
“Veilatara. Aside from the Vedarya—who until V we believed to be extinct—they are the most revered creatures in our realm. Put some respect in your tone when speaking about them,” Riven breathes, taking a step forward.
Creed and I grip his biceps and tug him back.
We continue to gawk, confused and shocked as Verlet and Seismet headbutt, nudge, and playfully huff at Draken as he runs his hands through their manes. He laughs and scratches them as though he’s known them forever.
“Man, you gods are lucky,” he says as he and our Veilatara join us, breaking us out of our stare. “Granted, those fucking locks around their wings make me want to burn this place to the ground, but I promised I wouldn’t set anything on fire today.”
“Or bite anyone or anything,” Corentin adds.
Fuck…I thought all those eating people comments were jokes.
“Verlet, what is going on?”I ask.
“Just because he’s a dragon, he’s special? I don’t like this,” Riven grunts, and Verlet huffs.
“Don’t be so possessive. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to meet a creature such as this.”
“A creature such as what? A dragon? We know there are dragons in other realms,”I say.
“Realm, singular,”V hoots.“Dragons are native to Essemist Keep, and Draken isn’t just a dragon. He’s the one and only natural-born dragon shifter. All creatures recognize that.”
“Oh my goodness,” Willow breathes from beside us. I didn’t even hear the two of them join us. “You both are gorgeous.”
Just like Draken, she has no reservations whatsoever about approaching our Veilatara. They have no reluctance in leaning their foreheads to hers and allowing her to embrace them.
