When the energy fizzled from my palm, River took his hand away and pressed it to my forehead. ‘You’re burning up.’
‘I’m fine. I just don’t do this often.’
His face betrayed the doubt he didn’t bother to hide as I turned to look in the distance.
Anya landed twenty feet away; her endless tail whipped the air, and the ground shook beneath her claws. The sharp crack demanded our attention.
‘One word, and I’ll burn his hand off,’ she warned.
‘No, he’s okay. He saved me, remember,’ I said.
The dragon grunted in acknowledgement.
I had to speak aloud so that the king felt included.
Before I could make formal introductions, River bowed his head to her in respect. The gesture caught me off guard and pleased me. Respect mattered to dragons.
‘Anya, meet King Dracon,’ I said. ‘This is Anya, my bonded.’
‘I expected him to be taller,’ she rumbled, eyes tracing every inch of him.
‘He’s the tallest man I’ve met,’ I said, quick to defend him.
‘He doesn’t even reach my hip,’ she scoffed.
‘Neither do I.’
Anya clearly blamed River for how I’d been treated, and it would take her time to warm to him. Whether he noticed or not, he watched her with something like worship. Seemingly memorising every movement as if he needed the sight burned into him.
For the first time, I saw a high-ranking royal experience pure happiness that wasn’t self-serving. Perhaps this was an impactful moment for both of us.
‘I am pleased to meet you, Anya. I hope you don’t mind me calling you by your name,’ River said quietly.
‘I don’t particularly care for it,’ she replied, and I chose not to relay.
‘It is a great honour to welcome you to my kingdom. My name is King River Dracon, and I understand it is your ancestral home too. I’d like you to know we have kept the Cave City in a stellar condition, awaiting the dragons’ return.’
My jaw dropped at his use of his real name. Relief washed over me. I had to stop myself from blurting it out earlier.
Smoke curled toward him as Anya snorted. ‘One would hope so.’
‘Please let your bonded know if I can be of assistance. I hope to conjure my own dragon soon. Perhaps you won’t be lonely in the caves for long.’
‘Slim chance,’ Anya said.
‘Oh, stop it. He’s trying. By the way, the horses are off limits.’
Anya shot me a glare, clamped her jaws shut, and launched into the sky with a thunderous clap of her wings. We stood in silence, watching her soar. River's head followed every sweep of her flight, his eyes tracking the movement of her wings as though he'd never seen anything more fascinating.
When she disappeared from view, he looked at me, puzzled. ‘Was it something I said?’
‘No,’ I said, and relief flickered across his face. ‘That was me.’
‘I don’t mean to pry, but I want to know,’ he said, falling into step behind me as I led the way back to the castle. ‘So?’
‘I'd forbidden her from eating your horses. She's pissed off. Called me a nuisance,’ I said, wiping the sweat from my brow. Truth be told, I felt a little too warm, but I didn't want to raise any alarms. It would probably settle on its own.
River’s smirk returned. ‘So hunger’s a touchy subject for her, too. Who would have thought?’
