Page 48 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

Benji sat in the crotch of a tree, one leg swinging in the shade over Akhane’s shoulder where she stretched out on her side, eyes closed and neck extended, letting the sun heat her scales, but keeping her head out of direct sunlight.

I greeted Kgosi first, of course, but my dragon glanced at Benji the moment we’d embraced. ‘He is very quiet, Donavyn. He is not happy. Those dragons weigh on him. He worries for them.’

I felt the compassion and gratitude in Kgosi. He always appreciated a man who understood that the dragons felt and thought as keenly as humans.

So, after a quick scratch behind his horns, I passed Akhane with a respectful greeting, to approach the tree from the other side.

Benji saw me coming, of course, but instead of his usually eager attitude and bright eyes, he watched me sullenly.

“Good morning,” I said as I approached. “Are you well, Benji?”

He shrugged. “As well as could be expected, I suppose.”

I frowned. Close up, it was obvious the boy wasn’t sleeping well. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked pale.

“You don’t seem well,” I said as gently as I could.

He glared, then looked to the other side, towards Kgosi. “You said you wouldn’t share things I told you!”

I blinked, half-angered by his disrespectful tone to my dragon, and half worried for him. “Benji, that’s not how we speak to the Primarch—”

“He lied.”

“He did no such thing. He only told me to speak with you. I observe from your appearance that you aren’t happy, and because I care, I asked about it.” I folded my arms and looked up at him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

I took a breath. “Well, would it make you feel better to know that I’m considering going back to visit those dragons, and I’d like your assistance if I do?”

His expression cleared of the frown, but his lips twisted. Benji muttered something I didn’t catch, but then pushed out of the branches and dropped to the ground. “Well, let’s go I suppose,” he said sullenly.

I waited until he’d gone several steps, finally realized I wasn’t following, and turned to look at me, before I spoke again.

“Benji… what’s going on?”

His shoulders hunched like I’d cuffed him. “Nothing.”

I gave him a pointed look and he shrugged.

‘I’d forgotten how irritating adolescent boys can be,’ I sent to Kgosi good naturedly.

He huffed. ‘In my experience, none of you ever truly grow out of the petulance of youth.’

I shot my dragon a look, but he’d stretched out in the sun as well, and joined his mate, only the tip of his tail curling and flicking like a cat’s.

“Crusty old—”

‘I heard that,’ Kgosi murmured in my head.

With a muttered curse, I turned back to Benji who looked back and forth between Kgosi and I, obviously discerning that we discussed something in the link. His brows drew down and his eyes went dark.

I tsked. “Benji, if you’re going to work with dragons for the rest of your life, you will have to become accustomed to allow privacy, and trusting their hearts. Kgosi would not lie to you, nor would he offer me anything to hurt you. But I am his bonded one. His rider. And he will always offer me more than he might to anyone else, bar his mate. That isn’t a betrayal of his regard for you. It is an honor to me, who shares his life.”

Benji’s face fell, but some of the anger left his expression. “I guess I’ll just have to wait until I get my own dragon, then.”

“Yes, you will,” I said smiling. “And I assure you, you’ll be thankful for their loyalty and discretion when you do. But until then, the dragons have invited you into a world that very few human beings enjoy: the ability to speak to many of them. That is a gift I do not share. I envy it, honestly.”

His brows shot up. “You’re jealous of me?”