“What memory is this?”Raven asked.“What dragon is this? Because it seems to know us.”
“It does.”He grinned when it sank down lower and tip-toed closer as though it didn’t want to get caught being here.“And I have no idea who it is.”
Was he sure about that? Because she sensed his inner dragon had come to attention, as curious about the newcomer as her dragon.
“Should we speak aloud,”Raven wondered,“or will we scare it off?”
“I have no idea.”Plainly trying to remain unseen, the tiny dragon kept really low now. Almost on its belly.
“Hello,” Raven whispered aloud, taking the matter into her own hands. “Who are you?”
Startled by the sound of her voice, the dragon jerked up and scurried back a little. Its gaze darted between them in confusion as though they should already know who it was.
“I’m Raven,” she went on gently. “And this is Tor.”
The dragon clearly wanted to back up more but stiffened its legs in what seemed like defiance at its own cowardice and stood up a little taller. It cocked its head left and right, taking them in yet again, both curious and slightly confused by the looks of it.
Something her inner dragon seemed to understand because her vision hazed red, and her dragon eyes erupted. In turn, the tiny dragon’s eyes rounded, then rounded further still when Tor’s dragon eyes erupted as well. For some reason, that was like turning on a light bulb, for lack of a better explanation, and the dragon hopped from foot to foot in excitement.
“I don’t understand,” Tor rumbled. His deep voice pleased the dragon greatly based on the way it eyed Tor’s chest with a mixture of wonder and approval before hopping from foot to foot even faster, as though revving up in excitement.
“How can I,we, help,” Tor went on. “What do you need?”
That’s when she realized what he had already figured out. The dragon was a ghost, drawn to him like all spirits, and needed help passing on. That Tor included her in assisting a spirit warmed her heart. Especially considering it was a dragon soul.
The tiny dragon paused and perked up as though, yes, itdidneed help.
“Show us then if you can’t talk,” Tor urged. “Show us what you need.”
The dragon perked up even more before it hopped from foot to foot again in a burst of fresh excitement, tested its wings, then zoomed away, only to vanish into thin air before it reached the exit.
“So what happens next?” She looked from the entrance back to him. “Do we just go in the direction it went and hope it reappears?”
“That would be my guess.”
While she sensed he wanted to make love one more time, his inner dragon felt the same urgency as hers. They could enjoy each other again later. Right now, they needed to help that tiny dragon.
She went to respond but stopped short when she saw Tor’s arm.
“It’s gone!” She touched where his dragon tat had been. “Completely vanished.” She frowned. “I don’t get it. We’re far closer now than we were at the beginning of our journey.”
“This has to have happened for a reason,” he replied. “Perhaps we don’t need a tattoo in the end.”
“Maybe not,” she agreed but felt disquieted regardless.
“Nomaybe.” He cupped her cheeks and met her eyes. “Tattoo or not, wearemated. And Idolove you, Raven.”
“I know,” she whispered, all emotional again. “And I, you.”
She did too. Always had. It didn’t seem strange at all feeling or saying it, either, where a few days ago, it would have struck her as absurd.
“So there’s no reason to worry over a tattoo.” Tor brushed his lips across hers. “Instead, it seems we’ll be worrying over a dragon spirit.”
He was right because there was worry attached to it. A growing edginess for them to get going. Thankfully, it seemed Cian anticipated as much because he was ready to go when they rejoined him.
“This is part of our journey, isn’t it?” she asked after telling him about the dragon. As predicted, he only shrugged and let them lead the way.
Or better yet, let the tiny dragon lead the way.
