I will not be manipulated byanyfemales, Mother,Jildarin said dryly.Not even you.
This is not about manipulating you to some personal end. This is about what is best for our kind, the continuation of our species.
We were not so decimated by our enemies that the dragonspeciesis in danger of going extinct.Jildarin still sounded dry, as if calling his mother out for being melodramatic.
Rylana approved. Now, if he would ask them to leave the area and stop talking about slaying her…
It is time for you to mature, my son, and do your duty as a mighty dragon of the Killcrusher Clan. His mother didn’t sound amused or impressed by his dryness.
You should be honored that so many females desire you,his aunt put in,that they do not mind your… quirkiness.
Jildarin's tail twitched. More with irritation than quirkiness,Rylana thought. No son liked being lectured by his mother—his mother and hisaunt.
“Jildarin is a strong and independent dragon,” she caught herself saying. “I’m sure he’ll one day desire to lend his efforts to creating fine offspring, but he’s on another quest right now, and it’s a worthy one. He’s amazingly talented as a chef. Did you know he just won the Golden Whisk? A very prestigious culinary contest in Tranquility?”
Jixana looked at her as if she were a dead rodent that one of the log-inspector dogs had brought to its handler instead of a magical treasure. Jildarin also looked over at her, but he appeared more appreciative of her defense. At the least, he didn’t look irritated. Dragon faces were hard to read, but his muscles grew less tense.
She addresses superior dragons when not spoken to,Lysilria said.How presumptuous. We would be within our rights to slay her simply for that.
If you do not come home to fulfill your duty,Jixana said to Jildarin,and if I find out your lack of desire to mate with one of your own kind is because you change into a lowly human form to mounttheirfemales…Her scathing gaze raked over Rylana again.I willnotbe pleased. The gold hoard will not be the only thing that I deny you access to, and your humanbookkeeperwill regret the day she met you.
“I regret that I shot the wrong dragon,” Rylana muttered under her breath.
Do not stray far from the protective borders of Tranquility, human,Lysilria said.It is quite dangerous in the forests and mountains, especially for a bumbling two-legs with no claws or fangs or means of defending herself.
Rylana tightened her grip on her bow. If she’d had mithril-headed arrows that could have more easily wounded a dragon, she might have been tempted to demonstrate that she could indeed defend herself. She was tempted anyway. But, as she’d notedbefore, if they attacked her—and if she shot one of them, they absolutely would—there were few places on top of the knoll where she could take cover. Also, she didn’t know if Jildarin would be as quick to defend her against his mother and aunt as he had the overbearing female sisters.
He did, however, growl at them—at his aunt, specifically.You will not threaten my bookkeeper, Lysilria. She has value to me and my goals.
“I care for you too,” Rylana muttered.
Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. Even though she wouldn’t have guessed the dragons were close enough to hear her, Jixana growled back, and she was looking at Rylana instead of her son. Damn, had she heard that comment?
We will expect you back at the clan caves soon, Jildarin-grozanarav.Jixana sprang into the air, her wings flapping to take her back to the south.Do not forget your duty. Should one of the sisters or another fertile female fly all the way north to visit you, I expect you to reward her for her effort—and to reward the clan with hatchlings.
Lysilria shifted her weight on her perch but didn’t fly after Jixana, instead lingering to contemplate Rylana.
She didn’tthinkthe dragon would attack when Jildarin was so close, but it wasn’t as if she knew his family well. Maybe his aunt would risk his ire—and his fangs—to ensure nothing stood in the way of Jildarin mating with his own kind and producing those hatchlings that Jixana wanted. Maybe the wholeclanwanted them.
Jildarin growled at Lysilriaand flexed his wings. Her gaze shifted toward him, and she growled back, maw parting to reveal sharp fangs.
“I’ve heard that Zilek is available to mate with female dragons,” Rylana called, not wanting Jildarin to have to fight his aunt because of her—because his relatives believed something washappening that wasn’t. She also didn’t want to be caught in the middle of it.
Zilek-grozanarav,Lysilria said, her icy tone making it clear Rylana should have spoken of him by his full name,is not the one who felled more enemies than any other and that all the females crave to sire their hatchlings.
His genetic material is similar to mine,Jildarin said.We are from the same brood. He should be an acceptable mate. There aremanyacceptable males in the clan.
You are the one the females desire.Not waiting for a response, Lysilria sprang into the air and flew straight at Jildarin.
11
Startledby the black dragon streaking toward them, Rylana lifted her bow.
Do not fire at my kin,Jildarin told her. Such power filled his words that she felt magically compelled to obey and lowered the weapon.
He roared, leaped from his perch, and flew to meet his aunt with his talons outstretched, his fangs flashing in the sunlight.
Rylana gaped as they came together, biting and raking each other as their wings beat, keeping them aloft. She hadn’t thought he would fight his own kin—he’d just toldhernotto attack them. But he didn’t hesitate to tear into his aunt.
