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11
BRAXTON
It was hard not to smile with baby Dragons fussing all over you. It was like puppy therapy, except this was ten times more awesome… because they were tiny Dragons! A chuckle escaped me when a bronzed baby jumped on me, refusing to stay on the grass with the others, after Imogen and the guards helped get them off me.
“What do you want, huh?” I asked, lifting him to my face as if he were a puppy.
His wings fluttered behind him and he yelped, trying to bite my nose. That was the definition of cuteness overload. I brought him to my chest, cradling him close when the urge to protect him filled me. That was funny, me protecting a Dragon?? Shaking my head, I gently squeezed him, feeling him nestle into my neck.
“You must let him go. You already have a Dragon,” Imogen advised.
Sighing, I nodded, and placed a little kiss on his forehead, setting him down. Only for him to jump on me again, climbing me until he settled on my head.
“Okay, that is enough. Come here, you.” Imogen’s hands lifted to take him, but he screeched—what I imagined was his version of a roar—and spit a tiny fireball at her.
Imogen flinched back, mostly surprised by his behavior since I doubted that had scared her, and her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. “Well, it appears he has chosen you,” she concluded, standing from the ground and wiping her pants.
“Oh, for gods’ sake!” Kingston grunted behind me while Evie glanced at me, perplexed.
“Sorry, I tried to let him go,” I attempted to explain, though I couldn’t deny I was kind of enjoying Mr. T’s frustration.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t get you one today,” Imogen apologized to the boy next to me. “Perhaps come back tomorrow, alone, so you can play with them and one will connect with you.”
“Okay,” Eli mumbled, pouting and pushing himself to his feet just as Imogen began to call all the babies back towards the waterfall.
My chest constricted with the sight, and it felt like my fault. For some reason they had been attracted to me instead, and I wished the babies wouldn’t have noticed my presence. Maybe the bronze Dragon would have chosen him and not me.
“Don’t you worry, Eli,” Mila assured, kissing his cheek. “I’ll bring you back tomorrow morning.”
Unsure of what I was supposed to do with a pet Dragon, I picked up my fallen spear and stood as the others began to retreat—following Imogen to the water. A blue Dragon suddenly began moving against the current, pushing the others, and fighting his way towards us.
“Oh, look!” Mila called her brother’s attention. “Maybe that one is making his way to you.”
Eli’s eyes filled with hope and excitement, but I kind of stopped breathing. If the blue one jumped on me too, the boy might cry, and Kingston would definitely kill me.
When the baby finally reached us, he lifted his head to Eli then to me, as though he was trying to decide between us.
“Call him to you,” Evie whispered, coming to the boy’s side. “Show him no one will love him like you will, and he’ll trust you.”
Briefly glancing at her, Eli focused on the blue baby once more, and opened his arms. “Come here, come,” he cooed, beckoning him closer and proving he wanted the baby above all. “I’ll be your friend forever, and feed you, bathe you, and play with you every day,” he promised, and waited.
Frozen, I watched as the Dragon regarded us for another moment, and suddenly jumped, landing in the boy’s opened arms.
Joy overflowed from Eli instantly, and he started crying, bringing him close to his chest. The Dragon nestled into his neck, reveling in his embrace.
It was so beautiful to watch, because with each sob that escaped the boy, I knew that meant more for him than just having a pet. It was a connection to his father, and that was what he truly craved.
I forced my throat to clear when it clogged with emotion. In a way, it was the same for me. This place represented a part of my parents’ life I still didn’t know, and now that they were both gone, I knew learning about their lives here would bring me closer to them. A small smile curved my lips when the bronzed Dragon nuzzled my cheek to make me feel better.
“What is his name?” the boy asked Imogen when she returned. A smile stretched his lips, illuminating his glossy eyes.
“That one is ashe, and you can name her anything you want.”
“Really?”
She nodded, caressing his curly brown hair. “Yes, it is up to you to name her.”
“Then I will call her Sky, because she is my favorite color.” Pulling her down from his neck, he kissed the baby’s head tenderly.
