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“Hi,” I mumbled like an idiot, blood roaring through my body in response to that sexy-ass visual.
“Are you fully healed?” Kingston asked, punching her side to confirm.
WTF? Had he just punched her?
“Fully,” she replied without even flinching, a confident smile curving her lips.
“Good. Let’s go.” Her guardian whirled around, marching to the other side of the clearing with Evie. All the warriors followed after them.
I immediately reached for Asher’s arm, catching up to him. “Should Evanna really go hunting with us? I mean, she’s the princess.”
Laughter escaped him, echoed by the other men walking with us, and he shook his head like that was the most hilarious joke he ever heard. My gut tightened with worry. I knew she was from Caelisium and had probably faced every danger that existed, yet I couldn’t help but feel protective. I didn’t want Evie anywhere near danger, and I had no idea what to expect.
With them ignoring me, my attention returned to the front to see the five warriors on Evie’s side head towards a group of horses I hadn’t noticed near the wall. They were larger than those on earth, but just as beautiful, with lustrous coats and long hair braided down their necks.
An eager and exhilarated sensation suddenly inundated my chest, and I felt overjoyed to go with them. However, just like the other occasions, the emotions didn’t feel like they were actually mine. They were almost phantom feelings seeping through me. How was that even possible?
The thundering sound of wings stopped my mind-rambling, so I glanced up to see seven Dragons jumping out of their caves and diving towards us. I realized the honeycombs also had an outlet to this side of the mountain. A majestic purple female—the kids’ mother—led the rest, and they all landed across from us.
My mouth dropped once I finally regarded the adult Dragons out of their lairs, to their full glory. There was no other word to describe them, they were glorious. Their forms were as large and tall as buildings, making me feel so tiny in comparison, and truly humbling me before them.
“My beautiful Luna. Oh, how I’ve missed you,” Evie cooed, lifting her arms just as the kids’ mother lowered her head. It was almost a reverent gesture, letting Evie touch her.
Asher and the other warriors gave a similar welcome to the rest of the creatures. The huge cinnamon brown one who had judged me unashamedly the night I went to the lairs, almost purred, receiving Kingston’s attention. I was right. He was his Dragon. My feet took me towards Evie, however, and I lifted my arm to reach for the kid’s mother.
“Luna, I didn’t know your name was so beautiful,” I offered, seeing her turn from Evie to me. My palm stroked the side of her jaw since it was the only thing actually reachable. Amazement and disbelief mixed in my chest; how was so much wonder possible in one world? “Do I ride with you? I don’t see Vyper anywhere,” I asked Evie, finally glancing at her.
She seemed taken aback by our interaction. “How do you know my Dragon?”
Right. Of course Luna was hers, that is why the kids were so close with Evie.
Sighing, I stepped closer. I hadn’t really told her about being in the honeycombs yet. I hadn’t had a chance. “Vyper took me to their lair the first night I was here,” I whispered, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one else could hear us. “I’ve been kind of sleeping there with the kids every night since.” I shrugged because I was certain it wasn't a big deal. Surely, they had done that a million times by now.
Blinking, Evie looked at Luna, then at me. “You mean to tell me that my Dragon let you inside her lair, actually past the entrance, and sheallowed youto sleep there with her and the kids?”
“Yeah, but you have done that, right?” I glanced at the others behind us. “They have probably done it too. Isn’t that like part of your bonding? I’m bonding with Vyper, so he takes me there every night.”
Her gaze connected with Kingston, who began to walk to our side. “No, Brax. No one has ever stepped into a Dragon’s lair before. They protect us and let us ride them, but they won’t allow us inside. They areveryterritorial.”
“No, they are not,” I huffed, chuckling, while still caressing Luna’s jaw. Then the image of Kingston lowering his head and weapon to the Demon Dragon returned. I thought it was only because of how dangerous that one was, but the Chief of Battle had urged me to get out of the cave, fear guiding his actions... all my humor faded. “Wait. Then how come you have stairs that lead there?”
“We built them when we all moved into the mountain. This is the first place we’ve found where the Dragons can stay with us, so our intention was to visit them often and see to them, but we soon discovered that they do not like that. Anyone who enters their caves is an intruder, and it is dealt with swiftly.”
Shit. How the hell? “I didn’t know, I—Vyper took me there so I assumed it was—”
“We have to go,” Kingston growled, and my touch fell from Luna. “You are with Asher,” he ordered, pointing to the reddish Dragon that I’d seen in the first cave when visiting the honeycombs.
I glanced at Evie one last time, seeing her offer me a small smile before I walked away. When I snuck a look behind me, I saw her talking to Kingston, and he let out a heavy breath, nodding in agreement. I couldn’t help feeling that they were talking about me, but I’d have to wait until I went to her room tonight so I could ask.
“Ready to ride a real Dragon?” Asher smirked, nodding to his creature—she was a female like Luna.
“Hey, Vyper is as real as she is,” I defended, feeling like he and I were both the under dogs here. “And probably more fearless than she is.”
Asher laughed, taking something from the floor and bringing it to my arm. “I’m just kidding, but you might be right.” He began to strap the arm shield over my sleeve and chest. “When that little devil grows up, he’s going to be a real force to be reckoned with. For now…”
Getting a weird kick out of him calling Vyper a little devil, I chuckled too. I realized then that he and the others also wore the armor over the jacket. I supposed that was the reason the coats fit us all so snugly, so it wouldn’t interfere with the arm shield. The gauntlet fit perfectly too.
Turning, Asher stepped onto the talon of the female’s wing, jumping twice until he landed on her back. WTF? How the hell did he jump on her like that? “Come on! We need to leave.”
