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Rumir laughed. “No, not me. My mother carried me just as yours did you.”
“If you’d hatched from an egg, I wouldn’t have teased you—much,” I chuckled, and we laughed together. “I saw a dragon the first day I got here. Do they isolate themselves here like they do on Earth?”
“Mmm, not exactly like on Earth, but most of the dragons here do keep to themselves. Dragons live in harmony with the lands they occupy. We believe humans in particular, but some supernaturals too, are destructive.”
“That’s funny when you consider that a dragon can demolish a city simply by landing on it.”
“Exactly,” he responded. “Dragons know the value of restraint, of avoiding possible destruction at all costs, even with all the aggression we hold. When a dragon retaliates against someone, the person had it coming. But power comes from the earth, the air, and the sky—it’s something that’s all around us. And in the dragon territories, we can feel it even more because we’re one with it.” He opened his hand, and in his palm, a clear force began to simmer. It looked like heat rising from the ground. “Dragons covet power.”
He closed his hand. “But in every species, you get a few rotten apples, and my father’s one of them. My father’s a King. He’s a tyrant and rules his people with an iron fist. But they do live well.”
“Doesn’t that make you royalty, in a sense?” I asked. “In addition to being a god, I mean.”
He nodded. “It does.”
We fell silent for a time while I mulled over what I’d just learned. It was heartbreaking that dragons felt the need to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. But if they were being hunted, I could understand. I also agreed with their assertion that humans and supernaturals weren’t caring for the Earth the way they should be.
Now I was curious to learn what the dragon territories were like. But also, I now felt that I had a better understanding of who Rumir was.
“I’ve heard about the history between you and Lucian,” I said after some time. “I don't know the details, but I do know that I'm not the only reason you dislike each other. Maybe if you told me just what happened, I could understand a bit better.”
My bracelet began to beep, and Lucian's name appeared on the screen above it. Rumir glared at the bracelet and buried his hands into his pockets. I looked at him, surprised. It was as if a switch had been flipped. His eyes no longer glowed, and where there had been warmth and kindness—and longing—now there was only irritation.
"I came here to spend some time with you, to start to get to know you, but it seems I won't even be allowed to have that. A mother would never do this to a son she cares about.” He looked up at me. “You want to know what happened between Lucian and me? He happened.” He cleared his throat. “I'm glad you're well, Natalie. I'll be leaving now. But be careful. Lucian isn’t as perfect as you think. I don’t want to see you get hurt."
He turned away, and I watched him leave, unable to move.
I could sense the sadness in him, and I thought back to what Rehema had told me about him. How terrible would it be to have a mother who put someone else over her own child?
My mother had died during childbirth. Even now, it was still painful to think about. But she’d chosen to die herself rather than let me go that night. Like a true mother, she’d put her child’s life above her own.
I still knew nothing about what happened between Rumir and Lucian—and I wouldn't take a side before knowing the whole story—but I couldn’t help feeling bad for the Goddess’s son.
But right now, I had to worry about myself. I was being pulled in two directions, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d be torn in two.
“Hey, Lucian,” I said, answering the call.
"Hey, are you okay? Can I come over and see you?"
I was touched by how considerate he was. “You can come over whenever you like.”
“Okay, I’m leaving the temple now. Do you need anything?”
“No.” I looked towards the door. “Just hurry.”
