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I lost my temper. I apologize for that. And would also like to thank you for stepping in to remind me what it looked like to the non-shifters present.
Watching her stalling in the air like that, having to beat her wings often, was distracting. “Could you just land on my balcony already?”
Do you wish me to?
I rubbed a hand down my face. “You have nothing to apologize to me for. If anything, I need to apologize to you for intervening like that.” I was shocked Zaire hadn’t come knocking and tried to kick my ass, actually.
She landed, keeping her tail off the side of the railing.
I strode for her, walking right up to her, in her space, and placed my hand on her gigantic head, what I imagined a dragon’s forehead would be, if they had such things. “I am not afraid of you.”
She stilled.I would have killed him. I was about to.
“I know.”
Yet you still trust me near your queen?
“She isn’t going to betray the shifters or purposefully provoke you, so yes, I do.” I removed my hand from her forehead but stayed close. “There is no one else here I trust to keep her safe.”
I walked toward the railing and grabbed the ring off of it. “I only knew to intervene today because one of your people was simply worried for her queen. You haven’t lost them all, you know.”
She was quiet.Some days it feels like I have. Some days it feels like the whispers and rumors might as well all be true. That once they were spoken, the damage was already done, insecurities fed beyond repair. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel angry. And that isn’t the dragon in me talking. Just me.
I walked back over and reached my hand out, holding the ring in my palm. “You and me, we get to make our own rules. I might overstep like I did today, but I have your back. And you can have mine. So take the damn ring, Esta. Because it is pretty and you like it and because even on the days you think you might not deserve it, I see your grit and strength through your struggles, and I think you do.”
Without another word, she snatched it away.
I grinned. “Going to smack me on the head when you fly off again?”
She gave her head a shake.I am going to need a minute before I fly off again, so sadly not yet.
She was exhausted, yet she had still come. Likely worried I didn’t want her near Jorah having seen her almost kill a shifter earlier in the day. “When is the last time you slept?”
This morning for a few hours.
I held up a hand, “One moment.”
There were no fewer than ten different pillows in my room of vibrant colors. I decided the pillows on the back of the couch were biggest, and grabbed two of them, also grabbing a blanket which was draped over a chair in the sitting area.
I placed the two pillows together at her feet. “Rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
You wish for me to rest right here? On your balcony?
I gave her a shrug. “You can come inside if you like. You just said you needed a minute before you flew off. Give your wings a break. Rest. My mother used to call them power naps.”
She eyed the pillows.If you speak a word of this to anyon?—
I cut her off. “I won’t. Just sleep.”
She was more tired than I had assumed as she didn’t even argue, just situated herself so she fit on the balcony and her tail wasn’t dangling over it, rather curled around her.
I grabbed my pillow and blanket headed for the lounging chair out there. As I set them down, I realized we were closer than I had planned only because she was so large, she took up the entire balcony.
I tossed her blanket on her before I got settled.
I can’t even feel it.
“I don’t care. Power nap rules state you must have a proper blanket.”
