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Angus asked for more from whomever brought his vision states. What were Eletea and the other dragon saying? He could see them, but it was like watching a silent movie. Was the red dragon Cavet? They didn’t seem much like lovers. He felt himself slipping from trance and forced himself to neutral ground. Emotional reactions might bring things to a crashing halt, and there were no guarantees he could resurrect his dream state.
Eletea’s head drooped. She spread her wings and flew away still dropping gemstones. The red dragon tossed its head and flew in the other direction.
Angus forced himself to breathe evenly. He hated choice points in trance. He could follow one or the other, but not both. Sometimes he tossed the decision to the gods, but not today. Fueled by intuition, he followed the red dragon. On the far side of a band of cliffs, the red banked and landed. Another dragon lumbered from the mouth of a cave.
Angus peered hard. At first, he thought it was Eletea, which wasn’t possible since she’d flown the other way. Then he recognized Danne, her egg-mate. A cold tongue of rage built in his belly, but he pushed it aside.
No emotion.
None.
Danne inclined his head at the other dragon, who lumbered to him. “I made her angry,” the red announced, “but she won’t stay gone long.”
Thank the gods I can hear now.
Angus tilted his head, not wanting to miss anything.
“Doesn’t matter. We don’t need long,” Danne replied. “Mitha has a friend who wishes to bond with you. We can formalize the shifter bonds in ten nights’ time during the full moon.”
“Once it’s done, we’ll both be immortal.” The red, who had to be Cavet, opened his jaws in a parody of a smile.
“What are you going to do about Eletea?” Danne asked.
“Why do you care?”
Danne at least had the grace to look chagrined. “She’s my egg-mate, and she loves you. Not only that, she loves the Highlands.”
Cavet shrugged. “All women love me.” He leaned close to the smaller dragon. “I have a plan. By the time I’m done, she’ll be so busy explaining herself, she won’t be a problem any longer.”
“What do you have in mind?” Danne’s question came slowly, almost as if he didn’t want to know.
“I’ll tell the Council she’s been dabbling in witchcraft and had sex with a human. After that, I’ll tell them I’m so distraught, I don’t want her anywhere near the Highlands anymore.”
Danne’s golden eyes whirled faster. “Can’t you just tell her you changed your mind? It’s easier, cleaner—”
“Not nearly as much fun.” Cavet spoke over him. “You should leave. If she catches you here, she’ll ask a lot of questions.”
“No, she won’t, but I’ll go.” He spread his copper wings, but he must’ve summoned magic as well because he vanished moments after becoming airborne.
Fury burned through Angus. He forced it into submission. He had to see what happened next.
Sure enough Eletea winged into view a short time later and landed close to Cavet, who clumped toward her. “Darling,” he crooned. “I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t fight.”
She tilted her snout skyward, scenting the air. “Someone was just here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Angus could see the edges of a believability spell woven into those three words. “Come hunt with me.”
“We shouldn’t remain here.”
“But it’s ever so much nicer than modern times where we have to hide from humans and drain our magic remaining invisible as we dodge airplanes, drones, and helicopters.”
“If you wish to remain in the past, we must receive permission from the Council. You know the rules as well as me, Cavet.”
“My little stickler. Very well. We can return. Would you prefer Fire Mountain or the Highlands two hundred years from now?”
Weariness flowed from Eletea in palpable waves, and Angus’s heart went out to the dragon. She loved Cavet, and that love would spell problems for her. Big ones.
“Our own time,” she said at last. “It’s closer, and I’m tired.”
