Page 34 of The Dragon King

I practically skip down the stone steps until I’m rushing across a gravel path that looks like it leads to open meadows beyond the castle grounds. I kick off my boots in anticipation of the swim, flinging them under a stone bench.

My guard calls out, “My Lady, you shouldn’t wander too far. The Challenge is in a few hours.”

My jaw aches as I grit my teeth. I know!

The magic of the shift tingles across my skin like salt water lapping at heated skin. One breath in, my chest expands, and as I release it, my dragon unfurls. My wings snap out. My gold and amethyst scales glimmer and shine in the sunlight. I stretch, flapping my wings, watching the grass flutter.

“My Lady! You really shouldn’t?—”

With one great leap, I spear into the sky, climbing high. A low growl follows me, and a glance under my wing reveals the guard following me. His red scales flashing, his wings flapping furiously to keep up.

A smile pulls back my lips as I shoot through a cloud before angling along a current to carry me to the far end of the valley. I spread my wings and float across the sky. My body feels weightless as the push of the wind drags against the underside of my wings. Drifting side to side, I relax into the ease of simply riding the air.

Until my guard bumps my wing with his.

What’s with this guy?

“My Lady, we should turn back.”

I flap my wings, pulling away from him. “Not yet.”

My stomach settles slightly as he nods, falling back, and when the lake comes into view, excitement pushes my speed. Drawing closer, I tuck my wings, scenting the water. Using my dragon sight to find a deep pocket in the lake, I dive, not caring if the guard follows or not. My head breaks the surface, and the freezing water slides over my scales as I stroke my legs to take me deeper. There’s no following splash, and as I near the bottom, lake grass tickling my limbs, I roll over, catching the shadow of the guard flying overhead.

I smile again, bubbles dancing from my mouth toward the surface. A flick of my tail propels me along the lake bed. Soot and plants curl around my back. I shiver as a pocket of cold air presses against my scales, and I flip over in a lazy turn. A bubbling vent tickles my face where a natural spring feeds into this lake. I curl around the bubbles, following their path to the surface in a slow spiral.

The sun hits my belly as I roll onto my back, wings spread, floating with gentle swishes of my tail. The guard watches me from the shoreline, his posture ridged as he sits on his haunches.

I swim and float for another half-hour before diving deep once again. Calling on my magic, my skin tightens as my dragon shrinks. My bare feet punch into the lakebed, and I shoot upwards. My lungs burn, and my vision is hazy without my second lid, but my arms pull me upward with powerful strokes, and my legs kick with strength.

Sucking in a deep breath as I break the surface, the guard smiles as I swim toward him. His dragon wavers, shrinks, then the man stands at the water’s edge, waiting. “Feel better?”

I can’t help but answer his smile, because yes, I do. I nod, getting my feet under me, my clothes sticking to my body as I stride from the water.

“You can use your dragon fire to heat your body and dry your clothes.”

Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of that.

I focus on my center, feeling my fire stir. My skin warms and steam rises from my body. My clothes begin to dry as I comb my hair away from my face.

“Um, my Lady?”

I glance at him, and he nods at my shirt. I look down. Smoke is curling from the hem.

“Shit. Too much.”

Pulling back on my fire, I just barely keep my clothes from catching fire.

My guard chuckles, keeping pace at my side. “Shall we walk back?”

I look down the valley, just now realizing how far the lake sits from the castle. I can’t even see the gleaming spires from here. But I shrug. “Maybe for a little while. I need to waste the time.”

The guard places his hand on my arm, his red nails like blood against my pale skin. “I understand.” His hand lingers, and I’m about to pull away from his touch, but his hand slides away—too slowly. There’s a scrape against my skin, and when I glance down, the guard’s nail, no, his talon punctures my skin, drawing blood in a thin line down my bicep.

My head snaps up. There’s a little frown on his lips, and I think he’s about to apologize, but he shakes his head with a shrug. I step back, stumbling, barely able to stay on my feet as the world around me spins.

“What …?”

He reaches for me, but I throw up an arm. The movement feels sluggish, but I slap him away, stumbling back again. But this time, when the world tilts, I fall with it. I brace to hit the ground, but the guard's arms wrap around me, hauling me against his chest.

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