Page 21 of Dragon Awakened

The night I drove away from Wynrath Crest, I felt the ripple of magic as I passed out of Air Dragon territory. It made my skin shiver, the power intense, even in my human state. For a dragon, trying to head in the opposite direction? Into the Air Dragon Kingdom, instead of out of it? The magic would have been debilitating.

"It's also on the other side of the world," Obi reminds us.

"We will need to locate a new base of operations, then," Malik says. "Somewhere closer to the border."

"Someplace safe," Jianyu agrees.

My heart leaps. "I know exactly the place."

Five days, three boat rides, a long flight, and a dusty drive over a desert road later, we pass through the magical wards surrounding the neutral territory of Unity. A shiver passes over my skin, the power of the invisible barrier more tangible to me now that my magic has awakened. My mates suppress shudders of their own.

Overhead, a winged form casts a shadow over our car. I shield my eyes and glance up with a grin. Nostalgia and excitement pull my heart in opposite directions.

It was only a few months ago that I first made my way to Unity, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I was so scared--and the dragon-shaped shadow in the sky filled me with a terror so deep my heart nearly beat straight out of my chest.

Now, the familiar form of my friend Jett's dragon swoops in lower, and I laugh, waving as the enormous beast glides alongside our rattling Jeep. It winks a huge eye, and I laugh.

Rafe nudges me with his elbow. "You seem happy to be back."

"I am." I only lived in Unity for a brief time, but it felt like home in a way that Wynrath Crest never did. I made incredible friends here; found the Shadow Queen's Bracer here. And... "I found my mates here."

Rafe's smirk softens into a real smile, and Jianyu looks back at me from the front seat. The tug I feel from both of them lights up my chest, our connection burning bright and strong.

The slightest twinge of jealousy pulls at my ribs, and I lean forward to touch Malik's arm, careful not to interrupt his driving. "Well, some of my mates, in any case."

He glances back at me in the rearview mirror with eyes that nearly glow with possessive heat. I quiver inside as his desire ripples through our bond.

My mates and I have been able to sneak in quiet time alone together, tucked away in temporary safehouses and motel rooms and once--memorably--in the cramped hold of a cargo ship. But it's never enough.

As I break my heated glance with Malik, Rafe places a possessive hand on my thigh. The need to connect with them all in the most intimate way possible flares into a hot spark, low in my abdomen.

But there'll be time for that later.

For now, I watch through the window as the parched landscape gives way to dotted homes and intersecting streets. There are all of the familiar sights, from the pub Amy used to drag me out to for trivia night to the big grassy field where teams of different shifters play pickup games of soccer and touch football and Ultimate Frisbee.

My ribs press inward as we pass the scaffolds and construction vehicles surrounding the Town Hall. When the Shadow Dragons bombed the peace summit between the Fire and Stone Kingdoms, they blew a hole in the roof of the place. All of the rubble has been cleared, and new brickwork is being laid, but the destruction left a scar.

This is one more way the Shadow Kingdom was working behind the scenes to sow discord--to tear the other dragon kingdoms apart. So many people were hurt because of King Erembour's games.

He can't be allowed to continue.

My bracer hums with a dark warmth, and somewhere deep in my chest, my dragon lets out a puff of smoke.

We keep driving, and I feel more at ease as we leave the broken facade of the town hall behind. As we approach the town square, Jett's big dragon drops out of the sky in front of us. In an impressively athletic move, he shifts into his human form a few feet above the ground before landing neatly in the center of the square.

"Show-off," Rafe mutters.

Shaking my head fondly, I pat his knee.

Jett isn't alone to greet us. As he lands, a few more familiar faces stand and gather around him. I bring my hands to my mouth to muffle the little squeal that wants to come out.

The Jeep has barely come to a stop before I'm undoing my seat belt and throwing open the door.

"Ember!!!" Amy breaks free from the crowd as I launch myself out of the vehicle.

Relief washes over me as she sweeps me into a hug.

"Thank God you're okay," I mumble, hugging her back with a ferocity that surprises even me.

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