Page 62 of Stolen By Dragons

I straightened, feeling the mantle of leadership settle more firmly on my shoulders. "We need to reorganize our training programs. Lady Aurelia, I want you to work on understanding the unique magic of these hatchlings. Lord Caelum, startthinking about how we might incorporate young dragons into our battle strategies."

As I continued to give out assignments, I felt a sense of purpose replace the earlier chaos. We had a long road ahead of us, filled with unknowns and potential dangers. But for the first time since the unexpected hatching, I felt a spark of real hope.

Once the hall had cleared, I allowed myself a moment of vulnerability. Leaning against a pillar, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. By the ancient fires, what had we gotten ourselves into?

Elowen approached me, her face etched with concern. "You handled that well, Eirian. Your parents would be proud."

I nodded, grateful for her support. "Let's hope we can live up to their expectations. The fate of two worlds may well rest on the decisions we make in the coming days."

“Yes, and on those baby dragons and their people.”

25

ARIA

The summons to the dining hall came as a welcome distraction from the swirling thoughts that had plagued me since my encounter with Ossian. My fingers unconsciously traced the spot on my neck where his fangs had pierced my skin, the memory sending a shiver down my spine. I quickly pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.

As we filed into the vast room, our dragons fluttering and swooping overhead, I couldn't help but take delight in their playful energy and grace. The dining hall, usually a place of quiet conversation and clinking cutlery, had been transformed into a vibrant space. The air was filled with the soft whoosh of wings and the occasional chirp or trill from our draconic companions.

My own dragon clung to my shoulder, its purple eyes taking in the scene. Unlike the others, who seemed eager to join in the aerial acrobatics, mine seemed content to observe from its perch. Was its reserved nature a sign of intelligence, or something else entirely?

The other dragons tumbled through the air, playing what looked like an aerial version of tag. Their scales shimmered in the warm light of the hall, creating a dazzling display of colors. I watched as Chris's earth-toned dragon swooped and dived, its movements surprisingly graceful for a creature associated with the ground.

"Look," Chris whispered as he appeared beside me, his voice filled with wonder. He pointed to a series of platforms suspended near the ceiling. "Feeding stations for the dragons."

I followed his gaze, noticing the fresh meat laid out on each platform. So that's what they would be eating. I had wondered about that. The sight of raw meat made my stomach turn slightly, but I supposed it made sense. They were predators, after all.

His closeness to me made the guilt rise up instantly, and my stomach churned.

"I guess we won't have to worry about feeding them ourselves," I murmured, more to myself than to Chris.

He nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. "Good thing, too. I'm not sure I'm ready to hand-feed a dragon just yet."

His comment made me laugh, but it was banished away by the instant hit of insane guilt.

I needed to tell him. He’d made it clear what he wanted from me, but I was the one unsure, and now…

I swallowed, the sickness churning in my gut. I hated confrontation like this. I’d been on the receiving end of a cheating partner, and here I was, having gone and done just that.

I was everything I hated.

And yet, something argued within me. That what I’d done hadn’t been wrong. We’d also never defined what we were, never had an exclusivity agreement of sorts.

What was I going to do?

At the head of the room stood Elowen and Eirian, waiting for us all to settle. There was a tension in Eirian's stance that I hadn't noticed before, a weight to his presence. His eyes scanned the crowd, and for a brief moment, our gazes met. I felt a flutter in my chest that I quickly pushed aside, chalking it up to nerves about what was to come. Or maybe my feelings and emotions were just a horrible mess these days.

As I sat in my seat, I found my gaze locking with Ossian’s across the room, and my breath caught. He was staring at me, Valeria grinning as she noticed my gaze.

Heat touched my cheeks, and I yanked my gaze away, hating the way my heart was fluttering like a hummingbird.

I’d left so quickly, I’d not had to chance to hear whatever he was going to say. Was he going to try to pull me aside? Was the moment just a feeding, or was it something more?

It had certainly felt like something more. Chris’s hand found mine, and a nervous chill coursed through me as the tension knotted in my stomach.

Lydia seemed to notice my unease as she arched a brow but didn’t say anything.

Thankfully, Elowen came to my rescue.

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