Page 69 of Stolen By Dragons

Eirian shook his head. "No, Dracaria is its own realm and world, linked with Earth but separate. If anything were to happen to Earth, Dracaria would survive. The fae realm, being a part of your world, would not be so fortunate."

I nodded at this knowledge, although it did nothing to ease my sorrow right now.

"Eirian," I said, remembering something I'd been meaning to say. "Thank you. For saving me when the dragons awoke, I mean."

He blinked, surprised. "It was my duty," he said, but there was something in his eyes, something that intrigued me.

Before I could dwell on it, Eirian straightened, his face masking over. "We've been here long enough. Your dragon isn't proving itself to have powers, and we should return to our quarters before dinner."

The mention of dinner sent a wave of dread through me. Facing Chris was almost too much to bear.

“Come, let’s head back.” Lydia offered me her hand, and I accepted as I juggled my dragon with the other.

The dining hall was the last place I wanted to be right now, and yet here I was. Chris sat at the far end of the table, pointedly avoiding my gaze. He ate quickly and left abruptly, barely speaking to anyone.

Zephyr, ever observant, leaned in. "What's going on? Did the lovebirds have a fight?"

Lydia shot him a warning look. "Zephyr, not now."

Unable to bear the scrutiny and the oppressive atmosphere, I excused myself before the meal was over. My dragon followed close at my heels as I hurried back to my room.

I had just reached my door and opened it when a gust of wind nearly knocked me off my feet. The door flew open, a figure flitting past and shoving me inside. The figure stood before me now, one I'd hoped never to see again alone - Marcus.

"Well, well," Marcus sneered, his eyes glittering with malice, his own dragon struggling to perch on his shoulder with its larger size. "Look at you and your useless little dragon. I hear it can't even perform the simplest tricks."

I backed away, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. My dragon, sensing my fear, pressed close to my legs, its small body trembling but stance defiant. The door was still open behind me, and I wondered if I stood a chance running straight back out into the hall.

Then again, he could flit, and he could stop me in an instant.

"I'm under Ossian's protection," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the terror coursing through me. "You can't touch me."

Marcus's grin widened, revealing his razor-sharp fangs. "I don't see Ossian anywhere, do you?"

Before I could react, he lunged forward, his movements a blur. I braced myself for the impact, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for the pain of his bite.

But it never came.

Instead, a sound like thunder filled the room, accompanied by a flash of light so bright it was visible even through my closed eyelids. I heard Marcus cry out in shock and pain, followed by the thud of a body hitting the wall.

My eyes flew open, and I gasped at the scene before me. Marcus was slumped against the far wall, a smoking, circularburn mark on his chest, his grey dragon standing on the floor staring at him curiously.

And there, standing protectively in front of me, was my dragon.

Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, a deep, mesmerizing purple that seemed to pulse with power. Wisps of the same colored energy curled from its mouth, and the air around us crackled with residual magic.

I stared at my dragon in disbelief, my mind struggling to process what I'd just witnessed. This tiny creature, which I'd believed to be powerless, had just taken down a vampire with a single blast.

"How..." I whispered, my voice shaky. "How did you do that? I thought the Keep's magic was supposed to prevent dragons from using their breath abilities."

My dragon turned to look at me, its purple eyes swirling. It chirped softly, and the sound eased me for some odd reason.

Marcus struggled to his feet, his face contorted with rage. The wound on his chest looked painful, but it wasn't as severe as I'd initially thought. "You little beast," he snarled. "I'll kill you for that!"

He moved to attack again, but suddenly, his own dragon turned on him, shooting into the air and clawing at his face with a shriek of defiance. At the same moment, the female vampire - Valeria, I remembered - appeared in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock.

"Back off! She’s protected!” she shouted, her voice filled with authority.

But my dragon wasn't finished. As Marcus fought off his own dragon's attack, mine reared back, its small body glowing with that strange purple energy. I felt the air around us grow heavy, charged with a power I couldn't comprehend.

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