Page 71 of Stolen By Dragons

“Yes, after mine hit him with its first blast.”

“I wonder if that means it has rejected him now?” Eirian mused quietly.

As if in response, Marcus's grey dragon – a creature nearly the size of a medium dog – fluttered over and landed heavily on Eirian's shoulder. Eirian staggered slightly under the unexpected weight, his arms windmilling as he fought to maintain his balance. The sight would have been comical if not for the gravity of the situation.

The dragon nuzzled against Eirian's neck, chirping softly. Confusion flickered across Eirian's face, quickly replaced by his usual stoic expression. "What is the meaning of this?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

I watched this interaction with growing unease. What did it mean for Marcus? For all of us?

Before anyone could respond, a group of Dracarians arrived, presumably summoned by Valeria. They moved to collect Marcus's unconscious form, but his dragon shrieked in protest when they tried to take it as well.

"Leave it," Eirian commanded, his voice strained from the weight on his shoulder. "It can stay with me for now. We need to meet with Lady Aurelia and discuss this outburst of magic and see if the wardings we have are still enough for the growing power of the dragons.”

As the guards carried Marcus away and Eirian followed, I turned my attention back to Aria. She looked pale and shaken, but there was a steel in her eyes that hadn't been there before. It stirred something in me – pride, admiration, and a fierce desire to protect her that went beyond my initial promise.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms.

She nodded, offering a weak smile that nonetheless made my long-still heart flutter. "I'm okay. Thanks to my little protectorhere." She glanced down at her dragon, which preened under her praise.

Lydia stepped closer. "We're staying with you tonight," she declared, leaving no room for argument.

“Damn straight.” Zephyr nodded in agreement.

I felt a twinge of... something. Jealousy? Regret? The depth of Aria's connection with her companions was evident, and I found myself wishing for something I should not, so I banished it away.

"I'll leave you with your friends," I said with a bob of my head. "You're in good hands."

As I turned to follow Eirian, who was awkwardly making his way down the hall with Marcus's dragon still perched on his shoulder, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. Again.

Aria's dragon had used power beyond anything we'd seen from the other hatchlings, something that felt different in the very air right now. Marcus had broken vampire law by attacking someone under my protection – an offense that would have serious consequences once he recovered. And now, a dragon had seemingly rejected its bonded human.

The connection I'd felt when I fed from Aria lingered in my mind. It had awakened feelings I'd thought long dead, stirred emotions I'd buried centuries ago after the loss of... No. Even now, I couldn't bring myself to think of her name. The pain was still too raw, too real.

But Aria... Aria was different. She gave me a hope I had no right of having. Hope for connection, for a future that wasn't defined by endless lonely nights and the weight of immortality.

Logically, I knew it was wrong. Something not possible, especially not with everything else going on. She was human, and turning her was not an option. I wouldn’t condemn another to the life I led, desperately trying to cling to my humanity. I’dchosen to hold her at arm’s length in an attempt to keep her safe, and yet that had backfired drastically.

As I reached my quarters, I paused, looking back in the direction I'd come. Whatever happened next, I knew one thing for certain – I would do everything in my power to protect Aria. Not just because of my promise, but because, against all odds and my own better judgment, I was starting to care for her in a way I hadn't cared for anyone in a very, very long time.

28

ZEPHYR

As the commotion in the hallway began to die down, I couldn't help but notice the way Eirian's gaze lingered on Aria and her dragon. There was a curiosity in his eyes, a spark of interest that seemed out of place on the usually stoic Dracarian. It was more than just surprise at the dragon's unexpected power; there was something else there, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. With a final, thoughtful glance, Eirian turned and left, Ossian following close behind.

The vampire's departure stirred something in me, a niggling suspicion I couldn't quite shake. I'd seen the way Ossian looked at Aria, the protectiveness in his stance when he stood near her. There was something going on there, more than just a vampire determined to keep the peace.

"You and Ossian seem pretty close," I commented, trying to keep my tone light and teasing. But even to my own ears, there was an edge to my voice that I couldn't quite disguise.

Aria's cheeks flushed slightly, a rosy hue that made her look even more beautiful. "We're just friends," she said, a bit too quickly. Her eyes darted away, not quite meeting mine.

We were in her room now, just the three of us, the door closed.

I raised an eyebrow, unable to keep the skepticism from my voice. "Really? Because he seems more fond of you than 'just friends'. Especially considering he gave you his protection. That's no small thing for a vampire."

In the fae courts, such a declaration of protection was tantamount to a proposal of alliance, maybe even courtship. Sure, vampires were different, but not drastically so. I’d assumed he’d done it as a friendly gesture and to maintain peace with the vampire faction of our group, but now I wasn’t so sure. Her sketchiness did little to alter that growing belief.

"Zephyr, leave it," Lydia interjected, her tone sharp. But the warning in her eyes only confirmed my suspicions. There was definitely something going on between Aria and Ossian, something more than Aria was admitting to.

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