Page 1 of Burned

Chapter

One

LORD

My soft, vulnerable skin itches desperately with the persistent ripple of scales desperate to break free. The hot, pulsing feeling in the center of my chest can’t decide if it’s rage, grief, or a violent tornado of the two. I grind my teeth and close my eyes, pulling on thousands of years of self-control in an attempt to keep my dragon at bay.

I can’t remember a time before I had tamed my dragon. Even as a small child, nothing more than a welp, only a handful of years out of my egg, my parents had nothing but endless praise for how controlled I was. While my brothers were erupting into scales and fire to chase each other or throw temper tantrums, I was running around behind them, trying to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves or each other. They got older, and instead of games, they found amusement in seducing villagers and devouring entire flocks of sheep whenever the mood struck them, and still I was the one always behind them, always cleaning up whatever mess they’d made.

Keeping my dragon on a short leash is the only way any of that has been possible. They love to tease me about being uptight, but I can’t imagine any of them would have made it this far if I’d let my beast have free rein the way the four of them do.

But tonight… tonight I amnotin control. Tonight, I want to roar and thrash. I want to raze city blocks with the fire burning hot in my lungs and in my gut. I want to let my dragon loose so he can find us a satisfying outlet for the emotions that are too big for my human shaped chest to hold.

“Lord.” The soft voice and gentle hand on my shoulder startle me. Without meaning to, I unclench my jaw and a flicker of flames dances past my lips, filling the air with smoke for a second. I turn to see a familiar face etched with concern.

“Khalea, apologies,” I rasp quietly, swallowing down the burn in my throat.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been standing here on her back porch. I meant to leave, to give her and her family privacy to mourn their loss and prepare Judre’s body for the traditional dragon end-of-life ceremony. It’s similar to how Vikings sent their fallen to Valhalla with the glory of a flaming ship. I’m sure the rest of her family is inside right now, bathing his body, and soon they’ll build a towering pyre to lay him atop. Then, together, they’ll breathe fire to set it aflame.

I choke back a sob and my chest heaves with my dragon’s newest attempt to break free.

“It’s okay. I just wanted to come out and let you know that you’re welcome to spend the night if you need to. Judre wouldn’t have wanted you to leave in this kind of distress.”

I shake my head, the motion jerky. “I appreciate it, but I don’t want to intrude. Besides, my brothers will worry if I don’t make it back tonight.”

She squeezes my shoulder and gives an understanding smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Thanks again for bringing him back to us. We’ll never be able to thank you enough.” She dips her head and sniffles.

“No thanks required. We watch out for our own.” I pat her hand, and she pulls it back. The pit of dread and anger inside of me widens. “Be careful, Khal, and be sure to tell the rest of your clan the same. Whoever did this to Judre isn’t going to be happy with a single dragon slain.”

Her sorrow hardens into a mask of rage that matches my own. Her eyes flicker into emerald slits for a moment, her dragon as close to the surface as mine is tonight.

“We wiped out the dragon hunters once. We can do it again,” she says icily.

I nod with determination, and after sharing another look of understanding and solidarity, she disappears back inside the house to attend to her family and her fallen brother. I drag in a deep breath, filling my lungs with cool night air in the hopes that it will douse the fire still burning inside of me. But all it seems to do is stir my dragon even more intensely. A rumble starts in my chest and works its way up my throat, and my skin gets tight as my dragon forces its way to the surface. Since I need to fly home anyway, I don’t bother fighting him this time. I relax into the sensation and in a matter of seconds my bones and tendons are stretching and tugging, expanding into a size and shape that seems impossible to fit inside my smaller human form.

The feelings that were overwhelming me seconds ago haven’t eased, but my body feels so much more equipped to handle them now. There’s space for the throbbing drumbeat of unfairness and fury, room for the sorrow to spread itself out, coating more of me but layered much more thinly now. There’s something else that I don’t quite understand too—a yearning in my gut, a pull that my dragon recognizes even if the human part of my mind can’t decipher it.

I lumber forward a few steps and launch myself into the sky, shooting straight up too fast for anyone watching from the ground to see me properly. I don’t slow until I’m above the clouds, tilting my wings instinctually to catch the flow of the air like a sail. I don’t need any human thought to navigate myself home, so I sink into the peaceful abyss and let my dragon take the lead for once.

It almost feels like a dream, coasting along for the ride while my primal instincts and automatic reactions steer. Icy water clings to my scales as I soar through massive clouds, happy enough not to see a thing other than darkness and fog. The tug in my gut seems to be my dragon’s compass. Maybe it’s my desire to be home where I can make sure my clan is safe—a pull towards my brothers, and their mates, who have all become my family too.

Eventually, I sink below the clouds and a sprawling forest comes into view. I don’t recognize it, but my dragon rumbles with certainty and contentment. We’re in the right place, he’s sure of it. The right place for what though? I don’t have the first clue. Maybe he needs some time to be alone to mourn the loss of our friend?

I sink lower and the smell of the forest tickles my nose. Pine and earth and the warm, musky scent of the animals that call the place home. I breathe in a little deeper, coasting lower and lower until my wings are nearly skimming the treetops. Another scent joins the mixture, entirely unexpected. It’s a complex mixture, with sweet and salty notes like flowers growing along the coastline of the sea. Heather and thyme, with a hint of berries and the distinct smell of the ocean. The smell makes my pulse quicken and my dragon beats his wings faster, spurring us forward until there’s a break in the trees. I dip down into the clearing, and my body starts to shift before I’ve even hit theground, shrinking and softening. My wings are the last thing to go, carrying me until my feet touch down in the overgrown grass.

I wish I knew why I’m standing bare-assed in the middle of gods know where, but even in my human form, my dragon is still more in control than I would like. My chest heaves and I cast my gaze around in the darkness, seeing sharply in the dim moonlight. The distinct coppery scent of blood reaches my nose, and panic tightens my throat.

Save him.

The words are a growl in my head, pure dragon, nothing but instinct I don’t understand. I don’t know who “he” is or what he needs to be saved from. It’s entirely possible I’m having some kind of breakdown brought on by grief, but I’m powerless to ignore the drive. The chirping insects and scurrying animals fall silent, as if they’re holding their breath as I thunder through the trees, ignoring the way tree branches tear at my bare flesh, leaving scrapes and cuts that heal almost instantly before another branch can do it all over again. My footfalls against the hard ground are a drumbeat in my ears, a harmony to the two words stuck on repeat inside my head.

Save him. Save him. Save him.

The smell of blood grows stronger, drowning out the scents of the flowers and the ocean little by little. I can practically taste the salty tang of it as I run, blind panic filling every crevice of my body. Is another dragon hurt? Is it possible it’s one of my brothers?

I don’t know and I don’t care. All that matters is that I don’t let them die.

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