Page 37 of Wynter and the Stone Dragon

With a burst of speed that drew gasps from the people below, the stone dragon shot forward, a rumble of thunder following in his wake. Workmen cursed the dragon when tiles crumbled and fell in the shockwave.

Once they were past the walls of the castle, Wynter tossed the ring and opened the portal. Hope and excitement filled her. They would be together, and nothing, absolutely nothing would stop them.

ChapterFifteen

Earth: Present Day

“How do we know he can be trusted!” an angry voice shouted above the crowd.

“He is rebuilding the country,” Giaf retorted.

“My people starve while he lives in a palace. I don’t see how the rebuilding has helped us,” another sheikh snapped.

“I heard he has taken the daughters of prominent businessmen and plans to keep them for himself!” someone yelled.

Khalid and Adham shared a commiserating look. More than a hundred people were gathered around nomadic tribe leaders. Mixed among them were his cabinet members, the prominent businessmen whose daughters he had supposedly absconded with, and trusted foreign associates who were willing to invest in Aethon.

“I think some of the old ways should be reconsidered. Can we just go back to killing idiots who make stupid comments?” Adham muttered.

Khalid pursed his lips to keep from laughing. If anyone heard him agreeing with Adham’s joke, they might take it seriously and add it to the long list of other sins he had supposedly committed. Instead of responding, he breathed deeply and counted.

Sheikh Qavus-Malka, leader of the Taniyn Mountain tribe stepped forward. The man was in his early fifties, he was taller than Khalid by several inches and outweighed him by a good forty pounds—and it was all muscle. He carried a staff topped with a long, curved claw, said to have come from a dragon that once protected Aethon.

In reality, it was the claw of a velociraptor or some other type of dinosaur that once roamed the Earth. Now that Khalid had seen a real dragon, he knew there was no comparison. He took a deep breath and held onto the memory of Wynter, lifting his eyes to the stars above until the hollow feeling in his chest disappeared.

“There can only be one true ruler of Aethon,” Qavus-Malka declared.

Everyone went silent.

“And who makes that decision, Qavus? You?” Sheikh R’ad Saifullah demanded.

Qavus glared across the fire at the other sheikh. “Why not? I hold the power of the dragon. According to ancient law, the one who holds the dragon can challenge for the throne.”

“That is not true, Qavus,” Dhat-Badan said, rising from her seat. “The ancient law states that the king must find a bride by his twenty-nineth year. If he does not, then the one who holds the dragon’s claw may select his bride for him.”

Qavus’s eyes narrowed. “His twenty-nineth birthday approaches, and he has no bride.”

“What does it matter that his birthday is approaching? That isn’t even a dragon’s claw!” Giaf snapped. “It is from a dinosaur.”

Qavus’s eyes flashed, and he slammed the end of his staff into the ground. “You wouldn’t know a dragon’s claw from a hole in the ground even if it bit you in the butt. This is a dragon’s claw,” he growled.

Giaf scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. “No, it is not. That is a child’s toenail compared to a real dragon’s claw.”

“How would you know? It isn’t like you’ve ever seen a real dragon,” the man next to Qavus mockingly retorted.

“Oh, I’ve seen a real dragon. That little thing is not a dragon’s claw!”

“What type of king surrounds himself with liars? One who would cheat and steal from his people like his uncle did!” Qavus sneered.

“Actually, Giaf is correct. That is not a dragon’s claw,” a smooth, husky voice remarked.

Khalid stiffened. His heart hammered against his chest. Almost afraid to believe his ears, he slowly swiveled on his heel.

The crowd parted as if pushed by invisible hands. Through the gap, an ethereal figure with shimmering white hair walked toward him. Her eyes were locked on his face, her lips curved in a trembling smile.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Afraid to truly believe that she was there, he tentatively stretched out his hand, and she matched him, her fingers sliding along his palm. He grabbed her hand hard and pulled her closer until she stood touching him. They stared at each other, oblivious to everyone watching.

“I have missed you so much,”she murmured as she caressed his cheek.

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