Page 63 of Of Steel and Scale

I dumped the packs on the ground, dug out the silk webbing and sealer, and then began the slow process of repairing the remaining sections of torn membrane. After checking the repairs I’d made earlier and seeing—with some surprise—that even the breakages were almost healed, I came out from under her wing and checked her chest. It, too, was healing well, though it was unlikely she’d be able to fly for at least a couple of days without the risk of tearing it open again.

I left Kele scratching the drakkling’s eye ridge, picked up my packs, and walked back to Damon. In the soft glimmer of my light tube, the pink nature of his sclera was very noticeable. “Will you still be able to raise the shields over both entrances? It’s a big area, and you’ve already expended a lot of energy.”

“Yes, which is why I’m using the capras. It won’t cost me as much.” Devilment twitched his mouth and danced through his eyes. “Still afraid I won’t have any energy left to perform my duties tonight, wife?”

“No,” I said dryly. “As I noted earlier, apparently not even death can stop a man getting an erection.”

“There is more to consummation than a mere erection.”

“I would hope so, or I shall be peeved.” I glanced around as awareness stirred within. “Kaia’s on her way back.”

He swung off his pack. “I’ll start getting ready then.”

I nodded and walked over to the entrance tunnel. It was by necessity wide and high, with a ridge of thick stone that jutted out into emptiness, giving the drakkons a perfect landing and take-off pad. The stone was deeply scratched by the hundreds of drakkons who’d used this place over countless centuries, but time, weather, and disuse had softened many of the harsher lines. I couldn’t help but hope that she and Gria would continue to use this place, even once I’d relocated to Zephrine.

An aerie deserved to have drakkons.

Theydeserved a safe place to breed and fly.

I dropped my packs out of the way, then rubbed my arms against the wisps of old rage. I couldn’t change the past. Couldn’t change what had been done to these magnificent beasts. Couldn’t even change the attitude of Arleeon’s people, who saw the drakkons as nothing more than pests that needed eradication for their stock to remain safe.

But there was a part of me that wanted to try, at least when it came to the latter.

The wind of Kaia’s approach intensified, and I braced against the force of it. A few seconds later, she appeared, her wings gilded in the growing sunshine and her scales afire. She was gliding toward the landing stone, two capras clenched in her murderously large rear claws, but she didn’t land. Instead, she banked, dropped one of the capras onto the pad, then flipped the other into her jaws and circled around. I ran forward, grabbed the capra by its hind legs, and dragged it back into the main tunnel, out of her way.

She made a rumbly sound deep in her chest that echoed the appreciation spinning through her thoughts then, with her feet outstretched, she landed neatly and lightly. After tucking her wings close to her body, she strutted forward, a queen reclaiming her home.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like.

She dropped the second capra next to mine, then ducked her head for an eye ridge scratch. I obliged, and that deep-chested rumble echoed again.

Mate make Gria safe now?

Yes. And I’ve patched the rest of her wounds. She should be fully healed in a few more days.

Good.Her gaze shifted, and her head rose, her eyes glittering and wariness in her thoughts.

I looked around. Damon approached, his hands held partially up. “Tell her I mean no harm.”

“She knows.”

He lowered his hands and stopped several feet away, staring up at her. “They are magnificent beasts, aren’t they?”

“They are, but they’re as vulnerable to our winged attackers as we are. We need to find a way to protect them, Damon.”

He glanced at me, his expression wry. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but I agree. And not just for your sake, but theirs. Arleeon would be poorer for their loss.”

Not thought that in past, Kaia grumbled.Many not think that now.

No, but if we can make this place safe, then these ranges will at least give you some protection from what comes.

Must fight,she said.No hide.

You have Gria to look after.

Gria die—we die—if winged ones not fought.

That was a truth that could not be denied. I refocused on Damon. “I know your magic can’t be used offensively, but is there any sort of spell that can be used to give the drakkons some protection?”

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