Page 22 of Lyric

A shrill roar echoed behind us, rising to a shriek. The eeriness of that sound made my emotions prickle.

Stop. I feel what you feel. He’s trying to scare us, but he can’t catch us.

I curled up and let Lyrican do what he did best. Race.

The shrieking kept up. Like the most horrible sound of anger and terror and pain. But as I tried not to interfere, as I let go and trusted, I realized the sound was growing softer. Coltan was getting further and further away.

I trusted and loved Lyrican. I was proud of everything we did together. But today was the day that I understood him on a deeper level. That of the heart. He had always loved racing, but I hadn’t been fair to him. He needed more. Now he raced for something he cared about. Someone. He wanted more reasons than gold medals to exist. He desired another. His other half. A mate.

I’d been too busy to consider loneliness and longing on his behalf. We’d become introverted by design, to get away from the world that always wanted something from us. We’d built the roost as a getaway, a haven.

But now I understood Lyrican’s deeper reasons for the roost. It had also been built as a place where he might someday bring a mate. The roost was his nest.

I sensed the fingers twined around the spike. The little naked buttocks against the scales along our spine.

While the enemy dragon’s cries faded away, Lyrican let out a sound of his own. A deep, contented purr.

10

Jinn

My hair flew in my face every time I turned my head to make sure Coltan had been left far, far behind.

He had found us twice now. That dragon didn’t give up.

The way Coltan had screamed at Lyrican as we raced away froze me to my core. Something in his brain had flipped a switch. He was nothing like the half-drunk alpha I’d met weeks ago. That sound. It was primal. It was wild and feral. And diseased.

I leaned forward, peering over Lyrican’s outstretched head. At long last, I could see the distant twinkling of the city where I lived. And the ocean beyond.

I couldn’t believe we’d gotten here so fast.

I grabbed the edges of the blankets around me. The air had been cold, but I barely felt it. My relief took over, bringing with it the warmth of the sun. Soon I’d be home.

Except that doesn’t mean you’ll be any safer there,Jinnan inserted.

I wasn’t sure what I would do. But for now, I’d have help. And hopefully Lyric wouldn’t be a stranger.

Lyrican slowed at the city border. It was rare to see dragons in the air here. People preferred to shift in more open areas.

He kept his altitude until he saw his target. The nearest hospital. He slowed and circled.

In this area, there weren't many people on the sidewalks. But in the parking lots and by the ambulance bay people looked up when they saw the shadow Lyrican made.

I shut my eyes. I was finally safe.

He landed at the emergency entrance and lowered himself to his belly. I opened my eyes and unfastened the rope from him, then slid down his smooth shell-like scales until my feet hit the ground. There was a shout of surprise. One of the attendants at the ambulance bay said, “Hey, you can't be here.”

Within the blink of an eye there was no dragon standing next to me. It was Lyric, and he puffed out his chest not seeming to care that he was naked, and said, “This man needs help now. He's been attacked. We need the police.”

I handed Lyric one of my blankets which he fastened around his waist without even looking.

Someone said, “You look familiar.”

A person wearing surgical scrubs came out of the entrance and said, “This is for emergency vehicles dropping off patients.”

“I am the emergency vehicle.” Lyric stepped forward. “I just flew him in on my back. This man has been kidnapped and attacked.”

“This way inside,” the man said. “I'll show you where to go.”

---