Page 28 of Draekora

Alex raised her eyebrows at the Meyarin’s strange behaviour. “Yeah, Kyia. Thevarrungard.” She gestured an arm around the opulent room. “I’m guessing I didn’t make it back on my own, which sucks. I was so close, too. But then…” Alex shook her head. “What happened, anyway? Did I pass out from the hallucination? Who found me?”

Just then the door opened again and Alex’s stomach moved straight to her throat at the sight of the Meyarin who entered.

In an instant she was on her feet with her arm outstretched, mentally summoning A’enara. The weapon appeared in a flaming blaze of light, the pyrotechnic display surprising Alex enough to nearly drop it. She quickly tightened her grip, even when flicks of blue fire travelled from the blade along the pommel and halfway up her arm, harmlessly caressing her skin.

Startled, but with far more important things on her mind than the now fiery sword, Alex’s free hand reached out to drag Kyia backwards as she began a hasty retreat towards the balcony, putting as much distance between them and the new arrival as possible.

“Aven,” Alex hissed. “What are you—Howdid you get in here?”

Before anyone could say or do anything, Kyia yanked herself free from Alex’s grip and quickly backed away from her.

“Kyia!” Alex cried, stretching for her again but the Meyarin skipped out of reach. “What are you doing? It’sAven! Get away from him!”

But Kyia didn’t listen to her. Instead, the female Meyarin looked at her with wariness and moved directly to the banished prince’s side.

Alex’s mouth dropped open when Aven protectively pulled Kyia close.

“Lenasa sae de la frayon?” he said to her, his voice soft, almost gentle.

Without Alex knowing how, the words translated instantly in her mind: ‘Did she hurt you?’

Blinking in astonishment, Alex felt her hands shake as she took another step backwards, now out onto the balcony with the sun streaming down on her from above.

“What the hell, Kyia?” she demanded, her voice sounding betrayed even to her own ears.

Before she could come to any kind of understanding, the door opened again and Roka walked in. Not sure if she was relieved or even more terrified, Alex called out to warn him, “Roka—it’s Aven!”

The dark-haired prince glanced at her in muted curiosity as he strode fearlessly towards Aven and Kyia and said, “Varria trae fraeden de senus rayos.” Again, the words translated instantly in Alex’s mind: ‘It appears I missed the introductions.’

“Apparently we did too, brother,” Aven replied in the lyrical Meyarin language. His eyes were on Alex, his lips quirking as if amused. But his smile was different. It wasn’t as… dark. It seemed strangely genuine. “As always, our fame precedes us.”

“She may know of us, but I’ve never seen her before,” Kyia said with a shake of her head, also speaking her native language which Alex was somehow able to understand. “And I would remember, given that she shines with the binding of a draekon.”

“That is indeed curious, as is the weapon she wields,” Aven said, his gaze focused on A’enara. “That’s no normal blade. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was—”

Full body trembles assaulted Alex’s frame and she interrupted in a whispered voice full of disbelief and confusion, “Is this some kind of joke? What ishappening?”

“What language is that she speaks?” Aven asked, peering at her intently.

Roka was looking at her with renewed curiosity. “It’s the common tongue. It would seem she is… confused.”

Kyia snorted. “I don’t need to understand her language to see that, Roka. The poor thing looks terrified. And she likely has reason to, since we found her half dead at the base of the Golden Cliffs.”

Aven chose that moment to step forward, his hands raised in front of him as he approached Alex. “It’s all right,” he told her, the melodic language nearly hypnotising. “You’re amongst friends here.”

Eyes wide, Alex retreated with every step closer he moved until she was backed up against the knee-high railing of the balcony. She glanced over her shoulder and wobbled slightly at the sight of the ground far, far below. Making sure to keep her weight leaningawayfrom the dangerously low balustrade, she warned, “I don’t know what’s going on, Aven, but I swear—”

Her threat was cut short when an almighty roar sounded from above. Alex clapped both her hands over her ears, and with A’enara no longer pointing at Aven, he took the opportunity to rush towards her. She swiftly aimed her weapon in warning again and scampered away from him, but in doing so, her feet slipped on the smooth surface of the balcony. Arms flailing uselessly, she took in Aven’s horrified expression as he lunged for her. But he wasn’t fast enough, and Alex fell backwards—straight over the railing.

A bloodcurdling scream tore from her throat as she plummeted down the length of the spiralling palace towers and towards the radiant city below. But before she could fully comprehend that she was about to die, a hulking shadow blurred through the air until it sailed directly under her.

Recognising the dragon, Alex banished her blade and reached out to grab onto him. She wrapped her legs around his shoulder blades just over his wing joints and her arms tight around his neck, holding on for dear life as he gave a mighty push upwards, stopping their free-fall and heaving them back up into the air.

Hold on, Alex, she heard clearly in her mind, the dragon’s familiar voice sounding so close that she jerked in surprise, almost losing her grip on him.

“You’re in myheadnow?” she all but screeched as he flew them straight up and over the waterfalls of the Golden Cliffs and the forests beyond.

I’ll explain everything in a minute, he told her, his words no longer broken but instead forming complete sentences.I promise.

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