Page 10 of Trial By Fire

“He isn’t a Dragon anymore, though, is he?” Gale throws back to me with a smile. I tried to ignore him, to let him talk shit and get it out of his system, but I have had enough.

“He has a name,” I say to him, stepping into his personal space. His eyes flash green, his Dragon peers out at me as he sneers back at me. That shit doesn’t scare me, I’ve seen worse.

“Gale, stand down,” Torin says, stepping between the two of us, and pushes him away from me.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I am done with this. We need to squash this now. We can’t take this shit to Cordelia. “I get the trust issues. I know that I am not Torin or Adrian, but what I don’t understand is your elitist attitude and clear disdain for me,” I spit back as Adrian stands in front of Gale while Torin is in front of me. We have stopped just shy of the clearing, and I can see Cordelia looking at us. Her hands are on her hips, and her head tilts in confusion as she stares at us. If I can feel her excitement through our bond, I know they can. This ends now. I won’t take this moment away from her.

“You know what? Scratch that. Don’t answer me. She is all that matters to me, and I know you feel the same way. If you want to hold on to whatever this is—” I gesture between the two of us and continue, “—then go right ahead. I, on the other hand, am going to walk away.” I step away from Torin and he actually gifts me with a smile and a nod as I moved away from him.

“Well, I don’t know you, and I don’t trust you. You may have Torin and Adrian fooled, but I’m not buying it,” Gale continues to speak as I walk away, but I ignore him.

“Shut up, Gale,” Torin and Adrian say at the same time before they walk away from him as well. I have a feeling this is not going to be the last time we almost come to blows. If he wants to fight, then I will entertain him, just not in front of Cordelia.

“What did I miss?” Cordelia asks all four of us as we approach. Her eyebrows are raised in question, and her hands are still placed on her hips. I know she could hear us, and she knows exactly what transpired, and I am starting to feel her annoyance.

“It was me, gorgeous,” Gale admits. He approaches with his hands in his pockets. He has the nerve to look apologetic. I look at Torin, and he shrugs, they know him better than I do, so they must be used to his extreme change in personality. “I’m having trouble with my feelings toward Dravyn being here with us, and I need time to acclimate to our new reality.” He reaches out to grab Cordelia’s hands, and my mouth falls open when her face softens, and she steps into his arms. I almost can’t believe how he has manipulated the situation by being “honest,” and I am furious. Cordelia holds his face in her hands and leans in, her lips are inches away from his, and then, right before I think she is going to kiss him, she pauses.

“I heard everything, Gale, I believe that you need time to adjust, but being a dick to Dravyn for no real reason is not going over well with me. Am I seeing your true colors, my love?” She brushes her lips against his and pulls back to watch his face. Gale’s smile falters, and my love and respect for this woman triples. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you. Where’s my happy mate? The one who makes me laugh, the one whose dimples make me melt with desire.” She looks at Torin, Adrian, and me over Gale’s shoulder and winks.

“I’m right here, gorgeous,” Gale says softly, leaning his forehead against hers.

“Are you sure? Right now, all I am witnessing is a bully. Get your shit together and find the man I fell in love with.” She taps his cheek and steps away. Gale’s head drops down, and he walks away, shedding his clothes as he goes. It takes everything I have not to laugh. This woman is amazing.

“Can we fly now?” she pleads as she starts to kick her shoes off, following Gale’s petulant lead.

“He will adjust, give him time,” Torin says to us as they strip their clothes off. I have been watching them from the shadows, so I know their routine. I have seen enough of their naked bodies that it didn’t bother me at all. I start to gather their clothes and put them into piles for when they return. I don’t even realize I am doing it until Adrian clears his throat to get my attention.

“Thanks, but I can fold my own underwear,” he says with a smile, taking his pile of clothes from me and placing them beside Cordelia’s. I look around and see that Torin and Cordelia are watching me with smiles on their faces, and I shrug.

“I’m not going to deny I don’t know your routines, so I thought I would help. Plus, this speeds things up. I am kind of excited.” I smile, my first real smile for them, and Cordelia’s face lights up with joy.

“You’re beautiful, you know that? I want to see you smile more often. Sucks I won’t be able to see your reaction when we are up in the air,” she says as she walks away from us.

“She really wants me to ride her,” I say to Torin and Adrian as Gale roars, shaking the trees as he has shifted further away from us. We watch as he launches himself into the air and starts circling the palace while he waits for us.

“Looks like it, you lucky bastard.” Torin takes off running and shifts as he goes. His large, bronze Dragon takes up so much space his wings brush against the trees to give Cordelia room. She stands next to him for just a moment. I can feel through the bond she is nervous because nothing happens straight right away. Adrian and I both watch her as she begins to pace. Torin's massive Dragon’s head lowers down to her level, and she steps toward him, placing her hand on his snout.

“Just breathe, she’s there. Don’t panic. You got this,”he tells her telepathically. I don’t think I am ever going to get used to the feeling of being so connected to so many people at once. Now I need my Dragon, and then I will feel completely whole. I watch Cordelia step back, shaking out her arms as she goes, then suddenly, she is on four legs.

“Damn, that was beautiful,” Adrian says as he nudges my arm before he takes off running.

“You better come on before you miss your ride,” he yells to me before he shifts into his emerald-green Dragon. He immediately takes flight, turning in a spiral pattern in the air.

I slowly approach Cordelia, the huge Red Dragon turns her golden gaze on me and watches me approach.

“How do I do this?” I ask, and then I realize I know exactly what I need to do. I wrap the shadows around me, visualizing one of the sharp black spikes on her back. I feel the pull of my magic, and when I open my eyes, I am standing between two spikes in the middle of Cordelia’s shoulder blades. Her bright red scales sparkle all around me, giving off a reflective mirror image. My reflection shows a man with a smile on his face. A man that hasn’t smiled in a very long time. I run my hand down the shiny black spike and Cordelia huffs out a puff of smoke.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to shift and take you back to our room,”Cordelia says with amusement, and I immediately stop and take a seat, wrapping my arms and legs around the spike. Torin’s Dragon huffs, and his large bronze-gold eyes land on me.

“Just don’t fall off her and try not to rub her spikes.”He laughs as he steps away from us. His footfalls send tremors through Cordelia’s body before he resembles a cat about to pounce, lowering his haunches. Jumping up, he snaps his wings out to catch air, and takes off, joining his brothers as they circle above us.

“You ready?” she asks. I know I can’t reply telepathically yet, so I yell out loud.

“Yes!” I shout down to her. My reply is all she needed as she begins to run through the clearing. Her massive wings are spread out wide, and I hold on as tightly as I can before she flaps twice and skyrockets into the air. My stomach is in my throat as I whoop in excitement. She tilts unsteadily for a few seconds, and I almost slip off her back before she rights herself and picks up speed. It becomes colder the higher she climbs, and the air is a bit thinner but breathable.

“This is amazing!” I shout as she climbs higher, my teeth start chattering from the cold, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the ride. I watch as Gale, Adrian, and Torin flank her on all sides as we soar through the air, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong. They are my family.

Yes, this is new to all of us, but I promise myself right then and there that I will protect this with my last breath.

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