Page 3 of Trial By Fire

“I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime. The Red Dragon, and she’s ours. I’m trying not to be jealous of that spiked tail, though. She’s too majestic for jealousy,” Gale says reverently.

I listen to their voices as they mummer softly amongst themselves.

Before they can turn their attention back to me, a gust of wind blows around us as Cordelia hovers. She turns her head, eyeing each one of us until her gaze lands on me. I look up at her in shock, my eyes wide as I realize that she can see me. Her Dragon has found me in the shadows. I let the shadows fall away. There is no reason for me to hide now. I shield my eyes against the debris flying around as her wings continue to flap intermittently to keep her in the air. She stays where she is for a brief second and then she begins to climb higher, the wind catches her wings, and she shoots up into the clouds. We watch as her head tilts back, and a huge glowing ball burns bright, moving slowly underneath the skin of her throat until it bursts out in a large spray of fire with a roar of triumph. Even from this distance I still need to shield my eyes. It is a sight to behold, and I feel like I’ve witnessed something life-changing.

I can’t keep my eyes off her. I am mesmerized. No one says a word as we continue to watch her Dragon’s powerful body maneuver through the night sky. Suddenly, she dives, aiming straight for us, her wings tucked in close to her body, like a massive red fireball. Unfolding her wings at the last minute she lets the wind catch her as she begins to glide gently on the waves of air, hovering above us again.

“Can you hear me?” I startle, cradling my head in my hands at the sound of her voice.

“We hear you, baby. I’m so proud of you.” Torin steps below her large head, tilting his head back so that he can get a closer look at her.

“You did it, gorgeous!” Gale shouts out loud and pumps his fist in the air joining Torin as he looks on with wonder.

“You can hear her, can’t you?” Adrian raises his brows in question as he turns to me. I can see the anger in his eyes; I am sure he wants nothing more than to pound my face with his fists. Hell, I can feel it. I’m a stranger to him, and I’ve come out of nowhere. I was the enemy a few minutes ago, and I am glad he doesn’t know that part. Or does he? Do they?

“I have questions for you.” I can feel Cordelia’s gaze again, and I know that statement is for me. I don’t know if I can talk to her telepathically like the others, so I talk to her out loud. “I will do my best to answer.” I nod my head to her as I place my hands in my pockets and look down at the ground. I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable. I could have allowed my magic to shield me, but I want to be here. I want to be with her. She’s saved me, I don’t know how, but I don’t feel the pull of the Fae Queen's magic flowing through me anymore. I’m free. I owe her the truth. I look on as she begins to pull away from the clearing, flapping her wings to gain altitude.

“I can get used to this. There’s no way I’m going to stop flying just yet.” I can hear her delight and a smile in her voice as she climbs higher and higher.

“Please, don’t hurt him. My Dragon has laid her claim. He belongs to me. I don’t know what any of this means, but we all need to figure it out. That means giving him a chance to speak.”

“Dravyn.” I turn my head at the sound of my name. We watch Cordelia disappear into the night, and then all of them turn to face me. Torin crosses over to me and pats Adrian’s shoulder, as if to reassure him as he moves in front of me.

“Torin.” I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling the need to shield myself. I almost scoff at myself for even thinking that way. I immediately shove my hands in my pockets and stand tall, looking him directly in the eye. I’m not weak, and there’s no need for me to cower when I didn’t need to.

“How? We thought—”

“You thought I died? Is that what he told everyone?” He nodded his head yes. Gale and Adrian both tilt their heads in confusion. I can feel my anger rise. I don’t know why I let it bother me, he practically threw me away like yesterday's trash.

“Wait, Torin, you know him?” Adrian asks as he nudges Torin, who has a faraway look on his face.

“Do you care to share with the rest of us what this is all about?” Gale asks, stepping from behind Torin, gesturing his arms wildly between the two of us. I smirk and lock eyes with Torin. He sighs.

“Dravyn and I practically spent the first four years of our lives together in the palace.” Torin places his hands on his hips and kicks a few rocks around in frustration. My mind instantly takes me back to memories of laughter, of us darting from room to room, finding ways to cause trouble in only the way little boys could. A smile tugs the corner of my mouth, but it fades away as quickly, as if it never occurred. That little boy is long gone.

“There weren’t any other boys in the palace at the time, Torin. Adrian and I were babies—” Gale stops and looks at Adrian, then back to me.

“Fuck NO!” he shouts. Gale turns away, running his hands through his hair as he starts to pace. I see he has put final puzzle piece in place.

“What am I missing?” Adrian asks. He looks at me to explain, but before I can open my mouth, Torin beats me to it.

“Dravyn is Thaddeus’s son,” Torin says to them.

All three of them lock eyes with me. Somewhere in the distance a Dragon roars. For some reason I have a feeling that Cordelia got that bit of news as well. Little do they know I haven’t called that man father since the day he gave me away as a gift.

CHAPTERTWO

CORDELIA

As excited as I am to be flying among the stars, I know I have to come down and face the obstacles that continue to jump out in front of me. Yet I need this moment to myself. I feel the anger and the shock from my mates down deep in our bond. I can feel the full force of their emotions for the first time, and it is a lot to take in. I can hear Torin in my head—so clearly, it’s as if I’m there in person—as he tells Gale and Adrian how he knows Dravyn. Dravyn is Thaddeus’s son. How in the hell do I process this on top of everything else that has happened tonight? Therefore, instead of flying back to the cliff where I left the guys, I find myself flying away from them, aiming for the palace.

I fly toward the clearing opposite the fortress. It feels like a million years ago since I stood staring up at my mates in awe as they walked toward me in their Dragon forms. Now I am about to stand right where they stood. My massive body is gleaming in the moonlight, my claws dig into the earth beneath my feet as I touch down. Folding in my wings, I stand there for a minute trying to figure out how do I change back. My shift was brought on by my Dragon’s need to save us from drowning, and I have absolutely no clue how to do this in reverse. All I can feel is her excitement from our night flight. She was content to stay this way. It was amazing to finally feel our complete connection, and I wonder if that was the way to make this work. If I think about what I need would she allow me to push forward and shift back to Human form? I guess technically I am not Human, but that is the only way I know how to describe myself on two legs.

“You are absolutely beautiful, Cordelia.” I feel myself smile internally. How does she always know when I need her? I relax instantly at the sound of her voice. My Dragon doesn’t even react to her arrival, it’s as if she knew she was there the entire time.You and I are going to have to get on the same page, missy,I say to her in jest.My Dragon huffs out a stream of smoke in acknowledgment of my little reprimand. Aunt Twyla steps out of the shadows and into the moonlight, approaching me slowly. I take a step forward, attempting not to trample her under my big ass feet but I decide mid-step to let her come to me. Her black robe glides along the grass, her hair piled on top of her head haphazardly, like someone had roused her from sleep in haste. She stops a few feet away from me, and I lower my head as a sign for her to come closer.

“I know this is not what your mother planned for you when she sent you away. If she and your fathers could see you now, they would be so proud.” She reaches her hand out and touches my snout, and I almost knock her to the ground leaning into her. She laughs and steps back.

“Look at you, Delia. You did it. I’m so proud of you.” She smiles, her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. Without any warning, my Dragon recedes, and my body begins to shift back. The transformation only takes seconds. I grit my teeth at the slight discomfort that is definitely going to take some getting used to as I drop to my hands and knees on the grass.Thank you,I say to my Dragon as she settles within me. Hopefully it is just as easy next time. I smile to myself as my aunt rushes over to cover me with a robe she had been carrying on her arm.

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