Page 127 of Of Blood and Banes
The water dragon rises and leans forward until the tip of its glistening blue snout is a few feet away from me. Daeja smashes her heavy feet on either side of me in a protective stance, a growl rumbling in her chest behind me.
“Vitalis is no longer for humans,”a gravely deep voice booms in my mind, and the dragon flicks its gaze at my sword in disgust.“You are not welcome here.”
I whisper back, gently,“Vitalis is not only yours to guard.”
It roars,“It is when your species desecrated this ages-old pantheon! Leave, and do not return.”
I shake my head, then sheathe my sword at my side in a show of good faith. Though I still hold the waters at bay with an outstretched hand.“We do not wish to fight you. Only to findanswers about how we can save this realm from destruction. Please.”
The dragon focuses on the sheathed blade at my side before it drags its attention to me.“As if it hasn’t been destroyed already. Why should we allow you? You are no different from the rest.”
The water sloshes up against the invisible dam I’m magically holding between us and the dragon. The water level is equal to my waist now. Adding a slow but sure pressure against the force I’ve created, two other water dragons rise from either side of the first one. The three of them a glistening cerulean threat.
“Because you will allow me,”Daeja’s slick as velvet voice chimes in.“And I will not be challenged.”
The dragons turn their attention to her. A flash of recognition, of fear,something,waves over their faces. The water around them stills, allowing me a slight break at keeping it dammed.
The first dragon rumbles,“You side with the ones who stole your future? Who’ve destroyed the Gods’ plan?”
“She is my future. And we have only come to restore it.”
“You know not of which you ask, Moon One. You are far out of your depths.”
“Lis foarth gash dinnen,”A’nala’s hiss echoes around us.
I whip my attention to her, the water leaking out of a crack I allow in the dam before I shove it back. All three water dragons’ eyes narrow. The horns lining their necks and spines, connected by webbing, fan out.
The first water dragon speaks again,“We do not converse with fire dragons. How dare you use the ancient tongue.”
A’nala’s snapping at the air makes me flinch.“Gilltha fintike meesh notak!”
“Stop,” Sethan warns her.
Pride trickles into my skin because A’nala should be scared shitless about not one, not two, but three water dragons before her. They could potentially take out all of our fire dragons if the situation gets worse.
Daeja slides her body in front of me, lowering her head to look at the water dragon eye-to-eye. All at once, a wall of silence slams down between me and the rest of the dragons. Daeja and the main water dragon stare each other down, their eyes dilating as if announcing each silent exchange.
One of the water dragons retreats. And then the other. As Daeja and the first water dragon converse, the water recedes until it’s gone, leaving the cobblestones a darker shade than the rest of the street and bridge.
The first water dragon slides its gaze to me.“Find him in there. Set him free.”
It retreats and slips back down into the waters below. With a relieved sigh, I let my hand fall to my side. I smile up at Daeja.
She meets my gaze.“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I’m proud of you. You hold your own, even when others doubt you.”
“Tell A’nala that.”She jerks her muzzle back toward the rest of the group.“I’ll get an earful later of how I shut everyone else out.”
Sethan grabs my shoulder, turning me toward him. “What did you do? What did it say?”
“You…you couldn’t hear it?”
“No. Dragons do not speak to others unless they want to. It’s far too risky of them to do so.”
“Why would it be too risky for them? A’nala spoke to me.” And the fire dragon.Andearth dragon.
Sethan drops his hand from my shoulder. “Because it could establish a two-way connection. And they prefer not to getentangled in the problems of humans. That’s why most of them do not want to bond us. A’nala knows you will not manipulate her.”
