Page 15 of Galadon
“Are you kidding me?” Rayna narrowed her eyes. “I saw him a few days ago, and he made it clear he wants nothing to do with me.”
“And yet, he came to you—far from his home and unable to resist.”
It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered that, but she’d decided it was pure chance. Not that he’d actually missed her. “He just yelled at me for getting too close to a Kandoran nest and left. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Oh, and how many shifters have checked on you or worried for your safety other than Titan in recent months?” Kade asked, giving her a knowing look.
“Well.” She shifted on her feet. “No one else, but…”
“Exactly my point. Go get in his obstinate face and tell him what is on your mind. Perhaps it will help, perhaps not, but at least you can find some closure,” he said, giving her a sympathetic look.
Rayna sighed. “I’ll consider it.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I wish you a successful journey.”
Titan shook his head at the older shifter before turning to Rayna. “I assume you’re hungry after your hunt?”
“Yes. Very.”
“Then join us for the midday meal,” he said, gesturing toward the fortress.
She considered it. The others in the great hall would give her looks, but the food would be better than what she could get from the village. “Okay. Sounds good.”
Chapter 7
Galadon
A disturbance in the wards pricked my senses as I ate a late afternoon meal with my mother. I took another bite, hoping it was nothing. Now and then, a neighboring dragon patrol flew too close to test and annoy me. I’d fly straight there, and they’d be long gone. With half a plate of food left, I didn’t want to leave if it was another false alarm.
I might have had doubts about my mother staying with me for a while, but I enjoyed not having to eat alone anymore or do all the cooking myself. We’d settled into a rhythm of taking turns that worked well for both of us. Her presence didn’t bother me as much as I’d expected initially, though I had reservations about why she’d come here after so long.
Pain shot into my temples as something drilled into the wards. This time, it didn’t stop and continued to intensify. I stood. “Someone is trying to break into my territory. I must go.”
“What? Where?” Ujala asked, alarm on her features as she rose with me.
“The southwestern corner of the border, near Lake Livingston.” I quickly washed down the food I’d eaten with amug of water. “At the rate they’re going, they’ll bring down that section in the next twenty minutes.”
She flicked back her dark hair. “I should go and help you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “You’re a healer, not a fighter. I will handle it.”
Ujala pursed her lips, unhappy at my response, but she knew it was true. Dragons who could mend wounds were so rare that they were revered and protected. The Craegud wouldn’t have bothered to train her in more than basic self-defense just in case she got caught off guard. Anyone trying to infiltrate my land would be a skilled warrior and, possibly, a magic user. I wouldn’t dare risk her life. Perhaps I still hadn’t forgiven her, but I had grown fond of her.
Ujala came around the table, embracing me despite my stiff body. “Please be careful. If you’re not back soon, I will come to check on you. Don’t bother arguing about it.”
“Then I will endeavor to slay the intruders quickly.”
I put an arm around her and squeezed slightly before pulling away. It was awkward, but at least I tried. For too many years, I’d had little physical contact with others. It didn’t come naturally except with Rayna. It annoyed me to no end that my body responded to her with no trouble at all.
My mother gave me a weak smile. “Killing them quickly would be good, but try not to get hurt.”
“See you soon.”
I sprinted to the take-off/landing pad a short distance from her house. The pain in my head ratcheted up another notch as I shifted. Several other dragons were ramming their bodies into my wards, attempting to speed up the process. There had tobe at least four now, which wasn’t a good sign. I didn’t think they were rogue Kandoran since they’d have to travel through other guarded territories to reach mine.
No, this was along my lengthy border with the Takaran. They’d proven troublesome in the past, but I’d had peace with them for nearly six years since I joined the Faegud. I’d hoped that would be a sufficient deterrent itself, but they certainly appeared brave enough today.
Pushing off the ground hard, I launched into the air, building speed quickly. My home base was in the center of my territory, so I could reach any part of it within ten minutes. I flew so fast now that I reached my destination within seven. As soon as I got a good look at the intruders, I banked to the right to slow down. There weren’t four of them, but rather six large green dragons in the sky. My gaze dipped below to a seventh, pressing his front talons against the ward. They glowed blue as he fed magic to break the barrier.
