Page 64 of Galadon
The idea of her hunting my kind still troubled me greatly, though. Targeting dragons who caused trouble was one thing, but what about the innocent ones who merely wished to live their lives? Could she be discerning when she was desperate for a kill? Would she consider taking the potion long-term so we could avoid the whole problem?
If I were wiser, I’d bring it up now while she was calm and under the influence of the magic containing her, but I enjoyed the peace between us so much that I hated to disrupt it. One look at her soft, loving gaze on me, and I would do anything to keep her like that. She accepted the bad before she even saw the good in me.
“There is another part of my land you haven’t seen—that few have—because it is…different. The magic there is alien, and certain elements of it can even be harmful and deadly if you’re not careful. If you’d like, I’ll take you there another day,” I offered. It was a huge leap of trust, but hadn’t she earned it after all she’d done? Perhaps this would help win her over no matter what happened next with us.
Rayna stopped walking and wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you.”
“What?” I asked, confused. Of course, I still hugged her back because I could hardly keep my hands off her.
She gazed at me affectionately. It still shocked me that this female, who was born to kill my kind, looked at me as if I were the most important being in the universe. She’d literally die for me, and Zorya knew I didn’t deserve it. Maybe that was my problem as well. I kept waiting for something to happen that would take it all away. Few good things had ever happened in my life, so I was always prepared for the bad more than the good.
“You trusted me enough to tell me about a secret on your land,” she said, reaching up to touch my cheek and jaw gently. “I could see by your expression that you protect that secret greatly.”
That was another thing about the two of us. Each day we spent together taught us more about each other, so we began to understand the things we didn’t say aloud as much as what we spoke. Such as at the bitkal, when I knew within moments that Rayna was helping Lorcan telepathically, though I couldn’t hear her doing it. There was a subtle expression on her face, and I somehow knew. Now, she’d picked up small nuances from me, understanding I’d imparted something I was reluctant to speak about to anyone else.
I lowered my head to breathe in her hair with its sweet, floral scent. My mother had made a special cleanser for Rayna, and I approved of it. Ujala was growing on me by the day as well, making it more and more difficult to remember why I’d been angry with her for so long.
She worked hard to make up for our lost years. I only wished I understood the whole truth, and maybe I needed to come to terms with fate interfering in my life. It had brought me Rayna, and I would endure much to keep her.
“You are fast becoming vital to me,” I said, pulling the slayer even closer. “There are secrets on this land, but if you are to stay, you need to know them and help me protect them.”
Her slim arms squeezed me tightly. “Whatever you need, Galadon.”
This woman was too perfect in many ways. If only I could overcome my one problem with her, I’d be free to let myself feel everything. Perhaps it was time I told her part of the problem, so she had a chance to understand.
I pulled away. “There is a large, flat stone up the path. Let’s go sit there so I can tell you a story from when I was a child.”
“Okay,” she said. The eagerness on her face told me she wanted to know more about my life, and I appreciated that.
It took about two minutes to reach the spot I wanted, and we had to step over a fallen tree before reaching the stone. It was six feet long, four feet wide, and about two feet high, making it an ideal seat for a serious conversation. I’d often come to this place throughout my life to think. It was nice-looking now, with spring in full bloom. The sun filtered through a break in the trees to make it almost ethereal, and daisies had sprung up across a thick blanket of grass to add a little color.
I gestured at Rayna to sit, thankful when she obliged. For me, I needed to stand and pace for this first part because it was a painful memory. Ujala knew the summarized version, but Rayna would get a somewhat longer one.
“You know my mother brought me to this land when I was eight years old?” I asked, glancing at her.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Many have wondered how I survived alone as a child and fought off all the dragons who tried to take my territory. Even though I was strong for my age and had magic, I lacked size and experience. It wouldn’t have been possible without help.”
She knitted her brows. “Who?”
“At first, no one knew I was here. I mostly hid in the den my mother dug for me, ate the food she’d gathered before leaving, and scrounged for the rest—never straying far. Eventually, though, I had to look beyond my safe zone, as I was beginning to starve.”
Sympathy filled her eyes. “I can’t imagine facing that at such a young age.”
“I can’t say I wasn’t bitter or lonely.” Her gaze followed me as I paced back and forth, continuing with my story. “Then two green dragons found me one day, and they weren’t fond of shifters, so though I was young, they attacked. I fought them as best I could and did some damage, but they were on the verge of killing me.”
I noted her fists clenching as she listened.
“Just as I thought I’d surely die, a female slayer arrived and attacked the dragons, drawing away their attention. She killed them in minutes as if they were nothing to her,” I said, shaking my head.
Rayna’s eyes widened. “And what did she do to you?”
“Amari patched up my wounds and took care of me. Though she looked even younger than you, she was over fifty years old by then and wise in many ways to have survived so long in Kederrawien. She took care of me as if I were her own son.”
“That’s…unexpected,” Rayna said, confusion lining her features. I understood since I’d never heard of it happening in any other case.
“Yes, she had a good heart, or I believed as much. Within weeks, I came to depend on her for everything.” I went on to describe all the things Amari did for me and what I learned from her.
