Page 142 of Upon Buried Embers
Seeing her eat fills a need inside me I never knew existed, but watching her taste common food like it’s a delicacy, fills me with a rage I need to keep in check. More rage than when I saw my mother’s hair laying upon my table.
I’ve only been lost to the Dragonbond rage once, and it was when my mother told me her secret with her dying breath. It took days to come out of it, and carnage was left in its wake.
The fields of Erbron still smolder to this day.
I can’t lose myself to it now, especially not in front of her.
I would scare her, and after the way I’ve treated her already, I would rather burn from the inside out than let it touch her.
“Oh hush,” I hear her say, and I notice her holding a heat stone in her hands with ease now.
She’s stronger, and not out of breath while doing her daily chores anymore. She’s improved in her dagger training with Calian and Tofa. But now it’s time for hand-to-hand.
Which is why I’m here to collect her.
Kaldar was supposed to do it, but to have him that close to her, I couldn’t bear it.
Pathetic.
“Little Whisperer,” I call, and she turns to me, a smile on her face. My jaw clenches. Fuck, what I want to do to her. “Come.”
She turns, says goodbye tomydragons, and strides over to me.
I completely tower over her when she’s in front of me, her head coming to my chest, and yet she looks up at me like I mean something.
And that is fucking dangerous.
For us all.
“Where are we going?” she asks, as Escor creeps forward, intending to follow. I give him a stern look to stay back.
If a dragon could give those sad eyes a puppy can, that’s what he’s doing now.
He’s been following her around constantly, barely letting her out of his sight. I grumble, but I’m secretly glad she has his protection.
“Hand-to-hand is with me, let’s go.”
She runs to catch up to me, her little legs taking two steps to my one.
Do NOT pick her up.
Do not put her on your feet.
Do not fuck her.
“I thought Kaldar or Calian were doing it?”
They have both been my friends for the longest time, but I will not hesitate to remove them if they touch her like that.
“They’re busy.” I take a deep breath.
“Oh.”
Is she disappointed? Did she want them to?
I growl under my breath and feel her peek at me.
The rest of the walk is silent, other than the Dragorie greeting me. Some have even warmed to my little elf now, especially the children.
