Page 96 of Upon Buried Embers
I blink my eyes open, finding scales right in front of my face.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I rise slowly. A grumble comes from behind me and I spin around, locking eyes with Escor.
Fear rushes through me for a moment, but he moves his tail closer, like he wants to wrap me up. I exhale heavily when I feel he’s not going to hurt me.
I raise a hand and slowly place it on his leg. His scales are warm to the touch, and I smile softly when he purrs in response.
“I never knew how warm dragons are, but it makes sense really, doesn’t it? You all have fires in your belly, so why not be so full of warmth yourself?”
“He’s not the only one that is warm, Little Whisperer.”
My head whips around. Rohan is across from me, his eyes dark and searing as they lock with mine. He lays back against Hedoric, legs bent at the knees, arms resting on them.
Why is he here? And why am I surrounded by dragons?
“Want to tell me why you ran yesterday?” His voice is quiet, but the authoritative rumble is within it, nonetheless.
Yesterday. The voices. Being sold.
I look down and curl my knees up to my chest, feeling vulnerable.
I don’t want to go back there. At least here I have a chance to get Effy, and then I can have this metal removed from my neck somehow and I won’t be a slave anymore.
I can go to my people, if I’m strong enough to survive whatever lays ahead of me.
But I’m tired of just surviving.
Rohan stands, moving closer, which makes Escor growl a warning, his tail tightening around my bottom half.
“I let you have her to yourself all night, Escor. Do not test me this morning.”
Escor growls deeply in response, and I swear Rohan growls just as deep back, which has Escor loosening his tail.
It reluctantly moves out of the way as Rohan approaches, Drogonah’s own warning to the smaller dragon rumbling from somewhere. Rohan crouches before me.
“I’m a Dragonbond, and that comes with its own set of responsibilities,” his tone quiet, but firm. “But so does being a leader of my clan. I have to take into consideration many factors to keep everyone safe. I also need to do the same for my dragons.”
I look up into his eyes, that ring of purple more prominent this morning than I’ve ever seen before. “I have to think about how we live, to make sure we have food and water, supplies, how many dragons and horses we have… and how many people live with us.” He cracks his neck to the side. “How many more can we take?”
He lifts a hand, gripping my chin in a gentle hold. He stares at me, eyes dropping to my neck, then they settle on my mouth before finally reaching my eyes.
“As I told you last night, you’re mine. I will keep you until I can’t no more.”
He wants to keep me?
“And what happens after you don’t… keep me?”
His grip tightens a little. “I’m not so sure that time will ever come, Little Whisperer, but you’ll be safe with me.”
I want to believe him, but words are empty. He’s known me for a short time and wants me to talk to dragons for his own agenda. It has nothing to do with me as a person.
As an elf.
His council have been by his side for years, friends and relationships that have—I assume, been stretched to unbearable pressures at times, and yet… they’ve still survived.
I’m just… no one to him.
“The others…”
