Page 17 of Fractured Sky
“I realize that, but until we can be sure he won’t feed Carlyle information about us and the castle, we have to be careful.I’m not saying we’ll keep him locked up forever, but until Carlyle isn’t a problem anymore, we’re going to have to.”
“I’m fine with it,” Graham insisted.“I know they won’t hurt me the way Carlyle did.Don’t worry about me.Worry about your mage.”
The pretty man who’d helped Sol cross through the portal made a strangled sound.Graham’s cheeks flushed, and he stepped away.Sol had no idea what the fuck was happening.
“I’m sorry, but I still don’t know who you guys are or why you came to rescue me.”
Jarvis had said that they’d found Pippa back at the apartment, which meant they’d been there for a reason, and Sol doubted that reason was Pippa.That meant they’d been looking for him, and he really hoped he wouldn’t have to fight them.He didn’t have the energy.
“It would be more comfortable for us to take this inside.I doubt Carlyle fed you, so we can have food and drinks brought to you,” Jarvis said with a smile.“But to start, my name is Jarvis, and I’m a mage.”He started pointing at people as he introduced them.“These are Ansley, Penley, Keylon, and Dallin.You already had the pleasure of bickering with Tyne.We’re all mages.”
Sol’s head spun.“What about the others?”he asked in a whisper.There were more people here, more men staring at him.
“These are Parker, Bennett, Meyer, Marlow, and Winter.”Jarvis paused and smiled.“They’re dragon shifters, like you.”
Sol pressed his lips together.He wasn’t going to cry, dammit.He wasn’t going to get emotional, even though he’d believed he was the only dragon shifter around and that he’d never meet another one.The fact that these men were dragon shifters didn’t mean that Sol was safe, so he still needed to be careful.
But he desperately wanted to believe theyweresafe.He desperately wanted to believe he’d finally found his place in the worldand, maybe, a family.
Chapter Seven
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DALLIN COULD SEE THATSol was overwhelmed.He wanted to help him, but he was pretty sure that adding the mage and shield explanation to the mix would make things worse, no matter how much Dallin wanted to.
There were many things he wanted to do or say, but he kept his distance from Sol, even though Sol kept glancing at him.He didn’t remember Dallin, but their bond had been complete, so he could probably feel it.He might not know what it meant or even what it was, but their bond was there.
Dallin found himself jealous of Pippa.He didn’t want to be, and he liked her, but she could be close to Sol and hug him while Dallin couldn’t.Technically, he and Sol shared more past than Sol and Pippa ever could, but at the same time, that wasn’t true.
Dallin had known that Sol wouldn’t be Kent since they’d found Parker and had realized that the dragons had lost their memories.He’d thought he’d be prepared for it, but it was still a shock not to be able to behave the way he and Kent would have.Dallin couldn’t burrow into Sol’s arms.He couldn’t tell Sol he loved him and that he’d missed him.He needed to keep his distance, and it was killing him because the bond was trying to pull them closer.
“Let’s go inside,” Jarvis suggested again.
Dallin knew he should leave Sol with Jarvis and give him time to wrap his mind around everything, but he couldn’t be away from his dragon after he’d just found him.He followed Jarvis along with the others, telling himself that Sol just needed time.Once he’d had it, Dallin could talk to him and explain everything.He didn’t know what Sol would make of it, but all of his friends except for Tyne had reunited with their dragons.It hadn’t been easy for some of them, but the difficulties didn’t matter.The only thing that did was the bonds the mages shared with their dragons, and that bond was still present between Dallin and Sol.Sol’s feelings—Kent’sfeelings—had vanished, but that didn’t mean that new ones couldn’t appear.
The mages and the dragons wanted to stay close to Sol, but Jarvis gestured at them to leave once they were inside the castle.They eventually did—Penley only after he’d thrown his arms around Sol and had blubbered in his arms until Bennett had gently pulled him away.
Sol appeared completely lost, but he allowed Jarvis to guide him to the closest sitting area.Graham was still with them, looking around with wide eyes.He’d have to be locked up, but he wasn’t going anywhere for now, so it wasn’t a problem for him to see the castle.Dallin didn’t know if he trusted Graham, but Graham didn’t look like he would hurt a fly, so Dallin wasn’t too worried.Graham was human, and he was surrounded by mages and dragon shifters.
“Is there anything in particular you want to eat?”Jarvis asked as he sat and took out his phone, no doubt to text Jillian and Thorne.
The two of them had been outside when Dallin had helped Sol through the portal, but they’d left soon after that.Thorne was probably in one of the bedrooms, getting it ready for Sol, while Jillian had to be cooking up a storm in the kitchen.She was always happy when she could feed people.It was probably why she’d taken the job.With all the dragons united under one roof, she’d have fun.
“I’m fine with whatever,” Sol said.
He was bruised and a bit bloody, and he looked ready to drop.Dallin wanted to reach for him, but Pippa was plastered against Sol’s side while Graham hovered close on his other side.They felt like they didn’t belong, and once again, Dallin reminded himself that Sol wasn’t Kent.
“What the fuck is this man still doing here?”Tyne’s voice thundered.
Dallin sighed.Tyne was stubborn and fierce, and sometimes, that wasn’t a good combination.
“I want to talk to him,” Jarvis said in a calm voice that didn’t betray much.
Dallin knew him, though.He wouldn’t allow Tyne to hurt Graham.Jarvis wasn’t officially their leader, but he was the oldest and the one with the most experience, and all the mages had been following his lead since they’d moved in together.Dallin hoped that Tyne wasn’t about to change that.They couldn’t afford for Tyne and Jarvis to fight when Carlyle was still out there.
“You can talk to him while he’s locked up in a cell.”
“I wouldn’t be here without Graham,” Sol interjected.“I promised him I would protect him if he helped me escape, and I haven’t changed my mind.I don’t care who I have to fight.If you try hurting Graham, I’ll hurt you.”
