Page 51 of Magick and Lead
“You are bonded,” I whispered carefully. “It’ll be hard to be separated, even if you don’t care about him.”
He frowned. “Idocare about him,” he said. “I mean… I raised the little guy. In the beginning, at least. I felt his fear when they took him away from me. When they locked him in a cage, his sadness made tears run down my face. And now it’s even worse, because now?—”
The words seemed to catch in his throat.
“Now you can’t feel him?” I asked, my voice low as empathy finally overcame my anger.
He nodded, and for just a flash, I thought I saw the glint of moisture in his eyes.
Just then, the driver made an announcement which, through some necromancer magic, came out above our heads. “Last stop, Surrey Beach.”
The car clattered to a halt, and we disembarked along with the rest of the crowd.
We found ourselves in a seaside park. Couples walked arm in arm down a brick walkway bordered by lovely gardens. Down on a stretch of sand, children ran and shouted. A pair of colorful kites, just like the ones children back in Maethalia flew, hung and darted on the wind above. Further down, a flock of white gulls lifted as one, calling out to the sparkling waves. Through it all, the wind whispered, stirring my dragon stone’s power and momentarily reminding me of my connection to Othura—which always filled me with calm and confidence. Suddenly, I got an idea.
“Come on,” I said, taking Charlie’s hand and leading him toward the water.
“What are we?—?”
“Just come. Trust me,” I said.
It was perhaps too much to ask of a man who, less than twenty-four hours ago, had felt the steel of my dagger against his chest. But he followed me anyway, without complaint and without hesitation.
We took off our shoes, and I led him across the sand. At the edge of the water, I stopped and turned to him.
“Put your forehead against mine,” I commanded.
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
He stooped slightly and pressed his forehead to mine.
“Remember when we skipped stones back in Issastar?” he asked.
“Would you be silent?” I snapped. “Shut your eyes.”
He obeyed, and I opened up the simnal connection, linking with Othura. Wordlessly, I bid her to reach out to Parthar. It might not be easy with Parthar so far away, but dragons could connect with other dragons at much greater distances than they could connect with other humans. And being near the sea should help. Using Othura as the conduit, we should be able to?—
Suddenly, I felt the little dragon. His youthful eagerness, his openness, his playfulness. Also, his sadness and yearning and worry. I embraced him with my mind, then connected him with Charlie. It was like opening the door to a room filled with sunlight.
“Parthar!” Charlie whispered.
I peeked through my eyelashes to see his lips curling into a smile.
I could have stepped out, could have left them alone in their connection. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I stayed, like an eavesdropper, feeling the playfulness, the joy of their exchange. There were no words traded. That was the beautiful thing; between a rider and a dragon, no words were needed. But Parthar was happier than I’d ever felt him. His exuberance made my heart flutter and gave me a smile to match Charlie’s. I felt their love, felt Charlie’s pure goodwill toward him.
Between Charlie and me, there had always been barriers. The wariness of enemies. The tension of attraction. But feeling his soul as it was with Parthar was such a thing of beauty I wanted to grin and weep and giggle all at once.
I pulled away fast, taking two quick steps back and struggling to catch my breath. That was the thing with the simnal connection, it allowed you to be close with both dragons and riders. Sometimes, too close. Any more of that, and I’d be falling in love with Charlie again. Any more of that, and I wouldn’t be able to?—
“You okay?” The connection was broken, and Charlie was looking at me with concern. Parthar’s presence must have been lingering with me, because I was seeing him with new eyes. That rugged jawline. The dark, sensitive blue eyes, deep and steady and turbulent as the sea. The strand of dark hair that always seemed to escape and fall into his face…
All the Gods—he was beautiful.
“I’m fine,” I said. It came out a whisper.
I shouldn’t have done that. I’d come here to end Charlie, to break their connection forever so Parthar could bond anew. Giving the little dragon a renewed taste of his bond with Charlie would only make that harder. And what I’d felt when I connected them—that would make killing Charlie harder, too, when the time came. It had been a stupid thing to do…
