Page 15 of Dragon Master (Rise of the Dragon Master)

The powerful gesture echoed in my being so clearly, he might as well have said the words.

“You heard me!” I retorted out loud. “Vyper might be immature—pulling pranks on me until I almost have a heart attack—but when I ask him for something, he actually helps me. You might be an adult already, and powerful, but you are so not the shah!”

The fire lava stirred in his chest with my returned challenge, the hot red glow visible between his scales. Oh shit.

Huffing, he slammed the talon of his wing against the ground harshly.“Get on, now!”He was clearly pissed off with me too. I would have frozen in place, except the cave shook and I was sent staggering to one side.

Kingston sighed like I was a lost cause, and turned around, whistling loudly for Spartan to come to him. He appeared a few seconds later, and the chief ran, jumping from the ledge onto his back effortlessly.

Cursing under my breath, I stepped onto Tharion’s wing, and had to jump like four times along the membrane to be able to reach the top. Freaking height; I swore Tharion was twice as big as the others.

Before I could properly sit between his scales and hold on, Fire fury shot out of the honeycombs like a cannon ball, making me scream bloody murder.

Today’s training was going to be fun. NOT.

Finishing our last flight around Evie’s kingdom, the chief gestured for us to turn around and return to the hidden city.

“Let’s head back...”

Of course, my Dragon made a point to show me he did whatever the hell he wanted, and not what I asked. So, it took two more loops before we went back, catching up with Kingston in what I called the landing pad inside the mountain.

Bathed, dressed, and ready for my daily duties, I stepped onto the hallway to meet up with the rest of the guard, and we made our way to the seventh floor. It was time to escort the princess to lunch. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end the second Evie stepped out of her room, the chills spreading down my back and arms swiftly.

A part of me was stunned at how strong of a reaction I had to her presence, but another was familiar with it, and welcomed the way she made me feel, freely and eagerly.

Her kind blue eyes swept over me briefly before she began to walk with Kingston by her side. The rest of us followed two by two—Asher and Harper first, Penelope and Elijah second, Harrison and I right after them with everyone else behind us.

The brief smile she had given us in greeting, remained with me while we continued towards Willow’s chambers to escort her too. Evie was engaged in conversation with her guardian, but my eyes never left her, silently admiring her gown. This time, a bejeweled pink one that made her look almost like a goddess. It wasn’t lost on me that since I told her how gorgeous she looked in that type of outfit, she had worn them more often than not. Lucky for me, she looked just as mind-numbingly hot in her leather suits.

An elbow to my ribs reminded me to pay attention, and I noticed Asher glaring at me—fully aware of my drooling session. Shit. Making a face, I turned to find Willow gifting a dazzling smile at the chief. I thought she would stand by Evie’s side like she normally did, instead, she made a beeline for me.

“Hello, warriors,” she greeted with a much smaller smile while we descended the stairs to the dining hall.

“Lady Willow,” we all answered in unison.

“Care to accompany me to lunch today?” she asked, hooking her arm with mine.

“My pleasure,” I replied, grinning at her playful nature. Harper, Harrison, and the others, all gave me a knowing glance—basically wishing me good luck with Willow. I didn’t know her very well, but I agreed with them. My instinct told me without a shadow of a doubt that she was up to something.

She remained silent until we entered the dining hall, but I could feel the tension growing between us while she plotted whatever she was going to put me through, soon. I walked with her to the table, and we all took our places around the princess.

“Thank you.” Willow grinned when I pulled the chair for her, and she sat beside me, right across from Evie. Although, not before waving to Aaron, Quinn, and the guys who always made a point to say hello. Charlotte waved at us too, and I made a mental note to catch up with them during my next break. The intense training had kept me too busy.

As we ate, Willow made sure to ask me every question that crossed her mind. Grilling me about my childhood, my parents, and life before coming here. I answered to the best of my ability, trying hard not to let any details about the human world seep through my stories. So, they always revolved about me and my parents, no places or anything specific.

“I’m so sorry for the loss of your parents’ lives. Losing your only family is not easily overcome.”

The sadness that engulfed her voice made my chest constrict, and I wondered about her too. “Do you have any family here?”

Her smile turned appreciative and caring. “Evanna, Kingston, and the Elevated Warriors. We are all family here.”

I nodded, taking her response for what it truly was. She too had lost everyone she loved. Not wanting to incite her heartbreak, I opened my mouth to steer the conversation down a different path. “So—”

“My twin brothers and my mother died when I was young,” she confessed, cutting off my words. “My father passed away shortly after I was born, so I never really knew him.” She pushed the rice around with her fork, focusing on the plate.

“I’m truly sorry for your loss, Willow.”

Squeezing my arm in appreciation, she nodded. “My brothers raised me in place of my father, teaching me to defend myself at an early age, and attempting for me to learn to sky ride too.” She shuddered at the prospect of flying, and I tried not to smirk.

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