Maybe I should go back to my own mind now.
I think that would be wise.
His brow furrowed nervously as he steadied his flight and waited for her to make the transfer. Turning her focus inwards, she tried to trace her way back to her own consciousness. Searching for the light that had led her into the second level, unease settled around her like a blanket when she couldn’t find it.
Do you have any idea how I might get back? The thought of being trapped in his mind haunted her.
How did you exit last time?
I don’t know. Last time I left my connection with you I was scared out by Desamor. The first time, I felt your decision to hunt me when you realised I was in your head.
Hmmm. Let me mull over it. In the meantime, try saying ‘inner peace’ a few times.
Are you being serious? She felt his lips turn up into a smirk. I’m quietly panicking about being stuck in your head and you’re busy cracking jokes. Thanks for the help. If I could roll my eyes, I would.
I have it! His smug jubilation at solving the mystery was obvious. Or at least, I have a theory. Both times you exited involuntarily because you were scared for your life. If you can’t find a way out alone, I can frighten you back into your body.
Really? That’s your plan. You’re going to spook me out of your head. Wow.
I’m not guaranteeing it will work, but if you can’t find your way back, I am more than willing to help. The smug tone left her exasperated.
Fine. My way first.
On instinct, she concentrated on the steady beats of his wings. She thought of her own body, of the way each stroke made it sway. She listened to the sound of the air streaming over his body. Concentrating, she imagined the feel of it on her skin. She could almost hear the flap of her jacket in the wind. As the sun beat down on their backs, she basked in its warmth, allowing the heat to soak to her core. With a rush, she felt her mind being sucked away like water that had been released into a drain. Gasping, she opened her own eyes and whooped.
“I did it!” she yelled and pumped a fist into the air. Her arm shook with the drain on her energy. Wobbling, she grabbed the spine in front of her and gripped it tightly. “Ghaia! That was close.”
“Are you all right?” Concern laced his words as the dragon turned his massive scaled head to check on her.
“Yeah. Thanks. But… could we please go back now?”
Nodding in assent, Arius banked smoothly and glided back towards the monstrous mountain.
Chapter Fourteen
Hazel paced the floor of the apartment once again. Moonlight dappled the windowsill that looked over the city, but the peaceful ambience did nothing to ease her worry. Sera was supposed to have returned from her camping trip last night. She had never been twenty-four hours late. Hazel had waited as long as she could bear it; all day she had been opening the door to the hallway at every set of footsteps that went past. She checked her phone once more. No messages, no calls. Even though she knew it was likely to get the same result as before, she tried Sera’s number again.
“Hey, you’ve reached Sera, sorry I missed your—”
Hazel snapped the phone shut and resumed her pacing. She was an Alchemist, she wasn’t trained to deal with missing persons. She paused at the home workbench she kept stocked with basic ingredients in case she was struck by the inspiration for a new mix. Cocking her head, she contemplated whether she could use anything to create some sort of tracking elixir. Dismissing the notion as quickly as she had thought it, she pulled her phone out again. She would call the office – they’d know what to do.
“Thank you for calling the after-hours service centre of the Mythic Relations Office. This is Marjorie speaking, how may I help you?” The tired voice didn’t sound like they wanted to help anyone.
“Maggie! It’s Hazel. I need help and I don’t who to talk to. Sera is missing.”
“Hazel… sorry, Hazel, what did you say your last name was?”
“Oh my gosh, Maggie, it’s Hazel. The Alchemist. You see me every payday.”
“Oh right! Of course. Sorry, Hazel, it’s been a long day.”
“Did you hear what I said? Sera is missing.” Before Maggie could ask, Hazel added, “Seraphina Azura. The Tracker paired with Tyler.” Hazel would bet her apartment that Maggie wouldn’t need to ask for Tyler’s last name. Everyone knew Tyler.
“Oh, yeah, I know Sera. Wait, what do you mean she’s missing? Does Tyler know?” Maggie asked.
“She was supposed to return from her camping trip last night, and she’s never late, and she’s not home yet. Something must have happened to her.” An edge of hysteria was creeping into Hazel’s voice as she voiced her fears aloud.
“It’s okay, Hazel. Take deep breaths. I’m sure Sera is fine. She probably just lost track of time. Or maybe she went to visit family? Have you checked in with Tyler in case he knows where she’s gone?”
“You don’t understand. She wouldn’t do that and not tell me about her plans. We need to take action now! Get a search party organised or something!” Hazel hated how relaxed Maggie seemed to be about her missing friend.
Maggie groaned. “Hazel… are you sure about this? It’s an awful lot of paperwork if you’re wrong. Couldn’t we just wait until tomorrow to see if she gets home overnight?”
Blood boiling, Hazel replied icily, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll call someone else.”
Tapping her fingers in agitation, she contemplated whether to call Tyler or Allen, Sera’s father. Whilst both Hazel and Sera detested Tyler, he did have connections to powerful people who could start the search for her sooner rather than later. Then again, Allen was an excellent Tracker and knew Sera better than anyone. He might have more luck finding her on his own. Her decision made, she searched in her phone’s contacts for his number.
“Hazel. This is a surprise. What’s up?” Allen’s voice was warm and familiar, and she relaxed a little. Sera’s father would know what to do.
“I’m so sorry to call you so late, sir, but I’m worried. Sera hasn’t returned from her camping trip. I tried calling the MRO but they just fobbed me off. It’s not like her to be late home. Especially by a whole day. Have you heard from her?”
There was a lengthy pause before Allen quietly cursed. His reply, when it came, was tense. “Thank you for contacting me, Hazel. No, I haven’t heard from her since our dinner last week. You’re right, it’s not like her. I’ll make some calls and be in touch soon to let you know the plan.”
Hazel opened her mouth to respond, but he’d already hung up.
Chapter Fifteen
Sera found the time slipping away as she grew accustomed to the dragon’s presence. More than that, she was enjoying his company. He had listened to her request and foraged for green plants and fruits for her to eat, so she wasn’t restricted to his meat-based diet. He left her backpack with her, and she had surreptitiously checked her mobile to confirm her suspicions that there was no reception here. He hadn’t confined her in the cage since the night scamp attack and had given her some old furs to sleep on.
He still slept in front of the boulder at the back of the cave to prevent her from exploring the secret area, but she found she didn’t mind. The part of her that had been screaming for her to escape had grown quieter with each passing day, but she still felt a pang of remorse when she thought of her father.
He’ll be so worried. I’ll just wait for the Council to arrive and explain everything. If they’re as reasonable as Arius is, they’ll let me go home.
She was more comfortable around Arius now but still watched him in awe, disbelieving that a mythic so magnificent, that was supposed to be extinct, would offer her his friendship.
Even if it is only for a little while longer.
As they sat at the edge of the cave, watching the sun climb high into the sky, Sera queried, “Why does everyone believe dragons died out in the Mythic War?”
Arius stiffened for a moment, then cast her a sideways glance. “Not everyone believe
s all dragons are dead.”
“But most do. That’s what I was taught at MINATH. Since the war, it’s treason to speak of dragons at all, other than to read the history books. Even in those textbooks, the information on dragons is limited. All I was told was that the war started after the Sapphire Dragon murdered Tracker Borin when Hunter Ajax tried to save him from her spell.”
A deep snarl startled her. “That’s not what happened.”
Refusing to be cowed by his anger, she challenged him. “Enlighten me, then.”
He fidgeted beside her as he considered his words carefully. “Your Tracker fell in love with her. With the Sapphire Dragon, as you call her. They knew it would never be accepted by either of their people, so they ran away together. The Hunter found them and killed them both and took his lies back to the MRO. It was the Hunter Ajax’s deception that instigated the Mythic War.” He paused briefly, his mouth pulling down in grief before continuing, “The dragon community was decimated after the war. We lost more than three-quarters of our population. We made the decision to retreat to Sky Valley to recover before facing the world of men again. But your President knew we weren’t extinct. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it was your government who chose to fan the flames of rumour that we were gone forever.”
She sat very still, staring out over the earth, as she pondered his words. Her whole world view was shifting, and it was uncomfortable. She ignored her kneejerk reaction to reject the information he had shared and allowed the new knowledge to wash over her. As she tasted the concept of conspiracy, it settled into her bones, and she knew it to be the truth.
“But why would they do that?”
Arius scrutinised her for a long moment before sighing. “I’m not sure.” Standing up swiftly, he gave himself a shake. “Would you care to join me for a swim down below?”
She stood and stretched, turning her head to subtly sniff her underarm, and nearly gagged. She had attempted to wash in the shallow stream in the cave but obviously, it hadn’t been enough. “That would be wonderful.” She climbed up the offered foreleg, her technique growing surer with each day that passed. A thrill travelled up her body at the chance to fly again and a holler escaped her lips when he propelled them from the cave and into the sky once more.
Arius landed heavily in a clearing at the base of the mountain, causing a wave of dust and leaves to billow out from underneath them. Sera heard the crashing of the waterfall and leapt toward the sound as soon as her feet touched the grass. It was a relief to get out of that cave. She hadn’t realised how badly she needed to see new sights and feel some texture other than rock. She splashed straight into the glistening pool and gasped as the cold bite of the mountain water wound around her waist and took her breath away. Sucking in a lungful of air she submerged herself, knowing that was the quickest way to acclimatise her body to the chill.
The freezing water rejuvenated her muscles and made her giddy with the sudden energy rush. Popping back to the surface she admired the cascading waterfall that emerged from their cave’s entrance, thousands of feet above their heads.
Since when did I start calling it our cave?
She shook off the confusing feelings she was fighting to control and distracted herself by swimming across the tarn. It was a lot wider than she had realised, but it was such a relief to be active after spending the last four days cooped up in the cave she couldn’t help but relish the burning in her muscles.
Giggling, she glanced back to where Arius was standing on the bank, swam closer to him and, grinning impishly, swung her arm into the water and splashed him. Snorting, he reared up on his hind legs and stretched his wings out. Sera’s jaw dropped as she took in his draconian body. The sharp talons that could lethally gut an animal or gently cradle her body shone in the sun. She could almost see through the thin membrane that covered his wings, and his coppery scales reflected the light bouncing off the water hole. The four horns adorning his head like a crown gave him an aura of splendour. He truly was magnificent. Never had she ever thought she would see such a glorious creature. Such mythics only appeared in the history books.
All thoughts were swept away as Arius leapt into the air, seeming to hover for a moment over the pool, before crashing into the water. His body disappeared beneath the surface but his entrance sent a wave surging towards Sera. Taking a quick breath she ducked underwater to avoid it. She hung suspended in the clear water as Arius glided underneath her, graceful despite his size. He seemed just as at home in the water as above it. His wings were tucked tight into his sides as he slipped through this new world. The dappled sunlight from above filtered down and danced upon his scales, creating fractured reflections on their surroundings that made this moment in time a magical experience. She wanted to stay and watch his graceful movements but realised all too soon that her body was begging for oxygen.
Breaking the surface, she drank in a lungful of air and floated on her back, staring into the sky. Her brows kissed when she noticed, high above her head, a dark shape flit into the cover of a cloudbank. Almost as if it had hidden when it felt her gaze. She shook her head to dispel the unease that threatened to ruin the beautiful day.
It’s probably just an eagle. There’s no need to be on high alert all the time. Especially when you have a dragon for a friend. She contemplated Arius. Somehow, against her better judgement, he had become her friend. A tendril of thought from deep within her subconscious slithered up and whispered, You wish he could be more than just a friend though, don’t you? She clamped down on that thought hard and shoved it down into the depths of her mind. That’s not natural. I don’t want him in that way. We are pushing boundaries enough as it is.
Ripples lapped over her drifting form as the dragon emerged beside her. His emerald eye was level with her head when a cheekiness overtook his countenance and he ducked back underwater. She changed position so she was treading water and ducked her head beneath the surface to see what he was up to. A flurry of bubbles blasted her in the face and she reared back, spluttering, before yelping as Arius surged toward her from below. Somehow, she managed to grasp at a spine on his back without being impaled as he hurtled his body into the air, with her perched precariously on top. He spread his wings but didn’t beat them, deliberately allowing his body to twist mid-air and do a slow dive back toward the pool.
As they crashed down, a massive wave swept away from them, splashing on to the rocks. Water cascaded over Sera but she managed to keep her seat. He gradually drifted back to the surface and swam to the shore. Clambering up the boulder, he leaned his shoulder closer to the ground and held his foreleg out for her to slide down. As soon as she’d dismounted, he shook himself, sending droplets spinning away and wetting her. He gave her a lazy smile before lying down with a grunt. Chuckling, Sera gave her own less impressive version of a shake and lay beside him.
As they sleepily basked together on the rocky outcrop, soaking up the sunshine, Arius mentioned, “There is someone I want you to meet.”
Sitting up, Sera cocked her head. “Is it one of those dragons from your meeting yesterday?”
“Gods no, they won’t be arriving for a few days yet.” He frowned and swept his tail along the boulder in agitation, the scales scraping against the rock. “We had better hope they don’t, anyway. No, this is a friend of mine. He’s curious about you and I’ve asked for his assistance.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow. A warning: he is quite… friendly. He likes being in one’s personal space.” Arius huffed a smoke ring at some remembered annoyance.
Sera paled. “How the hell do I deal with a dragon who likes to be in my personal space?”
“No, no, no. He’s not a dragon. You’ll see when we get there. You just have to show him who’s boss.” A toothy grin spread across Arius’ face. “If nothing else is achieved, it should amuse me.”
“Well, I’m glad I can offer you some entertainment,” Sera grumbled.
He flickered a brief smile her way before turning s
olemn. “The thing is,” Arius eyed her cautiously, seeming anxious about how she would react, “you need to work on controlling your talent, and we need to test it on someone other than myself.” He paused and raised a claw to scratch behind his ear. “I figure that we can kill two birds with one stone. My friend can meet you and you can see if your powers work on him.”
Worry sparked in her stomach, and the anxiety that she worked hard to keep trapped deep inside wormed its way up to grasp her by the throat. She placed a hand against the warm scales, drawing comfort, and centred herself.
“What if I can’t control my power? What if he decides I’m a threat too? Your dragons didn’t seem very happy about my abilities. What if I –”
“Hush.” He snaked his head around and gently nudged her. “It will be okay. This is the best way to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the Council. My friend is going to love you, don’t fret about him.”
Ducking her head, she swallowed hard before admitting, “I’m scared.”
“I will protect you,” he murmured into her ear before suggesting, “Why don’t you practise now?”
Sera nodded once, then relaxed into his side and let her head fall back. Her body rose each time he inhaled. Closing her eyes, she ran her thumb over the hilt of the knife at her hip, focusing on the feel of the staghorn handle, and allowed her mind to go blank. It was getting easier to transfer. She slipped into his thoughts, as easily as pushing past a curtain to see the view through a window.
I’m here.
That was quicker than last time. Well done!
Arius’ delight in her improvement caused a bubble of happiness to bloom in her chest. She chastised herself for her desperate need to win his approval. She simply needed to learn how to control this strange power, gain the favour of the other dragons and return home. She didn’t need his affection. She was frustrated that no matter how hard she tried to reject his friendship, his good opinion still held sway over her emotions.
A Dragon's Mind: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 1) Page 7
