[Vankara Saga 02.0] Dragon Alliance

by SJ West

  “The next time?” I asked, finding his statement amusing. “You sound awfully sure that there will be a next time.”

  Fallon’s smile faded and his expression turned serious.

  “Are we really going to play this game with each other, Sarah?” Fallon murmured.

  “And what game would that be?” I asked in return, feeling as though my heart was about to beat out of my chest.

  “The game that most men and women who are attracted to one another play,” he replied softly. “The one where we pretend nothing real is happening but know deep down inside that we’ll eventually end up in each other’s arms.”

  “You sound rather sure of the outcome,” I said, but lacked the conviction to make it sound like a convincing tease.

  “I know what I want,” he said without hesitation. “And I was under the impression you wanted it too. Or was I misreading the signals?”

  I hesitated because answering such a question didn’t seem proper. But, as Fallon had so bluntly put it, perhaps we were past the point of playing games with one another.

  “No,” I said. “You weren’t misreading my actions.”

  Fallon grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Well, I’m not going to kiss you right now,” he told me matter-of-factly. “You’ll just have to wait for that to happen.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Oh really?” I said, completely amused. “And why is that?”

  “Because when I kiss you, I want to be able to see your face afterwards,” he told me, all joking set aside. “And I want to see what you look like when I ask you my question.”

  “And what question would that be?”

  Fallon shook his head. “Not saying. You’ll just have to wait and wonder.”

  “Are you always this mysterious?”

  “Only when it matters.”

  Fallon uncrossed his arms and held out one of his hands to me.

  “Do you think you could lead me out of this room?” He asked. “I would rather not trip and break something. One of us being incapacitated is bad enough.”

  I took Fallon’s hand and twined our fingers together. An intimate gesture that wasn’t lost on him, if the smile on his face was any indication.

  When we walked out of the room, I found Dracen leaned up against the wall between the bathroom and my bedroom. I saw his gaze drop as he noticed the way I was holding Fallon's hand.

  “Everything all right?” Dracen asked me with a lifted eyebrow, looking as if he might do Fallon bodily harm if I answered in the negative.

  “Yes,” I told him to ease his worry. “Things worked out just fine. Now, I just need a little help changing into a fresh nightgown.”

  “Are you sure you want me to help with that?” Fallon asked.

  “I know it’s isn’t very proper,” I sighed. “But under the circumstances, we don’t have a choice. Tomorrow Inara can help me get ready for my meeting with the dragons, but right now, she needs to concentrate on getting us there as quickly as possible. I think if you simply undo the buttons in the front I can manage the rest by myself.”

  “Afterwards you should get more rest,” Dracen advised me.

  I nodded in full agreement. “I will.”

  I lead Fallon to my bedroom and pushed the door to but didn’t close it completely.

  “Now I really wish I had my sight,” Fallon teased as I lifted his hands to the top button of the nightgown.

  “You still wouldn’t be seeing much,” I informed him.

  Fallon worked the first pearl through its loop and smiled.

  “Darlin’, in such a situation, I normally end up seeing everything.”

  The cocky smile on Fallon’s face was quickly erased by a sudden, and rather ferocious, attack.

  Before I could react, Aurora flew straight into Fallon’s face, flapping her leathery wings at him, as if she was swatting at a fly, to make him back away from me.

  “He won’t be seeing anything ever again after I’m done with him!” Aurora proclaimed.

  “Aurora, stop!” I ordered. “He was just trying to help me!”

  Aurora flew towards the bed to land on it. She turned to look up at me.

  “Why is he helping you take your clothes off, Sarah?” She asked. “I felt your heart begin to race and thought you were in danger.”

  “I’m not in any danger from Fallon,” I told her aloud for Fallon’s benefit. “And the racing heart thing happens when two people are attracted to each other,” I told her secretly.

  "Oh," she replied, not sounding so sure of her convictions anymore. "Was I not supposed to protect you in such a situation?"

  "Not in this one," I told her. "It was completely innocent. Fallon was only doing what I asked him to do."

  Aurora turned her gaze to Fallon who was nursing a small scratch on his left cheek.

  "Please tell him I'm sorry," Aurora said, sounding contrite for her actions. "He's lucky he only received a scratch, though. I had fully intended to claw his eyes out!"

  "Aurora says she is sorry," I told Fallon. "She was just trying to protect me."

  "It's all right," Fallon replied. "As long as she understands I wasn't harming you. I can understand wanting to keep you safe. I can't fault her for that."

  "I think I can manage the rest on my own, Marshal Fallon," I said. "You can leave now."

  "I'll wake you in the morning if you aren't already up when we reach the island," he promised.

  "Thank you."

  Fallon walked with his arms outstretched towards where he knew the door was. Once he reached it, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

  I walked over to the wardrobe in the room and found a fresh nightgown, slipping it off its hanger.

  "I am truly sorry for what I did, Sarah," Aurora said.

  "It's nothing to worry about," I assured her. "You didn't cause him any permanent damage."

  "Still, I acted in a barbaric manner," Aurora said, sounding disappointed in herself. "I should have asked questions before acting."

  I slipped off my old gown and, after a few attempts, finally managed to slip on the new one.

  I crawled underneath the covers of my bed and told Aurora, "Let's get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

  Aurora curled up on her pillow, and we both promptly found sleep.

  "Sarah."

  I opened my eyes and found Aurora rubbing her head gently against one of my cheeks.

  "Sarah, we've arrived."

  I sat up and looked at Aurora.

  "How do you know?" I asked. "Can you feel the other dragons?"

  "Yes," she said. "Some of them, at least. Let's go out and see, Sarah."

  I grabbed for my robe and found that my fingers were a little stronger than they were the night before. Carefully, I put it on. Aurora flew up to me and took her perch on my shoulder.

  When we walked out of the room, all three of the men were staring out the bank of windows of the compartment.

  Dracen was the first to notice me.

  "Come and look," he bade with a childlike excitement. "Not many people ever get to see such a sight in their lifetime."

  I walked over to stand between Dracen and Fallon.

  “Oh, Sarah,” Aurora said as she looked at her true home for the first time. “It’s beautiful.”

  I gaped at the floating islands trying to find the words to describe what I was seeing. It was almost like the hand of God reached down into the earth and pulled out chunks of it to float in the sky. There seemed to be six islands in all. They all had mountainous terrain with lush green vegetation. The center island was the largest of the six with what looked like an active volcano on the north side. A pillar of steam billowed out from it reaching up into the sky for as far as I could see. A column of water rose out of the ocean beneath the island as streams fell back into the sea through staggered gaps in the exposed sediment.

  “That’s how they get their drinking water,” Dracen said, obviously noticing where m
y attention had been drawn. “The sea water rises up through the island’s volcano which acts like a natural filtration system with the sand, rock and ash it contains. The filtered water then runs down the streams on the island. The excess spills back into the ocean.”

  “I assume they’re using magic to make the water rise from the ocean,” I said.

  “Yes, it’s a spell. One that’s worked for more years than I’ve been alive,” Dracen answered.

  In the predawn light, I could see a few dragons flying above each of the islands.

  “I’m sure they’ve seen us,” I said. It made sense that if I could see them, they could see us.

  “Yes,” Dracen agreed. “I’m sure they are choosing an emissary to come greet us.”

  “Should I get ready to speak to their emissary?”

  “No, let me handle it on your behalf,” Dracen said. “They know me. It will be easier for them to speak to someone they trust first. Save your strength for the council meeting.”

  “Will I be able to meet with them today?”

  “I see no reason why they would delay it,” Dracen reassured. “I will let the emissary know why you are here and what their kind is doing back in Vankara. That alone should make them gather quickly to hear your plea for their help.”

  I looked back out the window and watched as Inara brought the airship in closer to the mysterious island where dragons were the lords and masters. Would Dracen's assumption prove to be true about their willingness to help us? Or had time and a separation from human affairs changed their view of the world, and we would simply find them apathetic to our situation? Perhaps if they decided to leave humanity alone once, they now thought we should be left to fend for ourselves for always.

  Inara brought the ship down into a clearing. A majestic waterfall spilled freely, falling over the edge of a high cliff and down into a stream within the valley we were in. It didn't take long for the dragon's chosen emissary to make his appearance. It was a red dragon, and I remembered Dracen telling me the night before that the red ones were the lawmakers and peacekeepers within the dragons' social order.

  He was a magnificent creature with scales that glistened in the light of the new day. His head was smooth for the most part but curly black horns rose high on top of his head like those of a bull. His large, emerald green eyes held an intelligence that bespoke of many years of life. His size was comparable to the full-grown dragons that were besieging my city, making him as big as a well-to-do family's house.

  "Will I get that big one day?" Aurora asked me, sounding in awe of her kinsman.

  "I would have to assume so," I told her. "Maybe one day I will ride on your shoulder like you do mine now."

  Aurora made a little squeaking sound that I took to be her laugh.

  "Won't we make a sight together when that happens," she said, sounding excited by such an idea.

  Fallon and Able lowered the compartment's stairs for Dracen. I saw Inara fly down from her navigational compartment with the aid of her winged backpack.

  "I'll go speak with him and find out when the meeting can take place," Dracen said to me.

  "I wish you luck," I told him, having an odd feeling that we might both need a little luck this day to accomplish the task we came for.

  Dracen nodded and gave me a grim, tight-lipped smile.

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second, chancing a nervous glance in my direction as if he was worried about something in particular. Before I had a chance to ask him about his hesitation, he began his descent down the staircase.

  We all watched as Dracen approached the dragon with an ease I wasn't sure I could have pulled off. He stopped a short distance away as they began their silent discussion with one another. I assumed I couldn't hear what was being said because of the distance between us. I could have sworn I saw the dragon roll his eyes at Dracen at one point before he finally nodded his rather fearsome head in agreement with something.

  The dragon stretched out its mighty wings and took flight, thrashing its tail in the air causing an audible crack like that of a whip.

  Dracen turned around to face us and nodded his head.

  A meeting had been arranged. Now all I had to do was convince a council of dragons that they should involve themselves in the affairs of human's once again.

  "They will help," Aurora assured me.

  I sighed heavily. "I guess we'll see..."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  As I studied Inara's reflection in the mirror while she styled my hair, I debated with myself on whether or not I should tell her the truth about who I really am.

  "Why do you think she will hate you after you tell her the truth?" Aurora asked me, sounding confused by my dilemma.

  I glanced down at Aurora as she curiously nosed through some of the jars of make-up on the surface of the vanity in front of me.

  "Because her best friend died and none of us told her. She might forgive me for masquerading as Emma Vankar, but allowing her to believe I'm the real Queen Emma all this time may be more than she's willing to excuse."

  "But from your memories, the decision to keep the truth from her wasn’t yours. It was made for you," Aurora argued. "Both Queen Emma and Gabriel told you not to tell her, even though you wanted to."

  "But I'm the one who has allowed the lie to last so long," I sighed.

  "I think she might be mad at first, but she is smart enough to see the wisdom in Queen Emma's arrangement with you. Inara is an honorable woman. She will understand, Sarah."

  I silently hoped Aurora was right in her assumption, but decided now wasn't the time to have a heart to heart with Inara. However, I made a silent, yet solemn, vow that I would tell Inara the truth sooner rather than later. Her loyalty as a friend, not only to me but also to Queen Emma, deserved no less.

  Inara styled my hair in much the same way she did when I made my first official appearance in Kamora, in a tall bun with my gold filigree and diamond crown fitting over it. I also wore the same cream-colored silk gown with white lace appliqués and diamond studs. If the dragons were attracted to shiny things, I saw no reason why this outfit wouldn't draw and keep their attention.

  "If the dragons can't appreciate you in this outfit," Inara said practically voicing my own thoughts as she looked me up and down, "I don't know what's wrong with them. You look absolutely gorgeous, Em."

  I smiled tight-lipped at Inara's use of her nickname for the queen, and felt a double amount of guilt for continuing to lie to her.

  "Hey, don't look so nervous," Inara said, mistaking my expression as one telling of my apprehension in dealing with the dragons. "They'll love you, Em. Anyone who meets you falls under your spell."

  "My spell?" I asked, confused by her meaning.

  "You know," Inara said, waving her hand up and down in my direction. "Beauty and brains are always a lethal combination. Add in the power you have being Queen of Vankara and you have your own version of a spell, even if you don't have any magic. Look at Fallon! You've already weaved your spell around him again."

  Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door.

  "Emma, are you decent?" Fallon asked from the other side.

  Inara pointed her thumb in the direction of the door.

  "See," she said knowingly. "You just think about him, and he magically appears out of nowhere."

  I couldn't help but giggle.

  "It's not exactly nowhere," I replied. "He's been on the other side of the door for quite a while now."

  Inara shook her head and said rather resolutely as she walked over to the door, "Nope, magic. I refuse to believe anything else."

  After she opened the door, Inara asked, "Are the dragons ready for the meeting?"

  "Not yet," I heard Fallon say, though I couldn't see him because the door was blocking him from my view. "I was wondering if I could have a private word with Emma before she meets with them."

  "Hmm," Inara said, sounding rather dubious about allowing such a situation to occur. "I'll let you in if you pro
mise to act like a gentleman, John Fallon."

  I could hear Fallon chuckle slightly at Inara's request.

  "You have my word that I will treat Emma with the utmost care."

  Inara turned her head to look back at me and winked in a conspiratorial manner.

  "Very well," she said rather imperiously, opening the door wider for me to catch my first glimpse of Fallon and allow him to see me. "I suppose you can have a word with her. But, I'll be right outside this door just in case."

  Inara walked out of the room, and Fallon walked in.

  He closed the door after Inara left before turning to face me.

  "Are there some instructions you want to give me before I meet with the dragon council?" I asked, not seeing any other reason why Fallon would want a word with me in private.

  Fallon shook his head slowly as he walked the short distance to me.

  "No, I think you can handle them on your own," he said confidently, coming to stand only inches from me.

  "Then, what did you need to speak with me about?" I asked, his sudden nearness causing my pulse to race, and the serious look on his face as he stared at me doing nothing to alleviate the excited hammering of my heart.

  "I came to wish you luck," he murmured with a hint of a smile stretching his lips. He slipped his arms around my waist and brought my body in closer to his.

  "Sarah..." Aurora said with her unasked question raising her voice in my head like a warning beacon.

  "Don't attack him," I told her, instantly knowing where her thoughts had taken her. "I want this."

  I raised my arms to rest my hands on Fallon's shoulders and saw his smile broaden. He didn't have to ask permission to lower his lips to mine because I had already given it.

  Just as Fallon's lips hovered over mine, I heard myself say to him, "I'm not her."

  Fallon stopped and pulled away just enough to look into my eyes.

  "I know that, Sarah. I know who you are."

  I closed my eyes as Fallon's lips finally touched mine for the first time.

  His kiss was tentative at first but soon became more demanding. I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck and raising my body up on the tips of my toes, never wanting him to pull away from me. Fallon's arms tightened around my waist pressing my body firmly against his own. By the time we mutually ended the kiss, we were both breathing heavily from the impact of it.