by SJ West
"You were right," I told him as I looked into his eyes, which were filled with a raw desire to continue where we just left off.
"Right about what exactly?" He asked, leaning down to lightly kiss my swollen lips once, then twice, like he simply didn't want to stop kissing me.
"About me not being able to properly judge Aleksander's kiss without having something to compare it to."
Fallon chuckled, his eyes reflecting his amusement.
"And how did this kiss compare with that one?" He asked, sounding like he already knew the answer to his own question.
"There is no comparison," I said breathlessly.
Fallon looked both pleased and shy about my answer.
"Well, that's good to know," he told me, "because I plan to kiss you a lot, Sarah, if that's all right with you."
"I would be greatly disappointed if you didn't," I told him honestly.
"I definitely don't want to disappoint my queen."
Fallon lowered his head to mine again. I didn't think it was possible, but the second kiss was even better than the first.
I refused to relinquish my hold on Fallon until a soft knock came from the other side of the bedroom door.
"Queen Emma," I heard Dracen say, "it's time."
I had to force myself to pull away from Fallon, but he instantly pulled me back for one last kiss before reluctantly letting me go.
"Are you ready to go meet some ornery dragons?" Fallon teased.
"Not really," I admitted. "But I don't seem to have a choice. We need them. I just hope I can convince them of that fact."
Aurora flew up to her perch on my left shoulder.
"Don't worry, Sarah," Aurora said, using our connection to fill me with her confidence. "They will help us."
When we walked out of the bedroom and into the sitting room, Inara gasped and immediately began to fuss over my hair.
"If you were going to have a make-out session, couldn't it have waited until after the most important meeting of your life?" She asked me, shaking her head in exasperation as she repaired the damage that was apparently done.
I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I chanced a glance at the men in the room.
Dracen looked about as embarrassed as I felt. So did Able for that matter as he busied himself with some imaginary piece of lint on his black jacket. Fallon, however, looked immensely pleased with himself considering the broad smile on his face.
"There," Inara said somewhat satisfied with her repair job as she stepped away from me to make sure the rest of my person was still presentable.
I felt a need to quickly reestablish the most pertinent subject back to the forefront of our thoughts.
"So what do we do now?" I asked Dracen. "Are they coming to us? Am I the only one who will be meeting with them?"
"No, they are allowing me to join you," Dracen replied.
"Is there anything I need to know about their customs? Should I bow or should I not bow? Should I speak first or wait to be spoken to?" I remembered quite clearly that I wasn't allowed to bow to anyone in Kamora without the act being taken as me showing weakness. I had no idea what the dragons would expect from me.
"The dragons respect those who show respect to them," Dracen told me. "So bow deeply to each of them. You need to remember that. Don't leave one out, or they will take it as a sign of disrespect. You're allowed to speak to them first but only after they acknowledge that you wish to speak. Courtesy is something they will respond to favorably. Simply be yourself and they will listen to your heartfelt plea for your country."
I nodded. "I can do that."
I looked out the bank of windows and saw the same red dragon who came to greet us sitting in the clearing, watching me.
"Where are the other dragons?" I asked Dracen.
"We'll have to go to them," he told me. "Valen will fly us where we need to be."
"That's the dragon's name?" Fallon asked.
"Yes," Dracen answered. "They all have names just like humans do."
I took in a deep breath before I said, "Let's go. The sooner we get this done the better. At least today, we'll know one way or the other if they will help us or not."
Dracen held out a hand towards the stairs leading out of the compartment.
"Ladies first," he said.
Everyone wished me luck as I walked toward the staircase.
As I took my first step out of the ship, I was immediately struck by how warm and calm the air seemed on the floating island.
"Why isn’t there more of a breeze at this elevation?" I asked Dracen as he followed me down the stairs to the grassy lawn below.
"There's a magical shield around the islands," he said. "It keeps them all at the same temperature no matter what time of year it is."
When I reached the ground, I turned and waited for Dracen to join me.
"Can he hear me from this distance?" I asked Dracen as I looked at the red scaled, black horned dragon staring at me with undisguised curiosity.
"No, we're too far away," Dracen said, sensing a motive to my question.
"Should I tell them what I am or will they instantly be able to tell?" I asked.
"They'll know you're a shifter," Dracen said making the statement but looking a little troubled by it. "You're not the first of your kind that they have met."
"Why do you suddenly look so worried?"
"Do I?" Dracen said, attempting to laugh it off but doing a poor job of hiding his discomfort. "I guess I'm nervous too. It's been a long time since I was here. I'm curious to see how they'll greet me."
I looked back at the dragon who was our escort.
"Well," I said, "I suppose we both better start walking before one or both of us lose our nerve."
Dracen held out a crooked arm for me. I take it and find strength in our unity as we walk towards the dragon together.
As we approach the red dragon Dracen called Valen, it stood to its full height but never took its eyes off me.
"You did not tell me she was a shifter, Dracen," Valen said in a deep, rather grumpy sounding voice.
"It's a minor detail that has no bearing on our request," Dracen replied. "She is the Queen of Vankara, shifter or not."
"Humpf," Valen snorted. "I guess we'll see what the others have to say about this...minor... detail as you call it."
"I'm sure they will understand once the circumstances are explained to them," Dracen said, sounding confident.
Valen returned his gaze to me and asked, "If you are not the true Emma Vankar, who exactly are you?"
"I've gone by two other names in my life," I told him. "April Pew and Sarah Harker. I prefer, Sarah."
Valen's eyes narrow on me further. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes," I replied. "I prefer Sarah over Queen Emma."
Valen lowered his head and leaned in closer to me. He was so close the air flowing out of his nostrils felt like a slight breeze against my face.
"Not that," he said, studying me closely. "Are you sure you haven't been someone else besides the people you have mentioned."
"No." I told him truthfully. "I have only been three people and this form is the last one I ever intend to take."
"Hmm..." Valen said, not sounding at all convinced.
"She is telling you the truth," Aurora defended on my behalf. "Why do you doubt her?"
Valen's attention diverted to Aurora who was perched on my shoulder.
"Greetings, little one," Valen said to her, amused by Aurora's defense of me. "And what is your name?"
"Sarah," Aurora said stressing the name I prefer, "has given me the name of Aurora."
Valen leaned his head back and up, but still kept his gaze on us.
"Well, Aurora, you have a lot to learn about reading humans. Why is it that you decided to bond with this one in particular?"
I felt Aurora's loss for an answer to Valen's question. Finally, she replied, "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
"Humpf," Valen said, "as good a reason as any, I su
ppose."
Valen lowered his body to the ground and angled one of his leathery wings down like a ramp towards us.
"Hop onto my back and I will take you to meet with the council. They are waiting on us."
Dracen held out one of his hands to help me up onto Valen's wing. The dragon’s wing was slightly soft but ridged enough to allow me to walk without losing my balance. When I reached his back, I took hold of one of the black spikes protruding from his spine and secured myself as well as I could sitting sideways.
"It might be better if I sat behind you," Dracen suggested. "At least that way I can help keep you from falling off."
"That would be much appreciated," I admitted with a relieved smile.
Dracen straddled his legs over the dragon's back as you would a horse and wrapped his arms around my waist to take hold of the spike in front of me.
"Here we go," Valen warned, as he stood up onto all four legs.
Unlike the first time he left us to arrange the meeting with the council, Valen did not launch himself straight up into the air. Instead, he was considerate of his guests on his back and simply waved his large wings back and forth in the air to lift his body off the ground gradually so he remained in a horizontal position. Once high enough, Valen dipped his body slightly and glided through the air like a kite on a windy day.
"Oh, Sarah," Aurora said excitedly, "I can't wait until I'm big enough for you to ride me like this!"
I had to admit the ride was exhilarating. The rush of the wind against my face and the muscular strength of Valen beneath me were unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was similar to riding on Sora's mechanical dragons but a hundred times better. Having a living, thinking creature fly you through the air simply made the experience more personal. There was a trust we all placed in Valen to keep us safe during our journey, and even though I had no reason to, I had complete faith he would deliver us to our destination unharmed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Valen flew us to the opposite side of the island. From my vantage point in the sky, I caught sight of the five dragons we were meeting before they saw me. They were waiting for us by a small lake nestled within a forested valley close to the base of the volcano. One representative from each of the five factions of dragons was sitting around the lake like a kaleidoscope of colors. As Valen made his descent, they all lifted their heads to watch our approach towards a small island in the center of the lake. It was just big enough for Valen to land on and for us to disembark.
Valen turned his head to look at me and said, "Good luck."
As he did the first time I saw him, Valen flew off the island vertically but made sure not to whip his tail with us so close beneath him.
I looked out at the dragon council and literally had to turn around completely to see them all.
None of them said a word. They simply looked at me in an appraising manner.
"Are they waiting for me to say something?" I whispered to Dracen.
"No," he answered back. "They're waiting for me to."
Dracen bowed deeply to the red dragon first, and I followed his lead by curtseying deeply. One by one Dracen bowed and I curtsied to all of the dragons present. It seemed to me that Dracen was being very careful to show his respect equally, never bowing longer to one dragon than another. As I looked at them all, I noticed something odd. At first, I thought what I was seeing was a necklace around each dragon’s neck, but on closer inspection, I saw that all five of the dragons had one golden scale in the center of their chests.
After showing our due respect to them all, we found ourselves once again facing the red dragon.
"Greetings, Gregoire," Dracen said. "It has been a long time since I stood in your esteemed presence."
"Yes," Gregoire said narrowing his eyes on Dracen, "it has been many years. Valen told us that you have come to voice a plea. What are you in need of sorcerer?"
“Before we get into that,” Dracen said. “Would you mind if I introduced the Queen of Vankara to all present so she knows everyone by their given name?”
Gregoire nodded his head once in acquiescence.
Dracen started with the green dragon sitting to the right of Gregoire.
“Queen Emma Vankar,” Dracen said, “I would like to introduce you to Titus.”
I curtsied to Titus. “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Titus.”
Titus simply nodded his head in my direction, and I remembered Dracen telling me that the green dragons were solitary creatures. I had to assume that meant they weren’t given to speaking often.
Dracen turned to face the blue dragon to the right of Titus.
“It’s a pleasure to see you once again, Seneca,” Dracen said. “I hope you are doing well.”
“As well as can be expected under such circumstances,” Seneca said. I noticed his eyes narrow on Aurora with undisguised curiosity. “Tell me Emma Vankar, where did you come across one of my kind?”
“I was travelling in Fae territory when Aurora and I first met,” I answered.
Seneca was silent as he thought over my explanation. Finally, he said, “Aurora. Do you know where your mother is?”
“She was killed,” Aurora answered. “She attacked Emma and her escort. The man travelling with her had to kill my mother in order to protect their lives.”
“Do you know the reason why your mother attacked them? Was she justified in her actions?”
“Aurora wasn’t even born at the time,” I said, interceding on Aurora’s behalf. “But I can answer your question easily enough. She seemed to be among the feral dragons living on the Fae side of Vankara. She would have killed my companion if he hadn’t defended himself against her.”
“Feral?” The yellow dragon on the other side of Seneca said incredulously. “There’s no such thing as a feral dragon. Have you witnessed wild dragons running around your island, Dracen?”
“I’ve never been one to venture far from my sanctuary since Trill’s death, Runa,” Dracen admitted to the scholar of the group. “I wasn’t aware that any of the dragons had gone feral on Vankara though. The ones who occasionally ventured to my home all had their wits about them, as far as I could tell anyway.”
“Are there many of these feral dragons on your island?” Runa asked me, sounding curious about the prospect of such a thing.
“It doesn’t matter!” Seneca roared, causing a ringing in my head from his heated outburst.
Seneca rose from his position and began to walk towards us through the water of the lake in a threatening manner.
“Seneca,” Gregoire said menacingly as he stood up. He looked on the verge of forcing Seneca to back away from us. “What are your intentions?”
“My intentions,” Seneca replied ominously as he stood in front of us and lowered his head so he could get a better look at Aurora, “are to rescue my daughter.”
“Your daughter?” I asked, feeling Aurora’s mixed emotions, excitement tinged with apprehension, about such a possibility. “How can that be?”
“My mate,” Seneca said as he turned his head to look at me, “was extremely stubborn. Vorana thought if we went to our brethren on your island and extended the hand of friendship that they would want to return to us and abide by our rules. She ventured there against my wishes to speak with them but never returned.”
“How do you know Aurora is your daughter?” I asked.
“Because I can sense Vorana inside her,” Seneca said, looking back at Aurora. “Come with me, little one. You do not belong with this… human.”
“If you are truly my father,” Aurora said, “you would not ask me to do such a thing. I am Sarah’s, and she is mine.”
“Whatever this shifter wishes to call herself,” Seneca said in disgust, “she is not worthy of you, daughter. The pain of being separated from her will become bearable in time. Every member of this council has had to endure the loss of the one we were once bonded to. But if you are able to pass your test and become immortal, the link between your souls will be broken a
nyway, and you will outlive her.”
“I have no desire to live without her!” Aurora said stridently. “I refuse to pass whatever test you would give to me. My life is with Sarah, not with you.”
“You would turn your back on your own kind?” Seneca bellowed as trails of smoke began to expel from his nostrils.
“I would stay true to the one I have chosen,” Aurora replied calmly in the face of her father’s wrath. “Sarah I know and love. You I have no connection to besides blood.”
“That should be enough,” Seneca argued.
“It is not,” Aurora declared. “My love and loyalty remains with Sarah until the day we die. I will not leave her side just because you demand it. If you want to play the bully, go right ahead, but it will not change my mind or make me respect you very much.”
I hear laughter come from behind me and turn to look at the black dragon.
“Well, she is definitely Vorana’s offspring,” the black dragon said, sounding amused. “No one else could produce such a stubborn little dragonling who can argue so effectively against you, Seneca.”
“Keep your thoughts to yourself, Cassius,” Seneca replied grumpily. “I don’t believe I asked you to join the conversation.”
“No, you didn’t,” Cassius replied, sounding completely unaffected by Seneca’s rebuff. “But I’m not really someone who asks permission to do things. Any human who can instill so much loyalty in one so young has my respect and my vote. You can count me in on whatever it is you’re asking us for, Queen of Vankara.”
“Thank you, Cassius,” I said, curtsying deeply in his direction. “I appreciate your support.”
“Always so brash,” Runa said, rolling her golden eyes at Cassius. “I, for one, would like to know exactly what it is she wants from us first.”
“Seneca,” Gregoire said, “why don’t you retake your seat and let the rest of us hear what she has come here to ask of us? I seriously doubt she knows what happened to make Vorana act in such a vicious manner. Those answers will most likely have to come from our brethren on Vankara.”
