Dragonkin

by Crymsyn Hart

  At first she thought it was a small animal, but whimpering sounded from bushes. Investigating, she went behind a rock and discovered a hatchling. Its sapphire-and-purple scales shone in the sunlight. A smile turned her lips when she saw the dragon. It sensed her and wailed a small scream. The baby waddled over to her. She knelt down and reached out her hand. The baby blinked and came closer.

  “Hello, little one.” Kestrel beckoned it forward. “I won’t hurt you.”

  It didn’t respond, but it broadcasted trust. The baby smiled, showing her its milk teeth. She giggled when it blinked at her again. Before she could touch the dragon, a shadow fell over her. By the time the silhouette registered, claws slashed across her abdomen. She touched her stomach, and her hand came away with blood. Kestrel fell back onto the ground. Very sharp teeth loomed over her. The dragon’s mother, ready to eat her. She heard a voice near her, but couldn’t make it out before the pain overwhelmed her and she passed out.

  Kestrel was connected and disconnected from her body at the same time. She had never been so badly wounded, save when she had been burned and lost Cas. A flurry of minds surrounded her. The pain of her wound was only a small reality compared to the emotions that bombarded her. Hatred. Confusion. The need to help. It was all she could comprehend. Soon the hurt faded, and the message she heard clearly in her thoughts from those around her was: dragon stealer.

  Kestrel opened her eyes slowly. Her first thought was the swipe of the claw and the pain. She placed her hand on her abdomen only to find it was whole. The minds of other dragons pressed all around her. The last thing she heard came to mind. Dragon stealer. Oh, dragon’s teeth. They must think I was trying to take the baby. That is not the first impression I wanted to make. She ran her hands over her face and looked around the room. It was very sparse. A chest of drawers, a small table with a pitcher, and a bucket sat in the corner. The door had a large bolt across it.

  She was lying on a pallet with a thin mattress. It didn’t appear to be a dungeon, but she wasn’t sure. A wave of dizziness washed over her when she tried to sit up.

  “Whoa, careful there, young one. Your wounds are still healing on the inside. You had much damage inflicted upon you by Milan’s claw. It’s a good thing you were found when you were. She was poised to eat you.”

  “Who are you? Where am I?” Kestrel asked.

  The man stepped into the beam of sunlight shining through a small window high above her bed. He was hunched over and walked with a cane that appeared to be made of bone. His green eyes were bright and full of wisdom. A few wispy hairs clung to the top of his head. His skin was translucent, so she could see the veins underneath. He was dressed in a long red robe.

  “The name’s Ralag. And who are you?”

  The closer Ralag got to her, the more she felt dragon from him. That part responded to him. That’s ridiculous. I’m only sensing the other dragons around me. “I’m Kestrel. How long have I been here?”

  “Well, it took us a day to get the infection out of your system. Milan’s claws are poisonous, unlike most dragons’. After that, we had to get you healing. It seems you’re a little different than most other spellcasters we’ve come across.” He pulled a stool over and sat down before her.

  Kestrel gave him a small smile. “I’m not sure what you mean. I appreciate you taking care of me. How is the little one doing? She was whimpering, so I wasn’t sure if she was hurt.”

  The older man eyed her. He leaned over his cane and rested both hands on it. His nails caressed the other side and reminded her of claws. “I’m not sure you should be asking about the hatchling. Some among the party who found you thought you were trying to steal the dragon. Many were bent on letting you die. Figured you deserved it. Taking hatchlings is punishable by death. I thought we should give you a chance. I sensed something different about you. Is that true?”

  Do I tell him the truth? Do I confess why I really came here? If I do that, then I’m sure he’ll turn me away. “It was in distress. I was trying to help. I didn’t mean any harm.”

  He nodded. “You have a powerful mind. I got enough from you that you meant no harm. The others weren’t able to read your thoughts. Now that you’re up, there are a few—”

  The door burst open. It hit the wall hard, and she jumped. In marched a man with tanned skin, long black hair that was braided at the sides. He wore a flowing emerald tunic and brown pants with tan leather boots. Belted at his waist was a small dagger. His expression was molded into one of pure fury. The veins throbbed on the side of his neck. His jaw was clenched, and his nostrils flared with each exhale. His gaze was hard, and it was directed at her.

  “Good, you’re awake. Now you can explain why you were after the hatchling.” He pulled his dagger from his belt.

  Kestrel saw the hate in his eyes and drew back on the bed. The move sent sharp pains through her stomach. She winced, doubled over, and bit her tongue to keep from moaning. Tears came to her eyes from the jolts in her abdomen.

  “We need to do this later. She’s just woken up.” Ralag spoke to the other man.

  “Like hell. We do this now! You know the punishment for abducting a hatchling. There are no exceptions. She’s only faking it anyway.”

  “Will you listen? She is not like those lowlife thieves. She’s different.”

  Kestrel lifted her head to see the other man step toward her. Ralag placed a hand on his arm. A sharp stab went through her. She drew in a breath and tried to call upon her power, but it wasn’t responding. He reached for her, and when he touched her, the power flared to life. It raced through her blood and warmed her skin. At once, he pulled his hand away and winced. His eyes widened, and for a brief moment, she thought he looked at her as though he knew her.

  “What the scales was that?” Ralag said.

  The other man scowled and shook his head. His murderous expression returned. “It doesn’t matter. You’re coming with me. The king will want to see you.”

  The other man grabbed for her again. Kestrel threw a ball of fire at her aggressor. She missed on purpose, only singing his arm.

  A devilish smile appeared on his lips. “Spellcaster, magic fire has no effect on me. You will be brought to justice.”

  Kestrel formed another ball and held it. “This isn’t magic fire. This is dragon fire. One ball will burn a hole right through you. The first shot was a warning. Now back off.”

  He stepped toward her again. “No human can wield dragon fire for long. You’ll burn out in a minute or two.”

  Some of her strength returned. Tapping into her dragon side was helping her recover. “You want to really test that theory?” The ball bounced in her hand. She ignited a flame in her other hand and played it over her fingers.

  A look of awe swept across his face and then died away. “Ralag, how is she doing that? Unless you stole that power, too.”

  She glanced at the older man. He was the first person to be nice to her in a long time. He clicked his long nails on his cane. “I’ll be damned. Her ability wasn’t stolen, Andrik. It was given to her. Child, extinguish your flames. By my word, you will not be harmed.”

  She looked between the both of them. Ralag was sincere in his words. Kestrel calmed her mind and pulled the power back. When she did, she felt that little bit of Cas wrap around her and comfort her. “Fine.”

  “You can’t give your word—”

  Ralag turned and faced Andrik. He drew himself up, and the power Kestrel felt from him was overpowering. “You’re forgetting to whom you’re speaking, hatchling. You will do as you’re told on this.”

  Andrik glanced at her and shrunk back. “Forgive me, Uncle.” His eyes didn’t leave hers. He sheathed his dagger and relaxed his stance. She still sensed his hostility.

  “Tell your father he will be having visitors. I think he will want to meet our guest.”

  Andrik left the room. Ralag hobbled over and sat beside Kestrel. He patted her hand. “I thought the ability had died out among the tamed dragons that bond with the
humans. Do you mind if I look?”

  “Look for what?”

  He took her face between his hands. His palms were warm, warmer than they should have been. “To see who gave you part of their soul.”

  Soul! Cas gave me part of his soul. “Is that why I have the dragon fire?”

  “Only part of it. May I?”

  She nodded. Ralag’s eyes widened. Power suffused her body. An uncomfortable pressure settled on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. Blackness surrounded her, but something slithered against her mind. She saw the flash of white scales, and then he pulled away. Her vision cleared. Kestrel blinked, and the world came back into focus. Ralag’s expression softened.

  “Poor child, you’ve carried a burden you shouldn’t have had to carry. And it seems you’ve been misinformed. We must go to my brother to get this cleared up.”

  “Who is your brother?”

  “He’s the dragon king.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “There was much Castigan didn’t know about his past. About who he really was. If he had known, I think your life would’ve been much different.”

  She didn’t understand what Ralag was getting at. How could his brother be the dragon king when Ralag is human? Unless the king was bonded to a dragon the way she had been. “I’m not sure I understand.” Pena said Cas was different. Was he from here?

  “Castigan was stolen from his mother when he was just born. Sometimes bandits come and snatch eggs or hatchlings before they have matured. We do everything we can to stop them, but sometimes when we look away, we lose one.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  Ralag got up and hobbled to the door. “Let me get you something suitable to wear. Your things are over there, but most were burned.”

  Great. He left the room. Kestrel tried to move again. This time she found her middle didn’t hurt as badly. If she moved slowly, she could deal with the remaining pain. Cas had been stolen from birth. How would our relationship have been different if he knew what he was? She reached her sack and saw the scorch marks. The material wasn’t spelled against dragon fire. Digging through the remains, she discovered her spell book was gone. She felt the blood drain from her face. All of the spells in the book she knew by heart, but her private thoughts and feelings were also in the pages. Hopefully, it was lost and not fallen into the wrong hands.

  Chapter Five

  Kestrel sat back on the mattress in the thin shift she wore. She figured that she was inside Blaze Mountain. The presence of the dragon minds enveloped her when she concentrated. It was a pleasant feeling knowing she wasn’t alone. She wouldn’t have guessed humans also cohabitated with the dragons. Their society seemed completely different than anything they were taught at the Athenaeum. She understood why it was sacrilege to steal a dragon and why they thought she was among those who did.

  Gods, Cas. If you could see me now. This is the strangest place I’ve ever been. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but at least I’m going to see the dragon king.

  While she waited for Ralag to return, she paced the room slowly. As time went on, her pain lessened. Although she would carry scars from the encounter, the burns would heal in time. She heard voices outside the door. The large bolt slid back, and the door opened. Andrik walked in with an unreadable expression. He had her spell book in his hand.

  “Where did you get that?” she asked and grabbed for it.

  He dashed out of the way. “It’s very interesting reading. It happened to fall out of your pack when you were thrown from Milan’s attack. Seems you were bonded to a dragon once. Hailed a powerful spellcaster and then got your dragon killed. Then you were deemed an outcast, so no dragon would bond with you. Even your own kind shunned you. So what brings you here after all these years?”

  The smirk on his face brightened. Kestrel wanted to punch him. The rage in her burned so hot it took all her concentration not to lob a ball of fire at him. The girl she’d once been in the wars resurfaced for a brief instant. She stepped toward him again, but he pulled the book back. She reached for the journal, and her fingers brushed against his. Another spark tingled her nerves.

  Kestrel drew in a sharp breath. Her pulse thundered in her ears while she tried to make sense of the jolt. This time Andrik was the one to retreat. He stared at her again. Something about him seemed so familiar. The fight drained from her. She sank back onto the bed and met his gaze. The weight of her decisions fell heavy upon her shoulders.

  “Forgiveness.”

  “For getting your dragon killed?”

  Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t have to justify my actions to you. For your information, I died that day. When Cas took his last breath, so did I.”

  “And yet you live.”

  “Only because he desired me to. He was a good soul. I relied on him. I cared about him. We knew each other on an unfathomable level—”

  “It sounds like you were in love with him.”

  She propelled herself off the bed and slapped him hard. When the sting on her palm registered, she realized what she had done. The fury seared hot in her throat like bile. Her dammed memories rushed back. Kestrel tried to fight the rising tide of grief.

  “You have no right to talk about Castigan that way. He was my friend. A bond between spellcaster and dragon is deeper than anything you can possibly imagine. Say whatever you wish about me, but leave him out of it.” The loss drowned her. Instantly she was pulled back to those last few moments where Castigan had held her close to him and she listened to his dying breaths.

  She placed her hand on the stone wall and tried to control the sobs wracking her body. I can’t do this now. I must not show weakness in front of him. Gathering her composure, she wiped the wetness from her eyes. The dragon inside of her roared and was dying to fight, but she ignored it.

  She was not that girl anymore. The feisty side of her personality had tempered after the wars.

  She felt a light touch on her shoulder. When she turned, Kestrel expected to see something else in Andrik’s eyes rather than the deep sadness she found. Something about his smoky eyes stirred a familiarity. “I’m sorry. That was below the belt. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. My wife was killed many years ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  He placed his hand on her cheek. Once their flesh touched, a jolt of energy ran through her. His eyes widened. This can’t be. I know him, and yet I don’t know him. She ached to touch him further and explore his strong jaw. Something brushed across her mind. Kestrel stood still and resisted the urge to see if she could connect to this man because of the dragon part of her. She couldn’t deny there was something between them now, when only a few hours ago he had threatened her.

  “Cas?” Kestrel breathed. Could dragons live again as humans? Is that possible? It wasn’t ever discussed at the Athenaeum.

  Andrik blinked. He stepped closer. “I’m not your lost dragon.”

  The tie between them was real. “Why does a dragon have two tails?”

  “One to steer with. The other to talk dragon shit with. Everyone knows that old joke.”

  “Cas used to ask me that every morning.”

  “What does that prove? I hear it all the time.”

  “Don’t you believe that we all get second chances?”

  “I don’t know. If that were so, then I should see my wife again.”

  “Answer me this then.”

  “Fine.”

  She leaned in closer. “Why did you recognize me when you first came in here? You might have been raging, but I saw that recognition. You wanted to kill because you thought I was trying to steal the hatchling, but you kept looking at me as if you knew me. Why?”

  He closed his mouth and stared at her. His brow furrowed. He went to speak when the door opened again. Ralag entered carrying a dress over his arm. Andrik walked away still carrying her spell book.

  “Go tell your father that we’re coming.”

  Andrik grumbled
and left. A pang of longing went through her as she watched him leave. I don’t even know if what I’m feeling is real. Kestrel took a step toward him and stopped when she realized what she had done. Her desire to race after him and touch him once more nearly devoured her. She had to feel his skin against hers. She had to know why he was so familiar.

  “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

  She sank down onto the bed and shook her head. “I don’t know. Do you think dragons can live again?”

  He gave her a half smile. “Anything’s possible. I doubt many dragons think about it. We live such long lives. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. Just thinking.”

  “Come now. Here is a dress I was able to borrow from my youngest. She’s about your size. Sorry it took me so long. I had to track her down. She was on the other side of the mountain.”

  Kestrel took the green dress and turned around. She pulled off the light shift she was in. Ralag whistled behind her. She giggled. The older man reminded her of her grandfather. Her family had died many centuries ago, but that was part of the life of a spellcaster.

  “Oh, to be young again. How long were you bonded to your dragon before he died?”

  “Two hundred years.”

  “How long has it been?”

  “Five long centuries.”

  “That scar upon your soul has never healed.”

  She adjusted the dress and turned around. He handed her a pair of shoes and slipped on. “Never.”

  He nodded. “Come, I’ll bring you to my brother. Then we’ll take you to someone who can get you more clothes and other things you need.”

  He led her out of the room and into a long hall. Every ten feet there was another door. They walked down and around and then came out into a long passageway. Fresh air blasted through the tunnel. Along each side were large openings, rooms for the dragons. It was ten times the aerie at the Athenaeum.

  They wound deeper into the mountain. Torches lined the side of the channels. She lost count of how many smaller offshoots she saw.

  “How many humans live among the dragons? We know nothing about this at the Athenaeum.”