She laid her head on his shoulder, expecting him to pull away like he’d done for the last couple of days, but instead, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. There was the Rowan she knew. She snuggled into his side, enjoying his touch. Everything about him was comfortable. She wondered what she could do to make him stay close to her and not withdraw like he had recently.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked.
“You’ve been missing out by hiding inside all these years.”
“That I have. When this is all over, I want to travel the world and see everything she has to offer.” The sun began to pick up over the trees, bathing everything in a bright pink.
“Can I come with you?” Skye didn’t know why she asked. She’d be caught up in dragon wars for a while unless her scales changing was a fluke. Then again, maybe the war would be over before she knew it. She shook her head. This thing with Rowan was all make-believe. But she wanted to make-believe she’d go with him.
He pulled away from her. “That depends.”
“On what?” He was ruining her fantasy.
“On whether or not I have a girlfriend traveling with me. That’d be kind of awkward. Don’t you think?”
A feeling that Skye hadn’t felt since Sid had flirted with that awful arctic dragon fifty years ago burned in Skye’s stomach. The thought of Rowan with someone else, anyone else, made her jealous. That wasn’t fair. Rowan was free to date whomever. But she wanted to tell him that even though she’d never love him, she wanted him to keep loving her. She crossed her arms and moved away from him, disgusted with herself. That would be so unfair to him.
“Did I make you mad?” he asked, looking at her from under his eyelashes. The sliver of bright green shining through.
“No. It seems strange to think of you with someone.”
He frowned. “Am I that repulsive?”
She gave him a small smile. “No. Quite the opposite actually. It’s that you’ve been with me for so long, I don’t think I want to share you.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He turned away from her, and she wished she could see his face. She wanted to know if she’d made him mad or embarrassed him.
She moved around so she could see him. “You shouldn’t apologize. You deserve to be happy. I want you to be. I hope that someday I can be happy too.”
Rowan opened his mouth and then closed it again. Whatever he was going to say, he kept it to himself.
Kingston poked his head out of the cave. You ready to continue the search?
Skye sighed and ran her hand through her filthy hair. “Sure. Maybe we can find a place to take a bath. I feel disgusting.”
“You don’t smell too hot either.” Rowan gave her a crooked smile.
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Like you smell like roses.”
“I do. Didn’t you know? Roses are my natural scent.” He gave her a grin, and she couldn’t help but laugh. He seemed so different lately. More relaxed or something. She liked that.
“Let’s get going. Maybe we’ll get lucky today,” said Kingston.
“Maybe,” Rowan replied. Skye hoped they were right. They could use some luck.
They flew into the southern part of the park and continued the search. It was strange that they hadn’t run into any woodlands dragons at all. Maybe they were heeding Kingston’s warning and fled to a safer place. Well, all of them except Saffron.
They went into yet another cave with flashlights. It was pretty obvious that no one was there, but Skye wanted to be thorough. She hadn’t stopped thinking about the conversation about Rowan’s future girlfriend. Jealousy still burned in her stomach.
Rowan flashed his light into a tunnel, and Skye followed him in. She kept her flashlight trained on the ground because she didn’t want to scare the bats.
“You know, when you do find someone to love, you should make sure she likes that stupid movie you tried to get me to watch.” She regretted her words almost immediately. She could hear the venom in them. This was so unlike her.
“You mean Star Wars? Not hard. Everyone on the planet except you loves those movies.” He didn’t react the way she wanted him too. He needed to feel shame or something. Instead, he felt amused.
She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see her. “I don’t see why. They were so boring.”
“They’re the best movies ever. Stop knocking them.” Rowan flashed his light into a side cave.
Skye couldn’t help herself from continuing. “See, this is what I mean. You better make sure she likes them.”
Rowan nodded. “Trust me. She will.”
She clenched her fists. What right did he have to talk about a girl that he didn’t even know?
“Are you saying if she doesn’t love Star Wars, you won’t like her?”
He paused for a second and screwed up his face in thought. Then he nodded. “Yeah. Probably. It’s a good test actually. That will be our first date, and if she falls asleep like you did, she’s a goner. Thanks for that. Great advice.”
That jackass! “You might write off perfectly nice girls because they don’t like a stupid movie.”
“Star Wars isn’t a stupid movie. What do you care anyway?” Rowan continued to flash his light around, but there was no sign of a dragon anywhere.
“I think it’s wrong to judge someone based entirely on their opinion of a movie. Will you make walnut brownies just to see if their food taste suit you as well?” The words. They kept coming out of her mouth. She didn’t even know what she was doing.
Rowan laughed out loud. “Skye, the walnut brownies are only for you. Besides, it’s you that likes walnuts, not me. Or did you forget?”
Oh. Damn him. She’d told him that walnuts belonged in brownies even though at that time she’d never actually eaten them. She finally made the walnut brownies one day when he wasn’t home. They were awful. She threw away the whole batch. But she never told him. Because that would mean he won the argument on nuts versus no nuts.
They turned and walked toward the entrance to the cave. “Why are you so worked up anyway? It’s my love life. Not yours.”
Skye frowned. She shouldn’t care. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm down.
“I don’t know. You’re my best friend. I want to make sure she’s someone I can stomach. Plus, I want her to be good enough for you. I don’t see how a movie can solve that.”
“You’re the one who suggested it.”
She frowned for a second. “Oh yeah. I guess I did.”
She kept her mouth shut after that. She didn’t want to say anything that would make her look dumb. He had her all tied up in knots. Why?
It was late afternoon when they were coming out of yet another large cave that had signs of a dragon living there but was empty. The sky was bright and cloudless. A small yellow dragon sped toward them. Skye wasn’t expecting to see river dragons this far north and west. She barely had time to process, and the little dragon barreled into Rowan, knocking him over.
He seemed disoriented for a second, then chuckled as he shoved her off him. “Runa, what are you doing here?”
Panic bloomed in Skye’s chest. If Runa could find them, so could anyone else. They weren’t done yet.
Runa gave Skye a silly smile. “I can’t believe I found you. Val and Hazel are going to be so happy. And Sid will totally owe me.” She glared at Rowan. “Everyone is looking for you. Where have you been?”
Rowan sat up. “Did you say Hazel?”
Runa bounced up and down. “Yep. She came home to look for you.”
Rowan’s stomach clenched. If Hazel came home, that meant things were serious. “I’ve been with Skye. Didn’t Aspen get my message?”
Runa settled down next to him. “What message?”
“I sent her a message telling her I was with Skye and not to worry.”
Runa laughed. “Well, you’ve got the entire ranger staff and the Montana National Guard looking for you. Your parents think you’re dead. You two ne
ed to come home with me.”
Skye sank down next to Rowan. She should’ve never involved him. “Rowan, this has gotten out of hand. You should go home. I can handle this with Kingston.” She’d known he was on the news, but she assumed it had all blown over.
Rowan crossed his arms. “No way. I’m staying with you. We’re so close. They can sweat it out a few more days. Or we can have Runa tell them I’m okay.”
Skye clenched her fist and stared out over the trees. They were thick and tall and part of her just wished she and Rowan could hide in the forest and never come out again.
“I don’t think that will work now. After a search like that, they’re going to want to see you with their own eyes. Runa, you’ll need to keep this a secret.”
She got down into Runa’s face and raised her voice slightly. “Don’t tell anyone you found Rowan.” That wasn’t fair to Rowan’s parents, but he was too involved now. If Runa showed up crowing about how she saw him, everyone would come searching, and Skye’s secret would be broadcast to the whole dragon world.
Runa cowered away from her. She was being harsh. But if Runa told on them, Sid would want explanations before she was willing to give them. Rowan’s family was worried, but they’d have to worry for a little longer.
Runa dropped her head and murmured under her breath. “But they’ll be so proud of me.”
Skye lifted Runa’s head so she could look her in the eyes. “You can brag about it after we get back. Promise.”
Runa backed away and hopped from foot to foot. “Okay, but then I’m staying with you. I can’t keep a secret.”
Skye frowned. “No. They’ll worry about you. You can stay with us for a few hours, but then you’ll have to go back. And keep the secret. I have faith in you. You can do this.”
Runa curled up next to Rowan, laid her head in his lap, and sighed with contentment.
“We were so worried about you. I thought you were dead. Hazel and Aspen said you weren’t. But I thought you were.”
Rowan chuckled and scratched her chin. “Thanks for having faith in me. How did you guys end up in Yosemite?”
“An eagle saw Skye yesterday, and so we flew in this morning.”
“Who is Val?” Skye asked, frightened. Even as a human she was recognized. The thought never occurred that she could be found even while human.
“He’s the second dragon king. I have so much to catch you up on. He’s sealed himself to Hazel, but she hates him. It’s so funny.” Runa cackled.
“Why does she hate him?” Rowan asked.
“I don’t know. But she does. Hazel sealed herself too, but she doesn’t know about it. Too many secrets. I swear.”
Skye wanted to change the subject. She understood why they looking for Rowan, but not her. “Why are the eagles looking for me?”
“Because we thought you might know something about Rowan’s disappearance. That and we thought maybe you two were kidnapped.”
Skye’s mind raced. She couldn’t keep up with Runa’s explanations. “Why?”
“Because…” she started, but then she looked at Kingston.
Because of the loyalty seals. Dragons with them are being killed. We thought maybe they kept you alive for information on Sid.
“Because why?” Kingston asked.
“I don’t know,” Runa said. “Sorry. They don’t tell me everything.”
Skye was grateful for Runa keeping her mouth shut. She liked Kingston, but few dragons knew about the loyalty seals, and she wasn’t about to add another one to the mix. Kingston already knew about them, but she didn’t know how much, and she didn’t want to open up a conversation where he would ask questions she didn’t want to answer.
They flew to the cave they’d been sleeping in, and Runa tried to crawl into Rowan’s sleeping bag with him. He pulled her out. Skye was happy to see Rowan happy. She worried that after slaying the dragon, he’d never be the same, but seeing him with Runa showed her he’d be fine when this was all over.
“This isn’t big enough for the both of us. You can sleep next to me though.”
“I missed you so much. Hazel doesn’t like me, and Val’s all lost and confused most of the time. Aspen and Sid are busy trying to play king and queen. No one talks to me anymore. Oh, and my mom showed up. She scares me. What are you guys doing out here anyway?”
“We can’t tell you, sweetie. But it’s important. I promise to tell you the whole story someday.”
Skye was so tired of trying to keep her secrets straight. She couldn’t tell another lie. As soon as she found the prophecy and figured out her role, she would get everything out in the open. Well, there was one secret she’d keep, but even then, she might have to tell Rowan.
She settled into her sleeping bag and watched Runa tickle Rowan somewhere and then jerk back when he tried to swat her. Her giggles filled the cave.
Skye wondered how much longer they would have to search for Saffron. Runa could help them look for a little bit. She could come up with an excuse as to where she had been. Maybe then they could cover more ground. Saffron had to be here somewhere. The woodland dragons never strayed far from Yosemite.
ROWAN WAS GLAD Runa was with them. She made everything lighter. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her. Sure, it was dangerous having her here, but that didn’t matter. Her presence was a welcome change. He hadn’t found many reasons to smile recently, but Runa gave him plenty.
She flew around with them the next day, but she didn’t have much more luck than they had. As the sun began to set, Skye caught Runa on the way out of cave they’d just investigated.
“You should get back to Val and Hazel. They’ll be worried about you. Remember, not a word about us.”
Runa rubbed her head against Rowan’s hip. “Miss you. Come home soon.”
He patted her head. “I’ll try. You take care of my sisters.” Rowan tried not to feel guilty about what their worry. The guilt came anyway. Served him right. His parents were probably beside themselves.
“Of course I will.” Without another word, she jumped off the cave ledge and flew away.
Skye leaned into him. “I feel like we’re spinning our wheels. Where is she?”
“Where are they? We haven’t seen a single woodlands dragon.” Rowan crossed his arms. It was easier thinking about the problem at hand than worrying about his parents.
“I don’t know, but it’s late. Let’s go get some sleep and maybe try something different tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Sleep, though, would be hard to come by. At least the night before he had Runa to distract him. With her teasing him, he didn’t have time to worry about his parents trekking out in the freezing cold wilderness.
THE SOUNDS of claws hitting rocks woke Rowan the next morning. He sat up and found himself face to face with a majestic purple dragon. She flexed her deep green wings and lifted her head high. Her dark purple eyes flashed in the early sunlight. The air was misty, and if he’d been Aspen, he’d have gotten a fantastically spooky picture.
Instead, Rowan reached over and tapped Skye. “Wake up,” he hissed. He had no idea what to say to the dragon.
Skye jerked up and let out a gasp. “Who are you?”
I am Saffron. I have watched you search for me. Tell me, boy, what is your name?
“Rowan,” he answered. But he was excited. This was exactly who they were looking for. Maybe now they could finally move on, and Skye could get her answers.
Saffron closed her eyes for a few seconds. I was afraid of that. When I heard a human was looking for me, I feared you were him.
“Why?” Skye asked.
The dragon jerked her eyes to Skye.
You are sick. I can feel it.
Rowan took a step back. Skye hadn’t said anything about being sick. What was Saffron talking about?
“Yes.”
He couldn’t believe Skye hadn’t told him she was sick.
I cannot tell the nature of your sickness. Would you care to enlighten me?
Skye stuttered. “I don’t understand it well myself. But Everett will help me. Can you tell us where he is?”
I can. I do not wish to though. Saffron stood tall and would not meet their eyes. She opened her wings slightly, then shuffled her feet. Rowan was afraid she would fly away, but she didn’t make any moves to. She continued to squirm.
“Why?” Skye asked.
Everett and I are very good friends. He and I spent a good deal of time together. Everett is a prophesier. They are rare. In fact, in all my years, I’ve only met two. In our time together Everett gave me three prophecies. Two were small and concerned only myself and my family. But they both came true. This is how I know he speaks the truth. The third is bigger, and that boy is the fulfillment of it. But he brings death with him. Great death.
Rowan took a few steps back. Of course he brought death with him. He already killed one dragon. He didn’t want to kill another. Becoming a dragonslayer had never been in his plans, but that was who he was now.
“What do you mean he brings death?” Skye asked, her eyebrows creased.
The dragon closed her eyes again and spoke.
The tree that wields power
To slay the dragon
Asks for answers.
Give them.
But be warned
He brings with him
The death of all woodlands.
As she spoke, Rowan felt the truth of her words. It filled every fiber of his being. It was the strangest thing. He willed her to stop. He no longer wanted to hear what she had to say. Death. Him. Why?
Skye took a few steps toward Saffron. “The answers that the prophecy speaks of, Saffron, I need those answers.” Skye closed the distance between her and Saffron and dropped to her knees. She seemed afraid Saffron would fly away without giving her Everett’s location. Quite frankly, Rowan wished she would. Death. Rowan didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s death. Not anymore. Not ever.
The tree must ask for the answers, or I will not give them.
Skye looked at Rowan, and he shook his head rapidly.
“Rowan, please. This is the only opportunity we’ll have. Ask her where to find Everett.”
Skye: The Dragon Kings Book 4 Page 12
