27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
No pressure. A small group stood on the cliffs as Eric worked with Ben to release his dragon. He was bare-chested and exposed and willing his dragon to come out of hiding. So far nothing had worked. He took in the anxious faces. Marcus, Sienna, and Eric had been working with him with several failed attempts. Ian was standing by to help as well. Megan and Evelyn stood a few feet away with Tessa. He glanced at her to try to calm down. Seeing her usually helped when he was spiraling. Not today.
Lily stood next to him, and when she watched him with adoration in her eyes, his heart cracked in half. He was failing this little girl.
“Ben.”
Failing all of them.
“Ben! Look at me.”
Ben blinked and then focused on a determined face with denim eyes. He was becoming addicted to those eyes.
“Listen,” Tessa said. “You are overthinking this. Maybe you aren’t the one who needs to do this.”
“What do you mean? Ian said Lily is linked to me.”
“Lily’s dragon has linked to your dragon. I mean that your dragon needs to do this. Do you trust me?”
He nodded. He trusted her more than anyone.
“Put your hand on Lily’s shoulder.”
He did what she said.
“I’m going to try something.” Tessa rested her hands on his bare chest.
He sucked in a breath, and something rumbled deep inside.
“Close your eyes.”
He followed directions even though he wanted to look at her, especially when she was so close. He could feel her breath on his chest.
“Dragon. I know you’re in there. We need your help. Lily needs your help. Can you feel her dragon next to you? She has chosen you to guide her. To help her transition so that she can release her dragon. Don’t you want to come out too? It’s been a long time since you’ve felt the crosswinds and flown across the sky. Can you show her how to embrace her dragon?”
The rumbling increased in his chest. Tessa had to be able to feel that, right?
Tessa pressed her hands harder to his chest. “Lily needs you. Please help her.”
His fingertips burned. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know that his claws were coming out. Sounds became clearer. He could hear a slight shuffle of someone standing behind him and the trill of a bird in the trees. And he could hear Tessa’s heartbeat.
His dragon liked that.
His dragon.
He opened his eyes and took in the woman in front of him. If he thought she was beautiful before, she was Technicolor stunning now.
She gasped before a smile broke out. “Hello, dragon.”
Tessa stared into brown eyes. Pupils that had elongated and seemed to be memorizing her. Ben blinked and then smiled. Could a smile be predatory?
She took a step away from him, and the rumbling in his chest increased.
“You need to help Lily now, big guy.”
Ben turned and knelt in front of Lily. “Come out, little dragon.”
Lily grinned at him and held her hands up as tiny claws erupted from her fingertips. Tessa stopped from gasping again. She didn’t want to interrupt what was happening between them, especially when Lily blinked and her bright blue eyes had elongated as well. It was happening!
Tessa stepped back farther to give them space, and she was glad she did.
Wings unfurled from Ben’s back. Deep purple and fearsome. Tessa almost choked on her tongue. Holy hotness. He was glorious.
Lily wiggled a little before her lavender wings slowly emerged around the special tank top she wore. Tessa was having trouble breathing. Her eyes burned at the joy she saw in Lily’s and Ben’s faces. Behind them, the others were keeping quiet as best they could, but they were grinning. Megan and Evelyn both had their hands over their mouths.
Ben stood and took Lily’s hand, and her wings started to flap. Tears fell down Tessa’s cheeks as Lily giggled. When she got high enough that she couldn’t hold on to Ben’s hand any longer, he let her go. Tessa held her breath as she flew up, but then Ben launched himself into the sky, and Tessa gasped again as they flew around each other in circles. Both a little wobbly at first, but then coming into their own.
The group walked over to her.
Eric shook his head. “I should have known you could coax his dragon out. You don’t take no for an answer. Great job.”
Sienna and then Megan hugged her. They let the tears fall as they tilted their heads back and watched. Lily’s giggles drifted down to them as she soared across the sky.
Ben was buzzed. No other word for it. Having his dragon appear and taking to the sky was a high he could never have imagined. When they’d landed, Lily was exhausted and he was alarmed until Ian reassured him she was fine and it was a normal response for a child the first time their dragon emerged. Before Evelyn had taken Lily upstairs for a nap, she’d hugged Ben, thanking him. But he wasn’t the one who should be thanked.
Tessa was a rock star. His dragon sure did sit up and take notice when she spoke to him. Leave it to her to go right to the source and take charge. His dragon hadn’t stood a chance. Hell, he didn’t stand a chance. Now if only she could demand that his memories emerge like his dragon.
The object of his thoughts took shape when Tessa walked out onto the back deck.
She stood next to him at the railing overlooking the valley. “How are you feeling?”
“Wired.”
“I guess I shouldn’t tell you then that Marilyn is making a dragon-shaped cake to celebrate Lily’s transition.”
He smiled. “She’ll love that. Thank you for helping her. Helping me.”
She shrugged, but her pink cheeks told him she wasn’t as nonchalant as she wanted him to believe. “I just thought maybe if we explained to the dragon what was going on, it might help. It was just a hunch.”
“And a daggone good one.”
Her right eyebrow lifted. “Daggone?”
“Never know what little ears might be listening.”
She chuckled. “You’re a fast study.”
He shook his head. “I’ve got a lot to learn and little time to do it.”
“Don’t make me call your dragon out to kick your ass-paragus.”
He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.” How could she know exactly what to say to calm him down?
“Your memories will come back when they’re supposed to. Hopefully Jonas will find something with all the things he’s digging through.” She sat on the lounge chair and patted the seat next to her. “Tell me what it’s like to fly.”
He thought for a moment before responding. “It’s true freedom. To be able to leave the earth and soar in the air. It was joy in motion.” He shook his head. “I’m not doing a good job of describing it.”
“You’re doing a pretty good job to me.” She tilted her face to the sky. “To be able to do that would be amazing.”
He glanced at her profile. “I can take you up sometime if you want.”
She turned to him with a smirk on her face. “I think I’ll wait until you’ve had your training wheels off for a bit.” Then she winked at him.
And he felt like he was soaring again.