Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
The late afternoon sun beats down on the fire paddock, sending shimmers of heat dancing across crushed stone and sand.
I shield my eyes, scanning the enclosure for Dame and Chirean, but the nesting pair is nowhere in sight.
Not unusual. They have eggs to protect, and though I’m still not certain when their young will hatch, I know the time is getting near.
I understand the instinct. Even royal duties can’t compete with the promise of new life.
Something feels different today though. Expectancy charges the air, prickling my skin beneath my riding leathers.
Ryu nudges my shoulder with his snout, nearly knocking me sideways. As the largest and oldest of Tirene’s dragons, he’s usually also the calmest.
Unless he’s hunting.
Today, he’s restless, shifting his weight from one clawed foot to the other, his clubbed tail sweeping arcs through the paddock’s crushed stone.
I run my hand along the smooth scales of his neck. “What’s got you so fidgety?”
He doesn’t use words—dragons rarely do—but his emotions brush my mind.
Anticipation, excitement, urgency.
Images flash between us as well. The open sky, clouds, the rushing wind. He wants to fly, and not just a casual patrol around the palace grounds.
In the corner of the paddock, Mygist regards us with hooded golden eyes. His midnight scales absorb the sunlight, granting him the appearance of a shadow given mass and form. The dark frill around his neck twitches when our eyes meet, but he makes no attempt to join us.
I gesture to Ryu. “You’re insistent on taking me somewhere.”
Bastian frowns, pushing off from the wall and striding toward us. His boots leave neat imprints in the sand. “Not alone, I hope. The Aclarian ambassador is still in the city, and we’ve received reports of suspicious movement along the Eastern border.”
I sigh, itching to climb the massive dragon’s extended foreleg. “I’m not going to hide in the palace forever, Bastian.”
From anyone else, being told I shouldn’t go somewhere alone would irk me. Though I’ve only known my brother for less than a year, I understand that his protective streak is born of love, not the need to control me.
“It’s not hiding. It’s using caution.” While he keeps his tone light, I recognize the worry beneath it. The scene in town is probably still haunting him. “Let me come with you. Mygist and I could use the exercise.”
As if hearing his name, Mygist releases a low rumble from across the paddock. The feeling that washes over me is clear.
I interpret the dragon’s emotions as, Absolutely fucking not.
Ryu echoes the sentiment, more firmly.
This offer is for me alone.
“The dragons disagree.” I scale Ryu’s foreleg, the maneuver lasting a matter of seconds. Much faster than the first few times I did this. “They want me to go solo.”
Bastian’s frown deepens into a scowl. “Very reassuring, Lark.”
Okay, maybe big brother is being just a teeny bit overprotective.
“I won’t be alone.” I climb onto Ryu’s back, settling into the familiar spot at the base of his neck. “I’m safer with the dragons than I am anywhere else. You know it’s true.”
“All right.” Recognizing the futility of arguing, he raises his hands in surrender and steps back. “Just be careful. Knox would have my head if anything happened to you.”
My chest flutters with warmth at the mention of the crown prince. “I should be back before dinner.” I then lean forward to whisper to Ryu. “Ready when you are.”
Needing no further encouragement, the dragon launches skyward with a powerful thrust of his legs, wings unfurling with a snap that echoes through the paddock. My stomach drops as we rise. The palace shrinks beneath us faster than it ever does under the might of my own wings.
The wind whips my loose hair into a frenzy, and I feel my wings stirring beneath my skin, aching to join the dragon’s flight. To soar alongside him. I resist the urge. Ryu wanted to carry me to our destination, so I’ll follow his lead.
We soar higher, the landscape of Tirene spreading below us like an expertly crafted tapestry. The palace with its sprawling wings and royal gardens, the city with its bustling streets, the forests and fields beyond.
My kingdom. My responsibility.
Ryu banks sharply northeast, in the direction of the mountains. I recognize our destination long before we reach it.
A sheer cliff face with a narrow ledge that’s barely wide enough for a dragon to land. Dame showed me this place months ago. The cave has a hot spring inside that’s perfect for incubating eggs, regardless of the season.
Worry and hope bubble up inside me. Ryu keeps his mind blank, but I still catch traces of his smugness about keeping this a secret from me.
He lands with surprising delicacy, folding his wings tight against his body.
Dismounting is tricky in this place, and my boots scuff against the rocky ledge as I find purchase.
“Why did you bring me here?”
But Ryu’s already launching himself back into the sky, disappearing around the curve of the mountain.
“Great.” I confront the dark maw of the cave. “Very helpful.”
Concern knots my stomach. Has something happened to Dame? To the eggs? I duck into the cavern, blinking as my eyes adjust to the dimness. I could light a fire, but that might startle the soon-to-be parents. Since I’m clueless about what I might find, I tread as carefully and quietly as possible.
The passage slopes downward, widening as it goes, the rough walls bearing marks of Dame’s claws where she’s expanded the space. The air grows warmer and moister, carrying the mineral scent of the hot spring.
I hear it before I see it.
Beneath the gentle steam of spring water, there’s…humming. A melody. Haunting and beautiful, it resonates in my bones, more felt than heard.
Someone’s inside this cave with me. Someone other than the dragons.
My heart races with trepidation, and I find myself rushing toward the eggs. If something’s happened to them, if someone’s harmed them in any way—
I refuse to finish that thought.
Rounding the final bend, I stop short. The cave opens into a chamber large enough for the two dragons that currently keep vigil at the edge of a steaming pool of water.
Dame stands beside the spring, her reddish-brown scales gleaming in the strange, diffused light that seems to have no source.
Her pale yellow underwings quiver with anticipation as she watches over the pair of floating eggs.
But Dame’s not the one humming.
Near the water, a small figure with blond hair and a spattering of freckles across her nose sits cross-legged in a nest of straw.
Rose Lockwood.
My heart stops, then beats double-time, and I release a breath. The eggs are safe. No one has harmed them. As for Rose? I don’t have the slightest clue how she got here, but I’m relieved that she appears unscathed.
Now’s not the time to question her about her antics.
Absorbed in her song, the little girl doesn’t notice me at first. The flame familiar hovering above her shoulder casts flickering shadows across her face. The sprite flares in rhythm with her melody, growing brighter and dimmer like a heartbeat.
I’ve never heard the song before. Then again, I grew up in Aclaris, so I’ve missed out on a lot of my native Tirenese culture.
Chirean stands guard at the far side of the chamber, his orange scales burnished to copper in the weird light. Both dragons exude calm, as if entranced by Rose’s humming.
Following their lead, I do my best to emulate their apparent serenity. I move closer, careful not to disturb the scene. The eggs pulse in their watery cocoon, as if responding to the melody. I’ve never heard, read about, nor witnessed dragons reacting to music before.
“That’s pretty.” When Rose pauses for a breath, I scoot closer. “Where did you learn it?”
She glances up, not at all surprised to see me. Her blue eyes shine with a wisdom far beyond her years. “Kin taught me. It’s old. From before.”
“Before what?” I settle down beside her. Chirean and Dame don’t seem to notice, their gazes still locked on the pool.
Please, Ziva, Goddess of Fire, let this be a good thing. Protect this new generation of your favored creatures.
“Lots of things.” Rose shrugs and resumes humming. Her flame sprite dances more energetically.
The song cloaks me like a warm blanket, soothing away the tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying. Sweat drips down my skin, but not in an uncomfortable way. More like…a cleansing.
Fear, confusion, worry, and the constant pressure of responsibility all recede, leaving only this moment, this cave, this miracle about to unfold.
The first egg rocks gently, then more insistently.
Tiny cracks appear on the surface.
A hairline fracture spreads like ice breaking on a pond. Both parents crane their necks forward.
The wait is unbearable. I hold my breath, anticipation sending a rush of restless energy through my body.
A small but perfect claw pushes through. Yellow with the faintest hint of orange. That’s followed by a red snout glistening with moisture.
Dame croons a welcome, her entire body vibrating with maternal pride.
She lowers her massive head, delicately helping the hatchling free itself from the remnants of its shell.
With infinite gentleness, she lifts the baby from the water, purring as she sets the newborn creature on the warm stones beside the pool.
Chirean grinds his claws into the stone, turning rocks into powder as Dame licks their firstborn clean.
There’s a tightness in my throat and a pressure behind my eyes. Tears leak out unbidden before streaming down my face. Rose reaches out, giving my hand a quick, gentle squeeze.
This…this is goodness. This is purity. This cuts through every scarred, calloused layer I’ve built around my heart.
Moments later, the second egg cracks, throwing ripples across the water.
The pool fills with mirk as the other hatchling breaks free of the shell and swims to the surface unaided.
Dame plucks the brilliant silvery baby up and settles her onto the powdered rock their father continues to create.
Her brother waddles over, tiny claws sliding over her soft scales as he tries to climb her.
The air fills with tiny chirps and the sound of Dame’s contented rumbling.
I inch closer, barely breathing, projecting tentative thoughts toward Dame and asking for permission through the tiniest opening in my dampening.
A flutter of agreement brushes my mind, followed by a second, then a third and a fourth. The whole family. Golden baby eyes blink up at me, confusion and amazement wafting up from them at this strange being, this human who can communicate with them.
The first one is already dry and exploring his surroundings on wobbly legs. His scales are a perfect blend of Dame’s and Chirean’s coloring, with hints of gold along his spine. The female is still wet. She’s a brilliant shimmering silver, unlike any dragon I’ve ever laid eyes on before.
Except for Cailleach. The ancient dragon in the Hidden Valley. The only dragon ever to converse with me in full sentences.
Rose meets my gaze, eyes brimming with childlike wonder. “They’re perfect.”
Unable to form words, all I can do is smile.
Another round of tears hit my lips, and the salt mixes with the mineral tang of the cave air. My heart feels too large for my chest, swollen with a fierce, almost painful love. It’s mine. And Dame’s. And Chirean’s. All of our shared emotions, building upon the others.
These tiny creatures, so exquisite, so vulnerable.
How can the world be worthy of them? How can I?
The second hatchling, dried now by Dame’s careful attention, stumbles toward me. Her spear-shaped tail drags after her sheep-sized body. The silver dragon chirps, bumping her head against my outstretched hand. Her shiny scales are warm and soft, not yet hardened by time and elements.
Something inside me cracks open like those eggs. All my carefully constructed barriers, my queenly composure. They crumble away, leaving only raw truth.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” I stroke the hatchling’s head with a single finger. “How will reading books and attending meetings save anyone? How is being the perfect queen going to protect them?”
The hatchling chirps again, pressing against my palm with surprising strength.
“The world needs protection.” My voice hitches. “Books and diplomatic niceties matter, but I feel wasted on them. What good are they when everything is breaking open?”
No one answers.
Rose is once again caught up in her song. The dragons are enraptured by their children. The hatchlings are too busy trying to figure out their legs and wings.
I sigh, knowing I will do anything to safeguard these precious lives.
Dame moves closer, her massive body curving around her babies and, by extension, around me. There’s comfort in her posture, but something else too. A readiness. A coiled tension.
She understands protection. She understands that sometimes love means fighting.
Chirean joins us, adding his warmth to our circle. The dragons chuff and flutter, and the hatchlings tumble about, exploring their new world with boundless curiosity.
Rose continues to hum, the melody shifting subtly and becoming something more resolute.
I don’t want comfort. I don’t want to be soothed. I want to fight back.
These hatchlings deserve a better world than the one they’ve just entered. They deserve a world where they can grow and thrive without the shadow of war hanging over them.
A world where Rose can sing her songs in sunlight rather than hidden caves.
The silver hatchling climbs halfway into my lap, tiny claws pricking through my clothes. She peers up at me with guileless eyes.
My heart clenches with the gravity of my responsibility to these newborns. “Somehow, I’m going to make it better. For all of you. I promise.”