55. Aurora
AURORA
It was a wonder she hadn’t had any before, to be honest. At just under a month old, she was now as big as a grown common Brown dragon and was still eating like it was her personal mission to make goats and sheep endangered species.
She was rapidly outgrowing her Hatch-mates too, making even the Gold-wings look small in comparison.
“She’s going to be the biggest dragon at the Academy if she keeps on like this,” the Master of the Dragon Caverns told me.
A Dragon childhood didn’t last very long, since they grew so fast. Most of the hatchlings that had been in the nursery were now sharing space in the huge, honeycombed area on level five with the grown dragons.
The Master of the Caverns kept them separated from the larger dragons, of course, though he complained that several times L’eesha had gotten around the barrier meant to keep the juveniles and adults separate and had gone to talk to the older dragons.
Mostly she spent time with M’alex, who was extremely protective of her. The second time the Master of the Caverns complained, I came up to the Fifth Level and found her sheltering under one of his massive royal-purple and gold wings.
Neither dragon was happy to be parted but I explained to them both that they had to follow the rules. And, at last, I was able to lure L’eesha away with the promise of a fresh goat.
She was well into her adolescence by then and she gave me plenty of attitude when I told her she couldn’t keep going around the barrier to see M’alex whenever she wanted to.
“why can’t i go?” she asked sullenly, as she followed me back to the juvenile dragon enclosure. “it’s a stupid rule—why can’t we spend time with the older dragons?”
“Because you’re still tiny compared to some of them,” I pointed out. “They might hurt you by accident if one of them stepped on you.”
“none of them would dare to hurt me,” she informed me loftily. “i am the Queen.”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s your answer to everything!”
“because it is true!” she protested. “now where is the juicy goat you promised me?”
I got her settled with the goat and extracted a reluctant promise that she wouldn’t go around the barrier again—at least, not right away.
It was always exhausting fighting with her because she argued so much.
I was sometimes envious of my friends, who had bonded with dragons that had much more malleable temperaments.
“They’re easier to direct because they’re not as smart as L’eesha,” Ryse said when I complained. “She’s the most intelligent dragon I’ve ever heard of—I should know because M’alex tells me what they talk about sometimes.”
“Oh? What do they talk about?” I asked, curious to know what our dragons were saying to each other behind our backs.
“Strangely enough, M’alex says her favorite topic is flight formations,” Ryse told me. “She’s been begging to come see one of our Battle Signaling classes in person and I think she ought to be allowed soon—she’s almost big enough for you to fly with her now.”
I loved the idea of flying my Golden Queen in the class, but I knew I would miss flying with Ryse. I loved the way he held me close as M’alex soared through the air.
“They’re going to be fitting her with a saddle soon,” I told him. “Only she’s growing so fast I’m afraid they’ll have to remake it every few days.”
“They can adjust it if they have to, but I don’t want you flying before I check it,” he said sternly. “I need to be sure you’re going to be secure on her back.”
“You don’t always have to be so protective of me, you know,” I said, though I secretly loved it. “I mean, what will the other cadets say if you’re always checking what they think is another male cadet’s saddle before he flies?”
“They’ll say what they’re already saying—that we’re a couple.” He shrugged. “Which is true, even if it’s not like they think it is.”
I was surprised by this.
“You really think everyone in your Wing thinks we’re together?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Please—they’ve been saying so ever since I moved you into my room.”
“But…so you don’t mind other cadets thinking you’re…you know…”
“A lover of other men? No, I don’t care.” He stroked my cheek. “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks as long as you’re mine, Auri.”
I felt myself blushing with pleasure and I wished that he would kiss me…
but he didn’t. I couldn’t understand why.
My monthly courses were over and yet all he would do was hold me at night when we slept and kiss me on the cheek or the forehead.
Why wouldn’t he give me what I was certain we both wanted?
I went to bed that night, wondering why…
And woke up in the most agonizing pain of my life.