Dragonkin (3 page)

Dathan chuckled. His laughter started off soft, and then it bellowed through the nook. Pena opened her eyes and peered at them. The dragon’s presence played against her mind. Another gift Cas had given her was the ability to communicate with all dragons, when normally a spellcaster could only hear his or her own dragon.

“You’re coming to me after you did this!” He gestured to his scarred face. The left side of his head was a mass of twisted flesh. Half of his ear was missing. His eye was white from blindness. The hair didn’t grow on that part of his scalp. The marks extended down to his torso. He had limited movement in his left arm. Before the accident, he had been one of the most handsome men she had known. Women had hung onto his arm wherever he went. Now she didn’t know if he was with anyone.

She bowed her head. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was mad with grief and had no idea what I was doing. Cas had just died. I don’t know how many times I have to apologize. Please, for old times’ sake? Hear me out.”

“Fine.”

“I need someone to fly me to the Northern Mountains. To Blaze Mountain in particular.”

“The dragon seat of power? What do you expect to do? Offer yourself up for lunch? Those dragons are wild and don’t bond with spellcasters. Or are you looking to approach the dragon king? No spellcaster has ventured there in who knows how long.”

“I know, but I need to try and see him. Figure out what Castigan did to me. Why I can contain the dragon fire. It’ll take me months if I ride there. If I fly—”

“If you fly, it’ll take you days. So you come to your old pal and want a ride?”

She nodded. “Please. You owe me.”

“I don’t owe you anything!”

“All those times I saved your ass in the wars.”

“Ha! Those times are in the past. Do you know I’ve practically been retired because of the injury you caused me? I do nothing now except instruct the novices on basic dragon care and dragon studies.”

“At least you have a purpose. I’m sorry I asked.” She started to leave, but turned back around and saw his head resting against Pena’s. The scene brought back too many memories. “Dathan, it was good to see you after all this time,” she whispered.

Kestrel left the aerie and headed toward the stables. The Athenaeum always kept a few horses in case anyone wanted to ride. Then she would need supplies for her journey. Her mind started to sort things into lists of what she would need. In the Northern Mountains were untamed dragons. Many called them wild because they chose to live among other dragons and didn’t bother with spellcasters. Castigan used to tell her stories that the wild dragons were of a different ilk than the others, but he never elaborated. The older volumes she came across in the library had some ancient legends about a certain race of dragons who called themselves dragonkin because they were said to have two shapes. Although she never believed the stories.

Once she secured a horse, she went to her room and began to gather what she would require. She ran her hands over the heavy cloak that she had spelled against aging. The cloak was trimmed with fur from a wolf that had tried to attack her. Castigan killed the animal. She didn’t get very chilly due to the dragon fire, but going north, she wasn’t sure how cold it would become. However, she didn’t want to take too much with her. Kestrel dug in her wardrobe and pulled out a knapsack. Underneath all her clothes were her spell book and the notes she had taken on the experiments she had conducted on herself and her magic. The early pages contained her simple spells. The later works were more complicated. After Castigan died, they were gibberish. She trailed her fingers over the loopy script and wished she had kept it together
.

It’s understandable I lost it. Everyone said it. After the initial awe wore off, they all vanished, and I became this. If I can change the dragon king’s mind, then maybe he’ll let me approach another dragon.
A knock sounded on the door. She stopped stuffing her things into her sack and turned to see Dathan in the doorway. In the shadows, his wounds didn’t seem so severe.

“Fine. We leave in the morning at first light. We’ll take you there and drop you off, but don’t expect a ride back.”

She started to rush to him to thank him, but he was already gone. Now she had a chance to regain her life. For the rest of the night, she arranged the things she was going to take with her. Her thoughts raced over every possibility of what would occur. A sliver of hope was born inside her heart.

* * * *

Dathan banged on her door the next morning. Kestrel had her cloak on and all the belongings she would take with her. Sleep eluded her most of the night. She had wanted to be ready and not give him any excuse to refuse her.

He eyed her and then left. She closed the door and hurried after him. They walked quickly away from the Athenaeum. Pena waited for them in a clearing. The dragon’s emerald scales shone in the coming dawn. She marveled at the beauty of the dragon. It was almost as if she was seeing one for the first time. The experience formed a lump of emotion in her throat. A tear slipped down her cheek. All her thoughts of Castigan came rushing back.

“Don’t stand there gawking. Are we going or not?”

She nodded, wiping away the tear. “Yes. Sorry. Thank you for doing this for me.”

He snorted. “Don’t thank me. Thank Pena. I was against it. She told me I was being unreasonable.” He climbed onto the dragon.

Kestrel settled behind him, trying to find her seat on the supple leather saddle fitted on the dragon. Once she did, she laid her hand on Pena’s back and reached her mind to the dragon’s.
“Thank you for this. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“You’re welcome. Cas was my friend, too, and what he gave you was a gift. Hopefully you’ll be able to find some answers with the wild dragons
.
”
With that, the dragon took to the skies.

Chapter Four

They flew for five days and covered hundreds of miles. Dathan hardly spoke to her unless it was for very basic things. Kestrel spent most of her time talking to Pena. Dathan didn’t like that she was able communicate with his dragon, but she figured it was because he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Kestrel soon got up to speed on the latest gossip. The closer the mountains got, the more the fear uncoiled in her gut. Her dread made her uneasy. Thoughts of turning back rattled her mind. It would be easier to give up than to face the dragon king. But she’d never been afraid to face anything before. If she returned to the Athenaeum, it would show she was a failure.

There was no way. She had to press on. Finally they were deep in the mountains, and Blaze Mountain lay before them. Pena settled down in a basin in the shadow of the mount. She stared at the snowcapped peaks around her. They were magnificent and cast shadows in the valley. A massive archway was carved within the stone of Blaze Mountain. Other beings flew near large outcroppings of rock, but she couldn’t see the top of the peak. She slid off the dragon and patted her side.

“I can’t say that it’s been fun,” Dathan said.

“Dathan, if everything works out here, I’ll see if there’s any way to heal you.”

He snorted. “No one can heal me. Not even these dragons. I can only assume that you’ll end up dinner for one of them.”

Kestrel ran her hand over the dragon’s snout.
“Thank you for bringing me here. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

Pena bumped her lightly with her nose.
“You’re welcome. I don’t know much about the dragons here, but they say they’re different than others of my race. Cas was of their line. I don’t think he ever told you. Maybe you can use that to your advantage. You’ve been hiding in that library too long. Don’t let them give you any lip. I remember the feisty spellcaster you were during the wars.”

Kestrel shook her head.
“She’s the one who got me into this mess in the first place
.
”

Pena knocked her again.
“Forget about the librarian. Be who you were. Show them you deserve another dragon. If you allow them to look into your heart, they’ll see. All of the idiots at the Athenaeum, human and dragon alike, didn’t think of that. If they had, then your soul would’ve been healed a long time ago. I know you can do it.”

“Thanks.”

She backed away far enough to be out of Pena’s wingspan. Her powerful wings lifted off, and soon they were no more than a small speck against the sun. Once they were completely out of sight, she stared at the mountain before her. It was wider than the others and the color of soot.

Shapes flew around the top of the peak before it went up into the clouds. Kestrel hefted her belongings on her shoulder. She opened her senses and took in the life around her. Hundreds of dragons lived in the neighboring mountains around her, and the one before her was full of them.

She breathed in a small sigh. That part Castigan gave her made her feel completely at home.

It would be nice to have the option of bonding with another dragon, but all I really want is forgiveness. I hope the dragon king will see that. If he doesn’t, then at least I tried.

She took one more gaze at the mountain and began her long trek up the slope toward the opening, hoping she could gain an audience with the dragon king. After walking a couple of hours and watching the sun climbing higher and the trees thinning out, Kestrel stopped to catch her breath. While she sat, she heard rustling in the underbrush a few feet from her.

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.