dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames (11 page)

Her shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I see what you mean. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Bailey came up and patted her shoulder. Her hands were warm, but not hot. “Aidan and I are well aware of the circumstances, and we accept them.”

Kayla nodded. “I just want him to be happy. You have no idea how bad it is for him right now with his family.”

Bailey’s brows drew together. “How bad?”

“Do you have a few minutes?” Kayla asked.

“We better sit down.”

They settled on the couch, and Kayla told Bailey everything she knew. Aidan probably wouldn’t like it, but he had to trust the slayer with his life, or he wouldn’t be working with her. Bailey deserved to know what she was getting herself into, and Kayla was happy to have someone to talk to after so many years of being alone. There weren’t any other girls her age at the fortress and the older women just ordered her around.

It was liberating being out here. She was going to enjoy every moment until it was time to get back for midday meal preparations. After all, they’d notice if she didn’t get her famous sweet buns in the oven on time. Bailey listened intently, letting her talk without interrupting her once. Kayla found herself thinking she’d have to find excuses to come back again.

Chapter 10

Aidan

The chasm came into view up ahead. Aidan had only come this far south once since crossing over to Earth, and that had been months ago while most of the dragons were still in Kederrawien. He’d been able to explore the countryside freely and get a better lay of the land than what he’d been able to view from the other dimension.

Aidan found the chasm to be every bit as massive as he remembered it. The ground had separated to leave a wide crack in the terrain that extended for hundreds of miles from east to west. It went down so deep Aidan couldn’t make out what might be at the bottom. Perhaps someday humans would be able to engineer a bridge to cross, but not until civilization regained a foothold. He had no idea how long that would take.

Aidan and Falcon flew over the chasm, entering neutral territory. No toriq claimed this section of land, and any dragon could enter it without fear of reprisal. They continued south until they reached what the humans called the “Red River,” which marked the beginning of Faegud territory. Aidan and Falcon landed on the other side close to the bank. This was as far as they dared go if they wanted the other toriq to hear them out. Aidan folded his wings and searched the area, but he did not see any other dragons nearby. They’d be along soon enough. Every clan patrolled their domain frequently if they hoped to hold it.

Falcon let out a puff of steam through his nostrils and spoke telepathically to Aidan.
Did your father tell you who leads the Faegud now?

No,
Aidan answered
. He only said that their former leader died recently.

The Faegud have many fierce warriors,
Falcon said, wisdom shining in his eyes.
I’ve fought with them and against them. I’d certainly rather have them as an ally than an enemy—if I had a choice.

Falcon was over five hundred years old and in the prime of his life. They’d dueled once a couple of months ago, and it had been the most difficult battle Aidan had ever fought. He’d won against the older shifter, but barely. Falcon worked to be among the best warriors of the clan because his people needed strong fighters, but he was wise enough to wish for peace over war. The older male had a good deal of experience that would be useful in their current endeavor.

It was too bad Falcon was not eligible to become pendragon. Aidan would have gladly supported the shifter over his own brothers, but he came from a lesser background, which worked to his disadvantage. There were only a handful of highborn families in the toriq with eligible shifters. The rest stood somewhere below them. Much of it had to do with the numbers of warriors each provided, as well as their past and current contributions to the overall welfare of the clan. Falcon was an anomaly—the only warrior in his family while most of the rest were lazy drunkards or outcasts who had been banished for one crime or another. He worked every day to rise above the stigma that followed him.

Let us hope this new leader is more amenable than the last,
Aidan said.

Agreed.

They waited patiently for a few more minutes before the figure of a dragon appeared in the sky to the west, following a path along the river bank. Its coloring was different than that of the pure dragon clans in Oklahoma. Rather than being green, the Faegud’s scales tended to run between beige and burnt orange. It was partly from mixing with shape-shifters, but also because clans in different regions developed distinctive coloring and traits unique to them—much like humans.

As the dragon got closer, Aidan recognized this particular male’s markings. He had a beige underbelly, burnt-orange top scales and spikes jutting from his tail. Pure dragons didn’t have spikes, only those with sufficient shifter blood. Aidan moved forward to greet his old childhood friend, but his welcome was met in a different way than expected. Lorcan flew straight for him, talons outstretched. Aidan lashed out with his teeth and clamped onto one of his legs, yanking the dragon to the ground. They rolled across the hard-packed earth, nipping and clawing each other.

It lasted for several minutes before Lorcan chuckled telepathically and called the battle off.
Enough, friend, I see you have not grown weak since our last meeting. I’d worried.

I’d had the same concern about you,
Aidan replied.
You were getting a little soft the last time we met. Too many females sniffing after you and keeping you in your den.

A rumble came from Lorcan’s chest.
I’ve never been soft anywhere it counts.

So says the dragon without a scar on him.
This came from Falcon, who strode up to them. Scars were a dragon’s pride but not easy to obtain and survive. They came from being severely wounded in the same place several times so that the body no longer knitted back together cleanly. It was dangerous when it happened because the recovery took longer, and the risk of getting an untreatable infection rose.

Perhaps I am just a better fighter,
Lorcan pointed out, smugness in his tone.

Falcon snorted.
Or perhaps you only fight one enemy at a time to preserve your worthless hide.

He has you there, friend,
Aidan flashed his teeth in a dragon smile.

Lorcan dipped his head in acknowledgment.
Tell me what brings you two here.

We wish to negotiate a new alliance between our toriqan. We’ve heard Severne is dead, and you have a new pendragon who may be more amenable to peace. Is this true?
Aidan asked.

The male dragon cocked his head.
Where did you hear that?

Aidan exchanged a glance with Falcon. They could hardly reveal that their best spy—a female shifter with the rare ability to change the color of her scales and body type—had gained the information through duplicity. The fact that she could blend in anywhere made her an important asset to the Taugud. When they first discovered her gift as a young girl, the pendragon immediately ordered it to be kept secret, and she began training for espionage right away. That was less than a century ago. Only about a dozen members of their toriq knew about her abilities, including her immediate family.

Let us just say we have our ways,”
Aidan said.

Lorcan was quiet for a moment, then let out a huff of breath.
Fair enough. You are right that we elected a new pendragon just two weeks ago.

Who is it?
Falcon asked.

My mother—Hildegard of the Faegud.

Aidan hid his surprise.
That is excellent news.

Indeed.
Lorcan dipped his chin.

It wasn’t often a female wrested power over a toriq, but he supposed if anyone could do it, Hildegard would be the one. When Aidan and Lorcan were not much beyond their first dragon shift, she’d swat them with a stick every time they passed by her to “toughen their hides.” Throm was never bothered by the welts covering Aidan when he returned home. According to him, it was a sign of Hildegard’s love that she beat on Aidan as well. It helped him to learn pain management—an important quality for a future warrior.

How did she take over?
Aidan inquired.

Either Severne had died, or he’d been challenged in one form or another. If a dragon wished to take over leadership when the position was currently occupied, they had to prove the current pendragon incompetent and gain a majority vote with the elders. That was tricky if the current leader had many supporters who might sway sentiment. There was one other option—fight for it.

She challenged Severne to a death duel. He wasn’t half the warrior he thought and didn’t last ten minutes before she cut him to pieces. If the victor wasn’t my mother, I might have been embarrassed to watch my uncle beaten so badly.

Aidan cocked his head.
Do you think she’ll agree to peace negotiations?

Will you be representing the Taugud clan?
Lorcan asked, surprise in his orange eyes.

It is a task my father has set before me.
Aidan refrained from explaining more. The Faegud might be less amenable to a treaty if they knew the current pendragon wouldn’t be around much longer, and the next in line had not been selected yet. It would be a gamble for them.

Lorcan swished his tail.
You do realize that even if my mother agrees to meet with you, negotiating a treaty will not be easy. There are protocols to follow and elders you must impress. We’ve been under poor leadership for too long. Tensions remain high, and everyone is more than a little distrustful at the moment.

Aidan was afraid of that, but he had little choice. He could not fail his father and would do whatever it took to make this treaty happen. The only thing he regretted was that he could not be more open and honest with his friend about the circumstances.

I understand,
he said.

Lorcan unfurled his wings.
I will inform my mother of your request. You and Falcon may wait here until I return. Our guards will not bother you, but do not tread any farther into our territory until you are invited.

How long must we wait?

The dragon lifted a shoulder in what passed for a shrug.
It is difficult to say. My mother is quite busy these days and will need time to consider it, but I will do my best to return tomorrow.

Aidan had expected no less. There was a reason his father gave him until the Bitkal to conduct the negotiations. Every step would require time and patience.

You have my gratitude, friend.
Aidan bowed his head.
We will await you here.

Chapter 11

Bailey

Collecting dragon scales was my new top priority, but first, I had to stop by Earl’s place to check in with him and my friends. Talking to Kayla the previous evening had reminded me of how important it was to stay in touch with those closest to me—even if I couldn’t be around them much anymore. The teenage girl’s loneliness had shown through during those hours we chatted and emphasized how easy it was to get caught up in the dragon world, losing part of yourself in the process. Though she had a few friends, none of them were close to her age. She moved about the world mostly unseen by it. I wished I could do something for her, but I had enough on my plate already.

After forming a strategy for the coming days and preparing my weapons, I’d left Aidan’s lair a couple of hours before noon. That would give me just enough time to check in with everyone without the risk of drawing any dragons to the neighborhood.

I turned off Lindsey Street and headed up Berry Road toward Earl’s neighborhood. Many of the houses in the area had been abandoned after all the disasters that struck, including earthquakes and a tornado that crossed the path I now drove. I passed a few homes that were totally demolished and a few more that were on the verge of collapse. Nothing had been repaired, but some of the power lines that had fallen were shoved out of the street. These days, the only reason anyone performed a public service was for their own benefit. In a lot of ways, Norman was like a ghost town now. It used to be all I wanted was to avoid people and crowds, but now I missed seeing the flow of life around me—even if I wasn’t a direct part of it.

Justin and another young guy stood guard at the blockade to Earl’s neighborhood. As soon as they saw me, they started rolling the fifty-five-gallon steel drums aside so I could drive through. The rest of the entryway was blocked by the stone wall they’d erected recently. Sometime soon, they planned to design a better gate system, but everything had to be taken one step at a time.

There were always two guards on duty—day and night. They protected against looters, but also provided an early warning against any approaching dragons. The neighborhood had several underground hideouts interspersed throughout, including one by the gate, where people could take cover. For reasons even Aidan couldn’t explain, dragon flames couldn’t burn dirt. You had to have at least six inches of it over your head for it to fully block the fire, though, or you’d still get torched. Over the last few months, we’d learned many things the hard way.

As I pulled up, Justin gestured at me. I stopped and rolled down my window, praying this wasn’t going to be another one of his speeches about safety. He meant well, but he had major control issues. I’d been kind of glad not to see him for a few days.