Dawlya’s Dragon

2 Since Prince Rodic’s training incident had been so public, there was no way to cover it up. Yet the people of Drayhoone were not alarmed. They were used to Queen Brieanika’s unique nature and her formidable dragon side, and many were eager, almost thrilled to see what the young prince might become. A flying youngling with the firepower of a Torch did not frighten them. If anything, it excited them. The only ones unsettled were the members of the royal council. They formally requested that the royals travel to the Draynor capital to discuss the matter. With the Queen’s egg so close to hatching, it was decided that one ruler would stay behind while the other traveled. The council was relieved when King Trace agreed to attend in place of Queen Brieanika; they had always found him easier to work with. Trace and Straider stepped off the royal cruiser, flanked by ten members of Squadron Five, the royal guard. Waiting on the landing platform was the Grand Viceroy. He bowed deeply. “W

4 Avi looked in the mirror and took a deep breath, standing at attention in her new uniform. She had finally graduated from military training. Her first post would be in the main hangar bay of the Draynor capital, in the southern region of Malta. She slowly exhaled, releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, trying to shake off her nerves. She had lived outside the system for most of her life. Returning to the capital to begin her training had been the first time she’d come back. Her mother hadn’t been happy about her career choice. Your past will catch up to you, she had warned. And Avi knew she was right, nothing stayed hidden for long in the capital. She had managed to get through training without anyone uncovering her secret, but she would have to remain careful. No one could ever find out who she really was. And she would have to stay away from the palace at all costs. A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. “Hurry up, Avi! We’re going to be late!” Av

6 Max’s breathing quickened until it turned into ragged gasps. His eyes, once aflame, dimmed back to normal as confusion washed over him. He struggled to steady himself, coughing between shallow breaths. “What happened?” His voice cracked. “What have I done?” He saw Jillian, pale and trembling near the wall. Panic flared again. “Did I hurt you?” She didn’t answer, too shaken to speak. Max grabbed Mikan by the shirt, desperation in his eyes. “Did I hurt her?” “Calm yourself,” Mikan ordered firmly but gently, placing a steadying hand on Max’s arm. “You didn’t hurt anyone. Frightened her, yes but no one was harmed.” Max sagged with relief, his muscles loosening as he slumped against the wall. Trace, Brie, and the others stepped into the room. Trace turned to Jillian. “Tell me what happened. Max won’t remember anything when he’s under the sentinel effect.” Jillian took a steadying breath. “I heard the baby fussing, so I came to check on him. Max and I both looked into the crib. Con

8 Mikan cleared his throat. “It seems the answer to both questions is yes. Connor has access to royal telepathy and he’s aware of who Max is to him. We’re just not sure how strong the bond is yet.” Trent exhaled heavily. “That’s what I suspected. Then a few things need to happen immediately. First, we’ll place a block on Connor’s telepathy to prevent him from issuing commands while dreaming. Second, Max needs a block as well to stop him from being compelled by a royal order.” Brie leaned forward. “What’s happening when he dreams, Trent? What’s scaring him?” Trent’s voice softened. “You have to remember, Connor’s just a baby and a very aware one. Everything in his world is new and overwhelming. What I saw was a normal infant dream: a dark room, a storm rolling in, shadows dancing on the walls. He called for his parents, but no one came. His fear built until he panicked and transformed to protect himself. He saw Max and instinctively gave him a royal command to defend him. Max obeye

10 Mikan took Rodic to the training fields to work on controlling his dragon form and setting clear boundaries when it was and wasn’t appropriate to shift. The lesson went well at first, but convincing Rodic to return to his Draynor form afterward took nearly ten minutes. It wasn’t uncommon for someone young to prefer staying in dragon form, but Mikan reminded him that with power came responsibility. “We’ll make a schedule,” Mikan said patiently. “You’ll have time each day in both forms, but when your parents or Stryker give an order, you follow it. No exceptions.” Rodic reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Cain had been sent to the shuttle bay to quietly gather information on the trainees they’d flagged for suspicion. When he arrived, he moved through the area silently, relying on old habits from his slayer days to avoid notice. Still, it wasn’t long before someone spotted him. “Sir!” one of the maintenance supervisors snapped to attention. “Do you need assistance?” Cain blinked, mil