Chapter 3: Iniko

Iniko

“Hey, Iniko! Where have you been?” Raina asks when I get back.

It’s pretty obvious that Raina will take over for Cal one day as the Alpha of Alphas. She can be bossy with her siblings, but she’s never that way with me. Of course, I never give her a reason to be. I’m pretty easy-going. I don’t let my scales get ruffled by stupid stuff like some of the other dragons do.

“I was spending time with my sisters out at the mountain. Why did Cal call us home?” I ask.

“You know he still gets nervous when dragons are out at night. He’s never gotten over the elf attacks.”

Since the elf war only ended about a year and a half ago, all dragons are well aware of what happened to Kenzo, Laiken, and Ember. We nearly lost all three of them. Thankfully, the mate bond works in mysterious ways and now, all three are happy, healthy, thriving dragons with their own young to look after.

“It’s fine. I don’t want my sisters out too late anyway. Cy is still young and Brooke still struggles with what she is,” I tell her.

I know we’re not brother and sister, but Cal’s children are nearly my age, so we’ve all grown up together. His brood is probably only a couple of weeks younger than I am and will shift soon after I do, so none of us are going too far away from the Academy.

“Dad said she’s been practicing with Grandma Zephyr,” she says.

“She has. She’s doing really well. What she needs most is self-confidence. She really struggles to recognize all the good things that she has to offer this world.”

Raina gives me the dragon equivalent of a smile.

“What is that look?” I ask her.

“You really are the best of the best of us, Iniko. You are so kind, generous, and caring. Considering you and my father share the same parents, it’s a bit surprising,” she says. Everyone knows that Cal, while a loving father and mate, is fierce most of the time.

“Maybe he and I are just two sides of the same coin,” I say.

“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. There’s not another dragon, probably not another supe, who would have said something like that except you, Iniko.

“What can I say, Raina? I’m just that awesome,” I say.

“Yes, you are! I’m glad you’re related to me. It makes me feel better about myself,” she says.

I laugh. “As if you’re not amazing in your own right. You’re an incredible dragon. Look at how you manipulate the elements.”

“That’s genetics and birthright. You’re a kind, gentle soul because it’s who you are, Iniko,” she says.

“Whatever. Did you want to go against me in air class again tomorrow?” I ask, grinning.

“I’m taking you down one of these days,” she growls.

“Good luck with that,” I say before laying down beside my cousins. There are sixty of them now if you don’t count the two that my brother and his mate had in their human form. It’s why people keep asking him if he’s trying to repopulate the world with dragons.

He, of course, just says he can’t get enough of his mate.

As we all get settled for the night, I watch as my brother wraps himself around Eliane. Even though they have two young human children, their most recent clutch of hatchlings is still young enough to need them close. We all help out, but the young dragons want their parents nearby to feel safe.

My days at the Academy are much the same as the others, except, without a human form, I don’t get to go inside to eat or sleep. All my classes are outside. Some are about learning to fly and be a stronger dragon, some are about using my air and earth elements so I have better control over them, which is ridiculous since I’m a dragon and I have perfect control of them, and some are about understanding what it means to be a dragon. I think those are more for the hybrids. I go because my siblings, nieces, and nephews attend, but I AM a dragon. I don’t need someone to tell me what it means to be me.

My favorite class is the air class. I inherited my mother’s air elements as my dominant element. Mom, Cal, and Raina are the only three dragons who can match my strength in my air element. Even still, Cal is stronger in his earth element than I am and I’m stronger in my air element than he is. Raina is determined to be strong in every element, so she and face off a lot in air class.

“It’s not a contest!” my mother yells.

“Yes, it is!” Raina and I say together. We’re throwing tornados and windstorms at each other one after the other. I’m pretty sure Raina is having as much fun as I am since wind is a fun element to play with. Earth, to me, is boring. I would never say that to my father, the earth dragon. I know it would offend him, but earth just is. Air moves, it can caress or destroy. It has so much potential if only the wielder uses it properly. The best part for me is that there are so few of us with access to the air element. There are some royal elves whose ability to manipulate the earth element is so advanced that they are able to tap into the air element as it relates to its interaction with earth. King Yhendorn, Princess Keya, Prince Killian and Queen Naevys are perfect examples of royals who are powerful enough to access their air element. But even they can’t come close to Raina, Cal, and me.

“Come on, Raina! You’re stronger than that,” I say, egging her on to really try to punch at me. She’s a very strong dragon and she’s used to having to restrain herself, but when it comes to air, she doesn’t have to with me.

“Are you sure you want some of this, opal boy?” she taunts, referencing the color of my scales.

“Give me everything you’re got, rainbow girl,” I say, giving it right back.

When she finally lets loose, I’m having such a good time I don’t realize the entire Academy is acting like we’re in the middle of a hurricane until Cal roars for us to stop.

When we do, I look around. “Whoops.”

“Whoops? That’s what you have to say for yourself? Whoops? I have baby dragons here who aren’t as strong as you, Iniko!” Cal growls at me.

“Sorry, Dad,” Raina says. I turn away, but not before I see Cal deflate. He may be a ferocious dragon toward most of us, but he has a very soft spot for Raina. It rivals his soft spot for Cyrene.

“Just … be more careful next time,” Cal says, before walking off.

Raina fights a smile, but when she finally looks at me, I wink at her and she grins.

“Wanna race to the mountain and back?” I ask, since class is basically over now.

“You’re on, sucker!” she says, leaping into the sky.

I’m in the air a moment later racing my cousin to the mountain.

Three days later, Cyrene comes over to where the dragons sleep at night.

“Kiko! Kiko, wake up!” she says.

I grumble, like I’m still asleep and carefully tuck her against me like I’m a baby sleeping with a stuffed animal.

“Kiko! Wake. Up!” she says, pushing on my scales. “We’re supposed to have breakfast then I have classes this morning!”

I swipe my tongue over her body, then begin gagging.

“Eww! You taste like milk!” I say, scrunching my face.

“That’s because I helped mom feed Caelum this morning, silly. Now, can we go eat?” she asks.

“What are you eating?” I ask. Out here, the dragons eat big game raw. That’s not food that my sister should be eating as a human hybrid.

“Duh! Eliane is making breakfast for Cal, Titus, and herself. I’ll eat whatever she’s making.”

“Okay, fine, I’m up,” I say, stretching, then flinching as my body revolts.

“Kiko, what’s wrong?” she asks.

“I don’t know. I guess I slept funny,” I say, feeling unsettled. I try to stand, then collapse to the ground as fire flashes through my body.

“Kiko, you’re scaring me!” she says, coming over to place her hands on my face.

“Cyrene, get away. Something’s wrong with me,” I say.

“Raina, where’s Cal?” I hear her ask, but it sounds like there’s a windstorm in my head. I can barely hear her.

“He’s hunting. Why, what’s wrong?” I hear her ask, just as the first bone snaps.

I scream in agony and I hear Cyrene scream for our mother just as Raina screams for Cal.

It’s time. It’s finally time for me to shift.