LOGINWhen fate’s soft wind begins to stir,And Ryuki meets the thief, thoughts blur.At first, he sees a cloak and blade,A shadow where no oath was madeAugustusI watch as my daughter is carried away by the silver dragon and his rider.I’d realize a moment too late that she was the one on the back of the queen. I’d yelled for the soldiers to hold their fire, but it was too late. Then, I’d watched as Skylar fell off the dragon and began plummeting to the earth.“NO!” I screamed, just as the only silver dragon with a rider dove underneath her before quickly flying back up into the sky and out of reach of the harpoons.We thought they had her, and now we know they do. They’ve kidnapped my daughter and they’re obviously willing to let her die to save themselves. That queen basically dumped her off her back.As the dragon flies away, I see my daughter clinging to the rider, obviously terrified of falling to her death. I have no idea what they want with her. There has been no ransom request, n
To him, the eggs are not a prize,But children born beneath the skies.He fights to free them, wing and scale,A rider sworn to truth’s own tale.Skylar‘How are you feeling? I was worried about you,’ Cyryl says as I lean against her body. She wraps her tail protectively around me as we watch Bynjym rise high into the sky.‘I slept well, better than I expected honestly.’‘You like Ryuki,’ she states.‘Yes. I do. I feel safe with him, and I feel like I can trust him. I understand why he didn’t want to tell me about your mating flight yet. He explained it to me, and it made perfect sense. Do you trust him?’‘I trust Bynjym and, therefore, his rider.’‘Why do you trust him?’ I ask, honestly curious since the dragons seem to have a different set of criteria than humans do.‘He’s shown me that he’s willing to protect you and he’s shown me that he could be a good provider if I was on a nest of his eggs.’‘But we don’t have to worry about that for six more months, right?’ I ask her.‘Right.
With Bynjym, bonded soul to soul,He guards the wild, the dragons’ role.He sees the war, the theft, the pain;And vows to break the royals’ chain.Ryuki‘She trusts us,’ Bynjym says proudly as Skylar falls back to sleep in my arms.‘She said that?’‘Not directly, but I could feel it. When Cyryl is asleep, Skylar’s emotions are easier to hear and feel. Cyryl protects her rider’s thoughts and emotions when she’s awake, just like I protect yours. But when Cyryl is asleep, Skylar projects more loudly.’I feel the teasing note from my dragon before he speaks again. ‘She also likes the way you look.’I frown. ‘You mean she finds me attractive?’‘Yes, but she likes your body. She likes how muscular you are.’‘Well, we talked about what it takes to be a dragon rider,’ I say.‘Yes, but the feeling from her wasn’t just awe or amazement. There was an underlying feeling of desire as well. She’s pure and may not understand what she’s feeling, but she’s attracted to you physically. That’s good for
But love is forged through fire and flame,When Ryuki’s heart enters the frame.A dragon rider, fierce and brave,No king commands, no crown to crave.SkylarI wake up slowly. I can feel Cyryl’s head resting against my body. Her breathing is even so I know she’s asleep.I shift, adjusting my aching ribs into a more comfortable position. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not more sore. Cracked ribs should take longer to heal, but I seem to be healing faster than I normally would. I wonder if that’s because of Cyryl. I’ll have to ask her.“Easy, Skylar. Are you okay?” Ryuki’s soft voice asks.I nod without opening my eyes. “Just adjusting so my ribs aren’t as sore.” I frown. “Did I pass out?”“You did, but I caught you before you fell. We wouldn’t want your concussion to get worse.”“No, we wouldn’t. I’m surprised my body doesn’t hurt more than it does. Is that normal?” I ask, reaching my hand out to lay it on Cyryl’s head.I smile when she begins clucking happily in her sleep.I hear Ryuki ch
She takes the eggs and returns them home,To nests where grieving mothers roam.A whisper in the wind, a ghost,The dragon thief they hate the most.RyukiI didn’t really think through the scenario of bringing Skylar to see the other riders. I knew she needed to meet them, but I can already tell the men are sizing her up as a potential partner. According to Bynjym, if a rider has a preference for another rider, it gives that rider’s dragon a better chance of flying the female when she takes her mating flight. Shao, being a bronze rider, could give Jyshy a better chance of flying Cyryl if Skylar likes him.Now that they know Skylar can hear all the dragons, Shao, who was already the strongest rider besides me, has suddenly become very interested in Skylar.“You can even hear Ylys, right?” Carme asks.“That’s right. I didn’t realize no one else could hear them. I thought she was forcing me to hear her. I thought anyone could hear them if they chose for them to,” Skylar says.Almost as on
So cloak and dagger, hood and knife,She walks the path, the dragon’s life.By torchless trail and starless ridge,She dares the depths, to cross the bridge.SkylarMy decision obviously pleased all of the dragons, but mostly I’m concerned about MY dragon. There’s no doubt in my heart and soul that Cyryl and I are bonded. It shouldn’t have happened, according to Ryuki and the dragons, but it has.‘I knew you were meant for me before I hatched,’ Cyryl says, following my thoughts.‘I'm glad. I love being your human," I tell her before asking the question that has been worrying me."Would you have really killed Ryuki?’ I’ve been distracted, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t see my dragon lunge like she was going to take Ryuki’s head off.‘Bynjym wouldn’t be worth his silver scales if he let a hatchling attack his rider,’ she says, glancing up to Bynjym and Ryuki are watching us. ‘A green, sure, especially since I’m a queen, but not a silver. There’s a reason queens mostly mate with silvers.







