All Chapters of Dawlya’s Dragon: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

1 The sun shone brightly over the city of Drayhoone, and King Mikan thought to himself that it was going to be a good day. He had promised his cousin Rodic that he would be present for his second transition into dragon form. The first transformation was always private, and Mikan had not been allowed to attend. Because of the bond they shared, his presence could have interfered with Rodic’s choice of trainer. But he had sworn to be there for the boy’s second change. King Trace met Mikan at the shuttle bay rather than the palace. Raje, the lead trainer, had insisted that Mikan stay away from the training arena until Rodic chose his trainer, so there would be no outside influence. Once a youngling made that choice, the trainer became the only dragon they would respond to in dragon form until they fully merged with their other half. The choice was mostly a formality 99% of younglings chose Raje. Still, tradition required the ceremony for the rare exceptions. With their bodyguards in to

3 The royal ship was ready and waiting in the main hangar by the time Trace arrived. No time was wasted the moment he stepped aboard, the vessel lifted off, heading back toward the city of Drahoone. Trace paced the corridors, his anxiety growing with each minute that passed. He needed to make it home before the egg hatched. Through their telepathic link, Brie did her best to calm him, her voice gentle in his mind. You’re going to make it in time, my love. I promise. The journey took two and a half hours, though the crew managed to shave off every possible second. The ship landed in record time, and Trace was the first to step off protocol be damned. No one dared to stop him. Daxen, King of Marithia and Mikan’s brother, had arrived only moments earlier. He waited at the entrance of the hatching chamber for Trace to join him. Daxen was family, and there was no chance he would miss the birth. He was also there in case the unthinkable happened if the hatchling didn’t survive, Daxen

5 The city of Drahoone celebrated the hatching of the new prince with a two-day festival. There were fireworks, music, and endless crowds filling the streets. Two more celebrations were already planned, one on Osca to honor the heir prince, and another in the Draynor capital of Malta in the southern region. Queen Brieanika had a more hands-on relationship with baby Connor than she had been able to have with Rodic. She hadn’t needed to hide Connor’s birth the way she had his brother’s. Jillian, who had served as Rodic’s governess, now cared for both boys, though Connor was rarely far from his mother’s side. In just fourteen days, the royal family would travel to Malta for the grand ceremonies, the formal council presentations, the Draynor welcoming of the new prince, and the thousand-year celebration of the Queen’s reign. That night, after putting Connor to bed, Brie decided to rest early. Rodic was still awake, playing a board game with Mikan, each trying to outthink the other in

7 Brie found Trace standing in the royal gardens, motionless before the marble fountain of mermaids. Moonlight rippled across the water, painting his face in silver and shadow. She stepped beside him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said quietly, his voice edged with exhaustion. “We need to find out what’s triggering Max before someone gets hurt,” Brie urged, keeping her tone calm. “Then we do it without a dreamer,” he snapped. “Trace…” she pleaded softly. He turned toward her, eyes burning with old pain. “I killed six innocent people, Brie. Two were slayers, my friends. My father tampered with the sentinel effect and turned me into a weapon. I will not let him touch our son with that ability.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, her voice low and steady. “I understand. We’ll find another way. But remember, Trace, our infant son, barely a week old, is turning his sentinel into a weapon every time he dreams. Time isn’t on our side.” Sh