Chapter 32: Chapter 32

SILVER

~“You should not speak of this so lightly.”~

~“You should not doubt my lesson in survival, pipsqueak. You will take these lessons in justice as well. You will learn to react quickly.”~

~“And what are the ice caverns he spoke of?”~ I ask.

~“My home—where the self-proclaimed Skyler the Wicked will be assessed by my pipsqueak and judged accordingly.”~

~“Death for his crimes? No trial?”~

~“There are no kings here—only Mages, mortals, and Dragons. These Dragons are not civilized. They are not educated. They are stupid and bold. Many will die.”~

~“You speak so little of Silver Breeds sometimes.”~

~“If you are not born a Lord as a Dragon, you are born to serve or to wander. It is our way.”~

~“I was born to rule; you are just a mate to a Twin Leading Breed, Storm… Does that mean you serve me?”~

When Storm does not answer, I am bereft for a moment. Until I read his aura. It is conflicted, pulsing both white and black. Recognition. Denial.

I have apparently reminded him of something he doesn’t want to know of.

~“Storm?”~ I ask him. ~“Was I correct? Storm? Answer me… Storm!”~

~“My opinion is irrelevant and biased—you could have asked Jinx—but you’ll have to wait until you’re dead.”~

~“I am.”~

~“Really, now?”~ Storm can’t help but mock me with his judging golden eyes, which watch me like I’m a mere bug before him compared to his huge size.

~“No, I mean I am your Lord.”~ I rub it in joyfully. ~“I am a Twin Leading Breed—you are born to serve me, Storm. Aren’t you?”~

Storm slowly turns, and he flies off, and I follow. I then have to wait a while for a response, and when I get one, it is completely irrelevant.

I watch his tail swish back and forth through the air, irritated by my stating of facts.

~“We are approaching, pipsqueak. Stay close. Have open eyes; you are about to witness my old home once we enter the caves—a place you will love, no doubt.”~

~“What happened to all the Shadow Assassins?”~

~“Dead—but only because a Dragon called Skyler apparently hunted them all down and decided to take residence in my territory and keep the canyon off limits to other Shadow Assassins.”~

~“Perhaps he is a real Lord?”~

~“I can smell his pathetic power already—it seeps through the air with his disgusting scent. His magic is weak, and he is in dire need of a bath in ice-cold water. Perhaps that is where he shall die.”~

~“If these shackled slaves Tamult spoke of are real, and we kill this aspiring Warlord, what then?”~

~“So many questions, yet I have such little patience.”~ Storm pretends to sound irritated.

Unfortunately, I can’t respond.

I feel a sudden stabbing pain and weight upon me—right before I’m free-falling to the rushing river at the bottom of the canyon.

~“Help!”~ I cry out to Storm as my body tries to swivel, but I feel teeth puncturing my lower neck and claws ripping into my back.

I almost give up fighting back from the pain and the impossibly fast-paced fall. How can I get out of this? I look around for answers.

I see my wing is just in the right position to jab at the Dragon’s eye.

So I do just that. Filled with sudden adrenaline, I manage to hit the right spot, and then the Dragon abruptly releases me from severe pain of his own.

I spin and then float into a stream of wind, looking up to see Storm latch onto the male Dragon. A few seconds later, Storm rips off his wings midair.

~“Who was he? Skylar?”~ I ask, breathless as I see a dead Dragon without wings falling to the river below, while both our fangs drip blood from our recently shared kills.

~“Skylar the Wingless… He had a distinctive Slave Trader tattoo on his shoulder blade, evident from ripped scales in the shape of a T for Trade. Let’s continue on our way.”~

Storm sounds both protective of me and at ease. He is pleased that I got away and that our teamwork so far has been successful.

~“Skylar was not very talented in fighting, if that Dragon just now was him—maybe it was just one of the hired guards? There are two more out there.”~

~“Yes, one above to our left, one to our right—both sleeping when they should be overlooking the canyon,”~ Storm answers casually.

~“What do we do now, Storm?”~

~“We save the enslaved Dragons, and we kill the remaining guards after that.”~

~“I think I’ve had enough killing for one day, Storm—no offense. Life is invaluable, and some beings need the chance to change.”~

~“You are sweet, Silver, not harsh like Jinx.”~

~“Why the mention of my deceased twin?”~

~“You were right, Silver.”~

~“Right about wh—?”~

Our conversation is halted as we both ascend over a rocky ledge at the end of the canyon, and then we both fall silent at the sight before us.

It is a rock plateau, flat and not very large. On these rocks, faced with the cold and no shelter, are emaciated Silver Breeds lying in chains, asleep, near death and thin to the bone.

These female Dragons look like they have adult bone structures, but their flesh is wasting away.

Storm lands and transforms into his human form—walking over silently to undo the chains on the weakened Dragons.

I am filled with disgust and intense rage when I see all their auras—broken, if even there.

They are all ravaged. And the two hired Shadow Assassins above have contributed to their emaciation—simply by working for Skyler.

As Storm frees the females, I start to fly upward.

I go to the left, where I fly up silently if a little wonkily.

But then I simply land upon the Dragon, ripping holes through his folded wings before he jumps off the ledge in fright—about to fly to safety, only to plummet immediately.

His screams have awoken the final guard. The large Silver Breed stands up tall, shaking off sleep and eyeing me with confusion.

~“Who the hell are you?”~ he asks, growly and confused by my presence.

I glance down to Storm, and I see him nearly finished.

In this moment, I realize this whole trip’s purpose has really flipped on its head.

It was about embracing Storm’s full identity and bringing him confidence while he could take me on a tour of his homeland.

Now—I know it is a journey of my own self-discovery.

I decide I better be polite and introduce myself to the last remaining guard of a dead employer.

~“I am a Dragon Lord. My name is Silver, and I am of the Lost Horde—I break curses, and I’m mated to the Shadow.”~ I decide to use Storm’s legendary nickname, clearly used in these lands.

~“You will leave this instant, or I will find a way to open the doors to your death. I see your complacent aura. You have no honor in what you did here.”~

~“Silver Breeds do not care for honor, little girl,”~ the Dragon mocks me, but he seems a fair bit flustered by my dramatic speech.

Perhaps he thinks he’s still dreaming.

~“Then I am the first—and I will preach of justice, kindness, and honor.”~

~“I am—”~ The Dragon glances down to see Storm as he transforms back to his Dragon. ~“Uh oh.”~ He notices Storm’s size and suddenly changes his mind.

~“Many respects to you, Lord Silver… I—I will be on my way. Spare me—and I will owe you a favor if our paths cross again.”~

~“Wise words.”~ Storm approves of the Dragon’s submission.

As he flies off, Storm flies up to meet me on the edge of the canyon.

~“The female Dragons?”~ I ask. ~“Are they in need of further aid?”~

~“The last thing they will want to wake to is another man’s face, mortal, Dragon, or Mage… Let us leave them in peace, and I will show you my home another time.”~

~“Why the sudden change of heart, Storm?”~

~“I want to take you home.”~

~“But why so soon? We just got here.”~

Storm takes a few paces to me and places his head next to mine, his hot breath warming my neck as he softly nudges me.

~“I decided I shall take you in the warmth of our fur covers, pipsqueak… You deserve it… I admit you have impressed me today.”~

~“About what?”~

~“You passed the lesson with flying colors. You found your survival instinct, which helped you save not just your own life or my life, but other lives too.”~

~“Well, I am glad you will not be covered in Skyler’s blood.”~

~“So am I… I only wish to be touched by your naked body…all night… This time I will be cruel but gentle. I wish you to stay awake this time.”~

~“Do not remind me that I hit my head, Storm… It is embarrassing.”~

Storm chuckles and blows fire over my head—it does not burn; it just tickles.

He takes off, and a few minutes later, we fly together through the harsher winds toward the portal back to our current home.

~“You did very well today, Silver, very well—”~

I cut him off, deciding to cut the crap.

~“I am not stupid, Storm. You are trying your best to avoid my discovery about our relationship. Don’t worry; it’s our secret that you were born to serve Jinx and me as our mate.~

~“I have the genes for leadership—me.”~

Storm’s quick silence would suggest I am correct.

His happy aura even darkens a tad with frustration… But it’s totally worth it.