There was a disturbing desperation to the maneuver that he didn’t understand. Until he realized that the Dragon might be running away. Fromhim.
Why would it run away? He’d followed, tracking from above, unsure of what to do. But then he’d seen the Dragon fighting the wind. The wings twisted, and he knew what it meant.
It was just a dream. The golden Dragon only existed in his mind. But it had all seemed so real. It hadn’t felt like a dream.
It may only have been a dream, but Tyrez folded his own wings, and dove.
The energy that surged through him when he’d grabbed the smaller Dragon—he’d never sensed anything like that before. A longing that was soul deep. Letting him go when they’d reached the cliffs was almost more than he could bear.
Was it just a dream? Or was something else going on? If it was a living dream—and he didn’t know if Dragons could experience them—then the desperation he’d sensed from the golden Dragon might be real.
Shards.What if it was all in his imagination? He needed to talk to someone about this. Was he losing his mind?
The morning sun slanted through the huge opening as he rose and padded quietly to the bedroom door. He listened to Dani breathing long and deep—still sound asleep. His brother had told him she’d eaten well and then gone to bed.
He quietly opened the door, just enough to peek in. If she was a light sleeper, it might be enough to wake her. . .
The covers were pulled up so that only the top of her head and her long hair were visible. Beside her lay one of his books. At some point, she’d been reading, but she was fast asleep now.
She had to be exhausted. Easing the door shut again, he told himself he’d have to wait for any answers.
After pacing for a few moments in the living room, he came to a decision. He debated calling on Razir to watch over her again, but his brother would be useless if Aranta paid Dani another visit anyway. Tyrez had another way to keep her safe while he was gone.
He walked to a control panel on the wall and activated the sliding partition that sealed off the exterior access to the bedroom, and hitlock. Then went back to the bedroom door and engaged the lock there as well. Listened for a moment to see if either activity roused her.
Nothing. Dani wouldn’t be impressed if she woke and found herself locked in the bedroom, but better that than having Aranta arrive and do something stupid.
He wouldn’t be gone long. With any luck, he’d have it all open and unlocked again before she woke up.
Tyrez went to the living room opening, and shifted. His mother might have some answers for him. And there was only one way to visit the Matriarch—her chambers were not accessible via the inner corridors.
To reach her, you had to fly.
He stroked the air with his wings, rising through the clouds, using his natural ability to sense energy to pinpoint her chambers. Movement to each side of him—her personal guards, assessing incoming traffic. They stayed only long enough to ascertain his identity, and then fell away, vanishing into the drifting vapor.
Not many would be granted such access. To Tyrez, the Matriarch was not only his mother, but also his cultural leader and the highest ranking Dragona. The guards understood that her sons and daughters were always welcome.
Of his eight brothers, only Razir and Taran shared the same mother. He also had two full sisters. While top ranking males often sired multiple offspring, the individual females had relatively few.
As he approached her landing ledge, Tyrez was aware of the bustle of Dragons and Dragonas coming and going. It almost stopped him from landing—his mother was a very busy person. Busier than his father, to be honest.
He’d hoped she’d be less so this early in the morning.
Her landing ledge was fifty feet wide and almost as long, lined with a lush aerial garden that the guards complained about—it destroyed sight lines—but she was particularly proud of it.
Tyrez backwinged and landed neatly, nodding respectfully to the two guards stationed on each side. He shifted to human before passing between them.
Lady Eriana—also known as the Matriarch—was almost buried by a circle of males, all of whom were consulting large sheets of paper placed on a table in the exact center of her receiving room. Next to her stood Tyrez’s older sister, Bianta, who was also Eriana’s head assistant.
Eriana straightened from her perusal, and her entire face lit up when she spotted Tyrez. Although many called her beautiful, to Tyrez, her features had always reflected her intelligence and quirky sense of humor.
The Matriarch’s responsibilities were many and varied—from settling female disputes to planning and approving significant future developments for the Dragon colonies across the realms. To help her in this effort, she had an entire division of Dragonas. Bianta had recently been promoted to supervise them all.
Of Tyrez’s two sisters, Bianta was the most like their mother. She shared the same strong but attractive features, and the long, jet-black hair that Tyrez and Razir had both inherited. Tyrez and Bianta also got their green scales from their mother—although his were mixed with his father’s deep blues to generate a vivid turquoise. Bianta’s were a brilliant green.
At the moment, both she and Eriana wore clothing rather than scales. They had a shared appreciation for loose pants and flowing blouses cinched in at the waist to emphasize their lush figures. Dragonas tended to be shapely. Images of Dani’s lithe body flashed through Tyrez’s mind. The woman was half-starved. Would she ever fill out to Dragon standards? Not likely.
It didn’t matter. She didn’t need curves to be beautiful.
