Page 100 of A Lick of Flame

“I am going to call on Delphine. I pray that she will come quickly, that she will give us a ride back to the Forgotten Caves and to Raila.” I look over at Thesha and Xander. “Do you mind if we go?”

“No.” He holds up his hands. “You need to do what you need to do. We understand. We will make the ride back and meet you there in a few days.”

“It is settled then,” I say as I get to my feet. I walk a little away from the group to just outside of the circle of light. I look up into the night sky at the blanket of stars. I try not to look at Polaris, but my eye is drawn there, anyway.

I wonder.

Then I reach out with my mind to Delphine…I reach, and I search, but I get nothing. “Please, girl! Please!” I whisper the words out loud, but I mostly project them in my head. I show her where we are. I beg her to come to us.

I reach out with my mind, saying the same things over and over until sweat beads on my brow. And still, I feel…nothing.

I let my chin fall to my chest. It’s useless.

I pull in a few deep breaths and then walk back to where the others are waiting.

“How did it go?” Maya’s face falls when she sees my expression. “No luck?”

“I’m afraid not.” I hate that she’s turned her back on me. I understand why she’s done it. I really get it, but it still stings.

Maya puts her head on my shoulder. “I am sure she has her reasons, and I am sure she will come around.” She looks up at me. “What now?”

I smile. “Always planning ahead.” I brush a kiss against her lips. “Now we get some sleep. We will leave early tomorrow and will ride hard for the Forgotten Caves.” I suddenly have a sense of urgency to get back as well. I feel that the answers we seek are right in front of us and yet just out of our reach.

35

Maya

It’s a strange thing to be woken because the sky has grown darker and yet, that is what happens to me. I wake from a deep sleep and when I look up, I can’t see so much as a single star directly above us. The air doesn’t smell of rain, and clouds don’t move like that. What is it? There is something afoot.

Then I hear it, the steady flapping of huge wings. Whooosh…whoooosh…whoooosh.

I turn to shake Orion awake, but he is already standing a short distance away, looking up into the sky as the dragons descend.

Xander and Thesha start to stir.

I go and stand next to Orion, watching as the two dragons fly lower and then lower still. “That’s Delphine,” I say, frowning. There is a bright half-moon and a sky full of stars, so I can see well enough, even though it is night.

“But who is that?” I point to the second creature. The other dragon is a little bigger than Delphine. Where she is mostly black with edges smudged with gold, this dragon is the opposite. It’s a bright gold with bits of black here and there. It has the same golden eyes as Delphine. At least, I think it does. I will know for sure once they are on solid ground.

My hair flies about my face as they land before us.

“That is a Polaris dragon.” Orion is grinning.

“A what?”

“Stay back,” I hear Xander. When I turn my head, I see that he has his arm around Thesha and that they are keeping a safe distance.

“A Polaris dragon,” Orion says as we start to walk toward the creatures, who are staring at us intently. “I never thought I would see one in my lifetime.” He threads his fingers through mine as we walk closer.

I can’t take my eyes off the bigger one. I should probably be afraid since I don’t know the beast, but I don’t feel so much as an ounce of fear. In fact, I would say that the opposite is true. I am drawn to it.

The huge creature goes down low as I get closer. I get a feeling of familiarity when I look into its eyes. The same eyes as… I look over at Delphine. The same eyes as Delphine. The same eyes as…

“No! It can’t be,” I whisper.

Orion laughs in his soft way, squeezing my hand. “It’s her,” he says.

“Raila?” There is shock laced in the word as I let go of Orion’s hand so that I can get closer.

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