Page 38 of Stolen By Dragons

Not just for her, but for my kind as well. Valeria had proven herself to be an ally, and Marcus was putting her at risk as well. I wasn’t close with the other two, Willian and Lionel, but William had been the one to hold Marcus back last night. Lionel, on the other hand, was young and looked up to Marcus for some bizarre reason. From what I knew, he’d been turned fifty years ago, while William was over a hundred. Marcus and I were the oldest, with Marcus at four-hundred-years-old. If it came down to a fight, we were well-matched. And if Valeria decided to swap alliances… no, I had no reason to think such a thing, but it was something I’d remain mindful of.

Our little group was mismatched, but with my being the eldest, it gave me some higher position.

For now.

The game had indeed changed, and now we had a few weeks to prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead. I only hoped it would be enough.

13

ZEPHYR

Ifound myself wandering the halls, my mind buzzing with the revelations from earlier. Ancient dragons we had to awaken. How the fate of everything rested with us and this supposed power we had to do so.

Like that wasn’t enough to crush you under the weight. It was almost too fantastical to believe.

I wandered back down towards the Training Grounds, wanting to be alone with my thoughts after everything. It was one of the few areas apart from our living quarters that we were allowed to move about, magic not blocking us off like it did in other areas.

As I rounded a corner, I nearly collided with Eirian. The dragon shifter's eyes narrowed as he steadied himself, his gaze sharp and assessing.

"Zephyr," he said, his voice cool. "You're up late."

I offered a lazy smile, masking my inner turmoil with the carefree facade I'd perfected over the years. I was surprised he’d remembered my name, we’d not conversed much in the trainingsessions. “Just taking in the sights, my scaly friend. This Keep of yours is quite the architectural marvel."

Eirian's expression remained impassive, but I caught a flicker of something - annoyance? concern? - in his eyes. "Indeed. Though I'd advise against wandering too far. There are areas of the Keep that are... restricted."

"Restricted?" I echoed, my curiosity piqued. “Right, but your little magic has warded us from those areas. Any particular reason for the secrecy?"

"Security measures," Eirian replied curtly. "Nothing that need concern you."

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral even as my mind raced. Security measures, or something more? And if only security measures, was it for them, or for us? I dared to believe they didn’t quite trust us. Although, after that outburst with Marcus, it was rightfully so. Before I could press further, Eirian spoke again.

"I trust you and the others are preparing for the trial? It's crucial that you all be at your best."

"Oh, absolutely," I said, injecting a note of false enthusiasm into my voice. "We're all very excited about potentially waking up some giant lizards. Though, between you and me," I leaned in conspiratorially, "I can't help but wonder why you Dracarians haven't managed it yourselves. Surely your pure blood would be more suited to the task?"

Eirian's jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I'd pushed too far. But then he exhaled slowly, his features smoothing into a mask of calm.

"We tried," he admitted, his voice low. "For years, we attempted to awaken the dragons using our purest bloodlines. But to no avail. It was our Seer who finally had the vision - those from Earth, with their mixed heritage, were the key."

My eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. They had a Seer? We fae had them as well, old, wise fae who’d lived long enough to garner the power of a Seer, able to glimpse into the future. Many fae paid a mighty price to reveal their futures and what choices they should make, although our Seers knew not to meddle in the affairs of the Courts. "Fascinating. And why, pray tell, hasn't this little tidbit been shared with the group? Seems like rather important information, don't you think?"

Eirian's eyes narrowed. "Because it's not useful information to you. You've been told everything you need to know to complete your task. Nothing more, nothing less."

I couldn't help but push further. "And who decides what we need to know? Seems a bit... paternalistic, don't you think?"

Eirian's expression hardened. "We do what's necessary to protect our realm - and yours, I might add. The less you concern yourselves with the whys and hows, the better you can focus on your training."

I held up my hands in mock surrender, knowing he was getting aggravated. Don’t poke the dragon too much. Before Eirian could walk away, I decided to voice another concern that had been nagging at me.

"Speaking of focus," I said, keeping my tone light, "I couldn't help but notice some tension among our fanged friends. The vampires seem a bit on edge lately. Particularly around our sole human companion."

Eirian's expression shifted, a flicker of concern crossing his features before he schooled them back into neutrality. "We're aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely. Aria's safety is a priority."

"Is it now?" I mused, watching him carefully, surprised he knew her name as well. Perhaps he was more assessing and involved than I’d believed. "That's good to hear. Though I can't help but wonder if perhaps some additional protective measuresmight be in order. After all, we wouldn't want anything to happen to our key to awakening the dragons, would we? We need to keep the peace amongst our group.”

Eirian's gaze sharpened. "Your concern is noted, Zephyr. But as I said, we have the situation under control. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to."

As he strode away, I couldn't shake the feeling that he didn’t truly care for what happened in our group of supernaturals. The air of him was one of superiority, something I was far too accustomed to with my own kind. It was… tiresome.

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