Page 58 of Stolen By Dragons

I stroked my dragon's head gently, and it leaned into my touch with a soft chirp. Its scales were warm under my fingers, almost pulsing with life. "I'm not sure yet. I want to get to know it a bit better first. It doesn't feel right to just pick a name without understanding its personality."

"That's probably wise," Lydia nodded. "Names have power, especially for magical creatures. You want to make sure you choose the right one."

As we continued to discuss our dragons, I couldn't help but marvel at how quickly our lives had changed. Just weeks ago, we were strangers from different worlds, thrust together by circumstances beyond our control. Now, we stood united, with dragons by our side.

Who could’ve ever thought.

Before anyone could respond further, Eirian's voice cut through our conversation like a knife through butter. "Everyone is to disperse to their rooms immediately," he commanded, histone brooking no argument. The sudden shift in his demeanor made me uneasy. "Remain there with your dragons until we come to fetch you. Keep your balcony doors closed and your dragons close."

A murmur of confusion rippled through the group, the earlier excitement quickly giving way to anxiety. "What's going on?" someone asked, their voice tinged with fear.

Eirian's expression remained impassive, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clenched at his sides. "We're still assessing the situation. For now, follow my instructions. We'll provide more information as soon as we can."

With a sense of unease settling in my stomach like a lead weight, we made our way back to our rooms. Chris remained close, his arm brushing mine as we walked. My dragon remained curled in my arms, its warmth a comforting presence against the chill of uncertainty that had descended over the Keep.

We bid one another goodbye in the communal area, and Chris paused, studying me for a moment before he dipped in and kissed me in front of Lydia and Zephyr, catching me off-guard.

“Your little dragon looks happy with you, Aria. Everything will be okay,” he said warmly as I stared at him, my cheeks burning softly. He grinned, noting my uncertainty at the very obvious public display of affection, before he turned and headed down his hall.

“Talk soon, once they get whatever it is sorted,” Lydia said, giving me a wink as I pursed my lips. Zephyr just nodded, his focus returning to his dragon as he headed off.

Once in my room, I set the dragon down on my bed and took a moment to really study it after kicking off my shoes. Its white scales seemed to shift colors in the light, displaying hints of blue, purple, and silver, like the inside of an opal. Its wings were delicate, almost translucent, with intricate patterns that reminded me of frost on a window pane. Its tail ended ina graceful point, and despite its reserved nature, there was an undeniable intelligence in its gaze as it watched me.

"Well, little one," I said softly, reaching out to stroke its head. "I guess it's just you and me for now." The dragon leaned into my touch, letting out a soft trill that sounded almost like a sigh of contentment.

As I sat there, marveling at this miraculous creature, my thoughts drifted to Ossian. The memory of his pained expression as he was led away for medical attention made my chest tighten. I hoped he was okay, that the burn from the dragon's fire wasn't too severe. Despite the tension between vampires and the rest of us, I couldn't help but feel concerned for him.

Suddenly, my dragon perked up, its head swiveling towards the door. Its purple eyes widened, and its nostrils flared as if catching an interesting scent. Before I could react, it had leapt off the bed and was scratching at the door, chirping insistently. This was the most animated I'd seen it since the hatching.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, moving to scoop it up. But the dragon was surprisingly agile, dodging my grasp with a grace that belied its small size. It flew up to the door handle, and with a dexterity that shocked me, it managed to push down on it, swinging the door open.

"No, wait!" I called, but it was too late. The dragon had already zipped out into the hallway, its white scales a blur as it headed straight for the vampire wing. My heart leapt into my throat. Of all the places in the Keep…

Typical.

My heart raced as I chased after it, acutely aware that I was disobeying Eirian's orders. The stone floors were cold under my bare feet, and the soft light in the hallways cast eerie shadows that seemed to reach out for me as I ran. I caught up to my dragon just as it reached the vampire hall, scooping it into my arms. "You little troublemaker," I muttered, but there was noreal anger in my voice. How could I be angry when I was equally curious about what had drawn it here?

Just then, Ossian’s door opened, and Ossian stepped out. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of me, a mixture of surprise and concern crossing his face. His own black dragon perched on his shoulder, its red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the hallway like twin embers. The contrast between our dragons was striking - light and dark, day and night. I had seen the fire it had breathed as well, tinged with black, something that made it stand out from the other fire-breathing dragons. Which, oddly enough, every single vampire had. There were other fire-breathing ones scattered amongst the others, but all the vampires had wound up with fire. How intriguing.

"Aria," he said, his voice low and tinged with worry. "You shouldn't be out of your room. The Dracarians made that quite clear." Despite his words, there was a softness in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, suddenly very aware of how I must look - disheveled from the chase, clutching my dragon like a lifeline. "I know, I'm sorry," I stammered. "My dragon... it just took off. I couldn't stop it."

Ossian's gaze shifted to the dragon in my arms, then back to me. After a moment of hesitation that felt like an eternity, he stepped back, gesturing for me to enter his room. "You'd better come in," he said softly. "We don't want anyone else seeing you out here. Eirian seemed on edge.”

As the door closed behind us, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was stepping into something far more than I'd anticipated. My dragon, now calm in my arms, watched Ossian's dark dragon with keen interest.

The air between us felt charged with an energy I couldn't quite name - part danger, part excitement, and part something else entirely.

Had my little dragon orchestrated this whole thing?

23

ARIA

As the door closed behind me, I found myself in Ossian's dimly lit room. The heavy curtains blocked out most of the light, creating an atmosphere of intimate seclusion. My heart raced, partly from the chase after my dragon, and partly from the intensity of Ossian's gaze.

His dragon watched me with gleaming red eyes.

---