Page 16 of Jay's Silence

“Do they help you often?” I asked.

The one who snickered, snickered again. “You don’t even know how your island works, idiot water dragon.”

My dragon coiled, and my scales threatened to cover my skin at his insult. I flexed my back and rubbed my delts to keepmy arms busy. The four immediately adopted fighting stances, knowing precisely what they’d done. I let my eyes shift into their dragon slits as my water magic burned behind my gaze. But I didn’t go further.

Tukaqu often said those who spoke little heard more, and I’d come to live by that rule. I gently reminded my dragon of how good a distraction we currently were being, with four sets of eyes focused on us. My dragon settled.

The shortest guard scowled at me. “You get her out and give her to me.”

“If I can’t, I’ll go.” I spread my hands.

“You’ll go either way.” The shortest took an aggressive step towards me.

I growled, puffing my chest. “I don’t suggest openly challenging the heir of water.”

The four guards began fanning out again, their eyes still glued to me.

The one who hadn’t spoken yet grinned. “He wants his bitch. She’s probably in heat and takin’ fire cock up the ass as we speak.”

My dragon rose again, but I pushed him down. They were baiting me to test my control. They knew once I had Jay, the chances I’d give her to them were slim. I needed them to be overconfident in their abilities.

A burst of warm wind blew a few strands of hair into my face. Energy filled the air, wafting off Ogden’s spells, I guessed, though I usually couldn’t feel magic. The air guards and I postured, flexing and studying each other. I dragged it out, needing to waste as much of their time as possible. With any luck, Jay, Ogden, and Tyson had already moved.

“We’re not letting you out of our sight,” the shortest guard strode forward, leveling me with a flat stare. “You know if you get in, we get in. We have orders to knock her out and transporther to a more secure location. Away from all dragons… including her supposed mates.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and growled. “As long as she’s not with fire.”

Snickers actually let out a little giggle this time, and the four relaxed.

A bit of motion below and to the right of me caught my attention. One of the guards noticed and started to turn. With a roar, I puffed out my chest and spit a line of cold blue flame into the air, forcing all their attention on me.

When King Ryker surrounded Jay in flame, I’d been in so much shock I hadn’t acted. Even when she passed out… it was Tyson who caught her. Not me.

I didn’t want to be the decoy, but it was the straw I’d drawn, and I wasn’t messing it up. I took a step forward and grew my tail, whipping it against Lux’s door. It sparked against Ogden’s magic dramatically. Pain shot up my body, and I absorbed it, almost relishing my punishment for my earlier failure.

“No more games. I need my mate!” I roared.

“We said no scales,” the short one grew his claws.

I crossed my arms over my chest and whipped my scale-covered tail through the air.

“You’re already breaking the rules.” The short guard said, some of the confidence leaving his voice.

The four guards finished boxing me in again; every bit of their attention focused on me. I let a satisfied grin fill my face.

“If you step out of line, we will defend with no repercussions,” the short one assured me.

I gestured around me. The top of Lux’s tower was a simple landing pad with nowhere to hide. Although a tingle of energy sizzled the air, making what should be the dead of night feel alive, we were otherwise clearly alone. A sudden memory of hurtling through the Ley Lines as a kid pushed to the front of mymind… put there by the slowly growing familiarity of the sizzle in the air.

I gritted my teeth as a bone-deep feeling of wrongness filled me. It wasn’t Ogden’s magic making me dance.

“Do you feel that?” I asked, no longer faking anything.

“The warlock’s magic?” the short guard asked.

Snickers balled his clawed hand and punched his scaly palm. “He’s just distracting us.”

In this question, I wasn’t. I couldn’t be the only dragon feeling the building energy. But if they genuinely felt nothing, then maybe I was being oversensitive. I cursed my paranoid grandad and focused. Jay.

---