Page 1 of Bryce

1

Ihad always been interested in the way a sunrise could look entirely different, depending on where in the world one happened to be.

Granted, I’d only ever seen a highland sunrise for most of my life before the clan’s abduction.

St. Lucia sunrises were a thing to behold, no doubt, with the water and sand painted gold by the early morning rays. Majestic beauty, the sort that made a person stop and hold their breath, as if the mere act of breathing might cause the moment to end.

The sunrise I admired high up in the Appalachian mountains, sadly, did not compare to the tropical sunrises I’d enjoyed after our release from captivity, but they were still a thing of great beauty.

Even my dragon could appreciate the quiet serenity in those early hours. A sense of the world coming back to life. Light painting the foothills in the distance, light which spread further and further, touching upon far-off steeples and chimneys, ribbons of road carved into the mountainside.

A familiar longing stirred deep within my dragon. I recognized it. The desire to beat my wings against the morning air and keep going. To fly. To explore.

There was no greater chance of my being able to do any such thing now as there had ever been at home. Under no circumstances would it be wise to venture from the space directly surrounding the mountain and its many layers of charms which prevented detection from those below.

That would surely make for an interesting news item. A red-scaled dragon soaring high over the mountains. I could just imagine the number of auto accidents that would cause. Soon, I would attract military attention, and it would all go to hell from there.

But I could wish. I could yearn for something… more. Something different. Though I hadn’t breathed a word to anyone in my clan—not even Leslie, who at times felt like an extension of myself—the time we’d spent in St. Lucia had served as an awakening of sorts.

I could only imagine what the others would think if they heard me speak of it. Most likely, they would assume it was just another case of Isla being Isla. Flighty, giggly Isla, who rarely thought deeply on any subject. For whom life was nothing but a lark.

The dragon side of my awareness pushed back at these dark thoughts. My dragon wanted nothing more than to soar, to be free.

It was not meant to be. We were born into a world far different than the one in which we currently lived. A thousand years changed a great many things, and while there was no longer a risk of pursuit by torch-wielding townsfolk, there was no longer a chance of anonymity. Not with satellites and drones and jet planes and such.

The most I could do, then, was to climb ever-higher before plunging back down toward the mountain in a free fall, albeit a controlled one.

Wind rushed past me, thrilling me, roaring in my ears. I’d always liked a good free fall, especially pulling up at the very last second. Just when it seemed I was sure to smash into the ground, I’d pull my head up and get my hind legs under me, using my tail for leverage.

It drove Leslie to distraction, which made me all the more eager to show off whenever the chance presented itself. It presented itself just then, as she’d stepped out from the cave and was looking up into the sky, in hopes of finding me, I assumed.

She glared at me, shaking her head hard enough to send her hair swaying. “I hate when you do that!” she called out once I’d touched down. “Owen and Dallas wish to see us.”

I shifted from my dragon to my human form and accepted the robe she held out. “I can hardly wait.”

“Now, now.” She looked over her shoulder as if to make certain we were alone.

“No.” I cinched the belt about my waist. “Forgive me, but I still fail to see why we’ve come. The coven needed protection along the way. Yet all our presence did was—allegedly—alert the Gwydions to their approach. ‘Tis a wonder they haven’t already staged an attack on the mountain.”

“You know they cannot.” We walked the tunnel together, a lengthy passage leading deep down into the heart of the mountain. “The protection spells.”

“Yes, I know,” I grumbled. “They can do nothing to the coven or to us while we are here. Now, there is nothing for us to occupy our time with than waiting and watching that wee lad run about the place.”

“Tommy is a grand boy,” Leslie grinned. Just as much in love with him as everyone else seemed to be.

The lad was something of a pet, adored and doted upon. Not spoiled, though, which I supposed ought to be credited to his aunt, Carissa. The scientist, Cash’s mate.

“Do you think it will be like this for us one day?” I asked as we approached the maze of tunnels carved into the mountain. Their home for the last thousand years.

“Like what?”

“All of us mating up, bringing our mates to live with us.”

She shrugged, good-natured as always. “I suppose. After all, Alan, Ainsley, and Tamhas have found theirs. Dallas and Owen will more than likely bring their mates home with us. Our clan is expanding. Soon there will be bairns running about the place.”

As if on cue, Tommy came barreling down the corridor, dressed in a cape, wearing a superhero mask. I hadn’t the slightest idea who he was intended to be. Little did it matter, as he slammed into me with the same force regardless.

“Oof!” I cried out in surprise. “The eyeholes in that mask need to be a great deal larger if you do not wish to break your bones.”

---