Page 34 of Whispers of the Dragon
“Sure,” she said with a bittersweet smile, knowing it was probably their last time here, but she needed to get back to helping her grandmother pack.
“I have a surprise for you first, though.”
“You do?” she asked, intrigued.
“Yes, I just need you to stand right here.” He moved her quite a bit from the edge, placing her right where he wanted her. “Now close your eyes … and no matter what,don’t move.”
Laughing through dark lids in excitement, she seemed to miss the seriousness in his tone at that last request. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just promise me you won’t move, all right?”
She swore, finally catching on that she really shouldn’t move. “Fine, I promise.”
“Good. Now wait here and keep your eyes closed.”
And Eira did just that, knowing he’d give her hell if she peeked, but she really couldn’t help it when the wind picked up and started rushing over her face. What harm could one little peek do?
Trying to peek through slitted eyes was when she saw it—the dragon-sized version of Ryu rushing right toward her. I mean, he had told her not to move and, truthfully, as much as she wanted to run, she couldn’t. Becoming completely immobile in fear kept her frozen like a scared statue.
One second, her feet were firmly on the ground and in another, they were high in the sky. Again, she found herself flying in the clutches of the dragon.
“Ryu!” she screamed out, hoping he could somehow hear her.
Mocking laughter rang in her head.Yes, darling?
“Put me—”
No need to scream. I can hear you just fine.
“—down!” she continued anyway, hoping he’d get her message.
I will once we get home.
Eira managed to open her eyes back up, seeing her adored cliff get smaller and smaller. “You’re going the wrong way!”
No, I’m not, his dragon whispers assured her.
She should’ve known he’d pull a stunt like this.
“But what about my stuff? I didn’t finish packing.”
You don’t need anything where we’re going.
“But my grandmother, she’s still packing—”
She’s not, he assured her.
“How do you know?” She was rather tempted to hit him if it wouldn’t cause her to fall to her death.
The dragon simply laughed.Why do you think she said to go for a walk?
“It was her idea?”Eira screamed, again in shock.
Well, she didn’t know we’d be flying to get there, but I told her I could be convincing enough to get you to keep walking to my home.
She almost couldn’t believe it, and flying through the sky in the clutches of a dragon wasn’t what she couldn’t believe. It was the fact that they’d do something like that to her.
But then Ryu told her what her own heart knew to be true.
