Page 62 of Dragon Valley
“What can we do?” I jumped in quickly. “The whole reason we left was to not be sitting ducks while others fought for their lives.” I looked at Caden, feeling the same fire in his heart. “I’m a Rider and Aron is your captain. We should be out there with them.”
“First, you should rest.” Azel seemed amused by my eagerness. “Have your fill of food and a night of deep sleep. I’ll tell you more of what’s to come tomorrow.”
For the first time since returning home, the exhaustion settled into my limbs like a heavy blanket draped over me. All the sleep I lost and the long hours of straddling Dusa’s neck caught up to me at once.
Next to me, Caden stretched and moved like he was preparing to stand up. “I’m going to wash off in the stream,” he told me, leaning in close. “I’ll let you two catch up.” He caught my mouth in a sweet, lingering kiss like no one was watching, then swiftly exited the hut.
And like that, he left me alone with the person I knew since before I could walk, who I was desperately in love with but now also felt like a total stranger.
“What are you thinking, Nadi?” he asked after a moment of silence.
I folded my hands in my lap as I tried to gather my racing thoughts. “What’s going to happen now?” I wondered aloud. “Between you, me, and Caden?”
“Whatever you would like to happen,” he said with nonchalance, though I swore I heard a tinge of emotion in his voice.
“And if I want you both?” It was the first time I said it out loud, cementing my thoughts in reality.
To my complete shock, he smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.”
I couldn’t contain my bewilderment. “But as chief, you—”
“Can take multiple wives, I know,” he interjected, his eyes smoldering. “But things are changing, Nadi. The ending of this war will create a blank slate to start anew. Oh, the old ways will persist, but the fire must cleanse. From the ashes will rise a queen and she will call on you, the heart of the dragon, to burn away the poison that lingers.”
His eyes grew lighter in color as he spoke, from red to orange to yellow, until the Dragon God’s fire within him burned so hot it turned his irises a pale blue. He blinked a few times as if disoriented then sheepishly looked at me, his eyes back to their new normal of red.
“Sorry. It hits me out of nowhere sometimes.” He ran a hand through his hair, now buzzed short close to his scalp. The gesture gave me a glimpse of the old Azel, and I knew he was still the same. Just so much more. “I’m still learning to control and filter the visions.”
“It’s alright,” I said gently. “So, are you saying you won’t take multiple wives?”
“I never intended to,” he said with a bite of defensiveness. “You’re all I ever wanted since we were children.”
“But Caden—”
“Is now bonded to you and your dragon in the most sacred, intimate way possible. And I can’t imagine a better man with the strength and will to protect you.” His intense gaze dropped to the fire, now becoming low embers. “When I first saw you two in bed together, I was surprised at how happy I felt. I didn’t want you to feel lonely or worried about me while I was away. The Dragon God answered my prayer that someone would love and guide you while off exploring the world. To be jealous or possessive of you? He made me realize how useless those emotions are. In the end, we all belong to the sky.”
He came around the fire to sit next to me and looked at me solemnly.
“Because the truth is, Nadi, I can never be fully yours. Not because of other women, but now that I’m Chief and Seer of the Dragon God, I have duties to the dragon clans.” He stared longingly at my lips. “I’m His vessel and mouthpiece to our people, so when I can’t give you what you need as a woman, I hope your two other men can.”
Everything in and around me felt like it came to a grinding halt.
“Wait,twoother men?”
“Yes, for a total of four of us,” he smiled. “The dragon’s heart lives in four bodies.”
24
NADIYAH
Azeland I walked together to the stream where Caden was bathing as the sun dipped below the mountain range. I almost forgot about the beautiful sunsets here, like dragon fire scattered across the sky. There was no place like home.
Azel kept a polite distance as we walked, his hands relaxed at his sides but the tension between us sparked dangerously. I couldn’t stop thinking of our first and only night together, how beautiful and carnal it was. Could it still feel like that after everything that happened?
“I have a question.”
“Mm?” he inclined his head toward me.
“Why is Caden bonded to me but not you?”
