Page 10 of Drakhana's Treasure
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry is fucking worthless if you don’t learn your lesson. You want to be a dragon? Go be with other dragons. If you want to live in the human world then you play by the humans’ rules. Got it?”
He nods grudgingly. I don’t want to leave them alone but I have to check on the others. I just give him a firm stare as I walk away.
There’s always at least one like this in every group. If anyone’s ripe for a god complex, it’s Kane.
I hurry back down the lane, ignoring hawkers and noisy games. I finally see Kirralee with a small bunch of girls. They’re buying cotton candy and they keep dropping their money when they try and get it up on the high counter. People behind them are starting to look impatient but the girls are laughing and joking. The sight fills me with relief. They look like normal teenage girls.
Except for Kirralee. She’s towards the back of the group, her coat pulled tight around her. She’s stopped jumping at every sound but she looks around frantically as if she’s in mortal danger. I have to turn away, the sight disturbs me so much.
I walk up the alley again and see a small group playing a ring toss game. All of them have their dragons in hand are having a great time, even though they are losing.
They are doing great, except for Kirralee. She looks like a prisoner afflicted with agoraphobia that got dropped in the middle of the fair ground by mistake. She will have to go back to the mountain if she can’t shake out of this. The city is no place for someone as delicate as her.
I’ve never had to send a student home before and I’ve been doing this for about ten years. I feel a bit of disappointment that I would have to admit my own failure and let her go, but to my surprise, my dragon makes a sudden, fierce attempt to rise.
I have to stagger behind some stalls, clutching my chest. A huge roar builds inside me and I manage to let it out as a stifled gasp. My dragon hasn’t behaved like this in years.
Kirralee.
My dragon doesn’t want her to go away. Come to that, neither do I. She is very beautiful and her innocence is refreshing. She makes me want to protect her and care for her in every way.
I want to see her happy.
I blink several times, getting my dragon back under control. I hurry back towards the games and my heart almost stops when I see a big crowd of people all peering over each others’ shoulders. Something is going down and what’s the bet it’s one of my fucking dragonlings.
As I hurry towards the commotion people move back and forth like a set of waves. Through the thick crowd I glimpse a shimmer of red hair.
Kirralee.
She’s right in the middle of it!
Of course she is.
Seven
Kirralee
The noise around me is literally making me sick. Nausea crawls around my stomach, threatening my throat. My ears actually hurt as if they are being physically stabbed by every sound. My eyes aren’t faring much better and I’m wondering if any place near here is quiet and dark.
Like my caves. How I miss my caves!
I watch the others laughing as they pay for the food. Janet hands me a stick of the fluffy pink stuff. I stick my tongue out hesitantly but it only takes one lick for me to be hooked. The rush of sugar actually helps me forget the noise and lights for a moment.
Suddenly I’m really hungry. My dragon takes in the smells of frying batter, hot fries and ground beef. If I could get some food and a soda and a comfortable spot, this place might not be so bad.
The girls are huddled around talking about going on a ride. That’s definitely not something I want to do. Even with a super powerful dragon living inside me, I’m not about to let a mechanical arm fling me around.
The noise starts to swell again. The rumbling of human voices seems to press against my skull. The sharp noises from the rides and side shows seem to attack me physically. I start staggering towards the shadows, hoping to find a quiet spot to rest for a few seconds.
Then a sound of pure pain cuts through everything else. My body comes to attention, flinging off the pain and fear. Within seconds I’m well again and mobilized towards the noise.
It sounds like a little dragonling and something in my blood is practically screaming to get to it so I can save it. I know it must be a human child but that doesn’t slow me down. It’s a little one and it’s in pain. I can’t stop myself.
I come to the edge of the carousel and find the little one screaming her head off. I sit down, pulling her into my lap. She’s only a year or two old. She’s screaming in fury as well as pain. The poor thing fell off the carousel and landed on her head.
I make shushing sounds, stroking her neck. Heat comes to my fingertips and rushes into her. Immediately, she stops crying.
