Page 19 of Drakhana's Secret
“That’s why we need to be of one mind about things moving forward.” She places her hands on her hips, emphasizing the shape of her waist. “We can’t go starting fights that we will not know the outcome of.”
“Sapphire, you’re being as passive as our predecessors.” I raise a hand to stop her coming argument. “Look, I’m trying to show you that we need strong action to get back our territory.”
“But is getting our territory back worth losing the lives of our brethren? We’ve already lost so much, Gallant. You can’t put us through even more trauma than we have already suffered.”
“We can’t just stand by and let them take everything from us,” I say. “We have to fight for what is ours. Had we been more prepared maybe things might not be as bad.”
“But we are a peace-loving clan,” she insists. “Fighting is not the way of our people.”
Yet her voice starts to rise. She’s that flare of temper she showed earlier is coming back to life. It might be cruel on my part, but I really want to see how far her anger will go.
“What has being peaceful really gotten us?” I ask, adding heat to my tone as well. “Because they know that we won’t fight back, they are taking advantage and using brute force to get what is rightfully ours.”
“All you have is fighting in the brain,” she says, baring her teeth and getting in my face about it. “You have to think of the bigger picture.”
“I am thinking of the bigger picture. If we keep on the way we do, there will be nothing left of us. You might as well kill everyone in that camp.”
She gasps. “How dare you say that? It’s like you’re giving up if fighting isn’t involved. Why are you so cavalier about putting the lives of our people in danger? Don’t we mean anything to you?”
“Of course, you . . . our clan means something to me. That’s why I’m willing to fight.” I point toward the camp like she had. “And I believe that there are men in that camp who will join me if given a chance.”
“I’m certain that they will follow you, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice. You’re forcing them to put their lives at risk.”
“Our lives are already at risk. I, for one, don’t appreciate running away. I want to push back and show them that the earth clan is powerful.”
“That’s the thinking of someone who isn’t concerned for others. Can’t you see that your decision is a selfish one?”
“It’s not selfish if I’m doing it for the good of my people.”
“There will be no parades for you, Gallant.” Her face is so close to mine now that I can actually feel her breath on my lips. “Go sacrifice your life but you’re not taking anyone else with you. We can settle elsewhere.”
“Then you’re just going to give up? That’s it?”
“If it keeps our people alive, then yes. That’s it.”
“I think you’re making a mistake, Sapphire.”
“And I know that you’re making an even bigger mistake.”
I expected us to keep fighting. I’m willing to press my cause until she sees reason. Never did I expect that she would burst into tears.
Since her face is so close to me, I actually see her eyes go watery. The blue begins to well up. Her bottom lip begins to shake.
Once again, I see a glimpse of that girl I found crying in the forest. Same girl, different part of the forest. She covers her face just as the first tear falls.
My heart cleaves in two. I’m that boy again who wants nothing more than to take her pain away. Before she can step back, I pull her into my arms.
Her shoulders shake as she sobs. I rub my hands up and down her back and whisper soothing nonsense words into her ear. The second she looks up at me, I stop thinking and bring my lips against hers.
Thirteen
Sapphire
When I was a fledgling, I had dreams of the dragon that I would be heart-bonded to. Our village had so many happy couples, spending the rest of their lives together and having their own hatchlings. I pretended to be playing house, waiting for my husband to come home after a long day at work.
I would have dinner ready for him. I would clean the house. I would make sure that he felt loved and appreciated as he made me feel loved and appreciated.
Most often, the one that came to me was Gallant. Usually with a new wound that begged mending. So, I started dreaming of Gallant being me heart-bonded. What would that be like?
