Page 51 of The Black Dragon
16
Never didhe imagine the world could be such a cold, drearyplace.
A week after leaving Sedona, Justin parked the bike at a roadside rest stop in Tucson. He’d wanted to leave Arizona behind, hell, maybe fly to Europe for a few months, but found himself unable to crossthe stateline.
A tractor trailer rumbled into the parking lot, blowing dust into his face. Justin didn’t care. He pocketed his keys and went to a picnic table to sit. Sun warmed his body, but inside he was so damncold.
Had been, since last he sawAriel.
After taking out his phone, he scrolled through the photos until finding one specialshot.
“I miss you so much,”he whispered to the selfie he’d snapped with her. “How can I go on anymore without you? You’re myheart.”
Justin touched the phone, his chest hollow. “I can’t cry anymore. I have no more tearsleft.”
The sun rose and set each day. Time passed and he’d grow older. When his parents died, others advised the pain would pass with time, ease the grief. Ithad.
This time, he didn’twant the hurt to ease. He wanted it fresh and raw and sharp as it was now, because the sorrow was his last connection to Ariel. When that passed, he’d forget. A dragon’s time on earth was measured in decades, evencenturies.
Not the hours passing so slowly since he’d leftAriel.
“How can I forgetyou?”
What a damn fool he’d been to fly off the handle like an impatient youngdragon. He had enough years on him to be more prudent. Not around Ariel. She’d made his blood hum, his heart beat faster and filled him with a joy he hadn’t experienced inyears.
Yeah, he’d done it all right. He’d fallen horns over heels inlove.
No reason to return. He’d mourn, as he’d mourned his parents, and not look back. Yet a nagging sense kept nudging him to stay. Somethingwas missing, and it wasn’t onlyAriel.
Justin traced an outline of a dragon on the picnic table. “I miss you,” hemuttered.
A flash of cobalt blue smoke and suddenly he wasn’t alone. Drust, the Coldfire Wizard, sat next tohim.
“I missed you too, dear.” The wizard gave him a pointed look. “Justin, why are you running away? I gave you a task toperform.”
His brow wrinkled.“What task? I kept to my bargain. Didn’t hurt Ariel’s father. Didn’t claim myrevenge.”
Drustwaited.
And then it hit him. Justin groaned. “The baby dragons. The ambercrystal.”
Drustwaited.
“I didn’t check it out. And the key, ah damn. It’s back at Ariel’shouse.”
The powerful wizard raised his eyebrows. “That key was your responsibility, Justin. It’s not asif you can go to a locksmith and have another made. In the wrong hands, it will have dreadful consequences, and you will be heldaccountable.”
“I’ll get it and return it toyou.”
“After you access thecavern.”
Justin nodded, his chest tight. No use arguing with Drust, for he knew he’d screwed up royally. “After I access thecavern.”
“Do it.” Drust waved a hand andvanished.
For a long time he stared into the distance. Now he had to return. But Justin knew it was the right thing to do, regardless of Drust’s dictate. He needed Ariel. Needed the key to access the cave, but his heart needed her more. After his anger died, he realized what a true fool he’d been in flyingaway.
For too long, his answer to problems was leaving. Nomore.
