Page 72 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
Still staring at the castle, I asked faintly, “Is it in the dungeons?”
He wrapped his arms around me from behind, probably noticing the goosebumps on my arms. We were back in Alaska, and I was definitely underdressed for it. Patches of snow still dotted the ground, and the cold wind sliced right through me.
“No. There’s no one currently in the dungeons.”
I turned toward him, brows rising.“Currently?”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “It is a castle, after all.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yes… let’s talk about this castle of yours.”
Whatever he’d been about to confess was interrupted by Shay. “Let’s go check the stables they want to use,” he said cheerfully, clearly missing the glare I was aiming at Alaric. “It’s a bit of a hike.”
I considered making my mate squirm a little longer but decided to save that for later. “A hike, huh? Let’s go see it.” I glanced toward the dragon still sleeping behind us. “Who’s staying with him?”
“Benz and his men,” Alaric said.
I nodded, watching as the guards split into two groups—some remaining, others forming an escort around us.
We passed through the barbican into the first bailey, a fortified courtyard lined with guardhouses that looked both neat andefficient. But then, as we crossed beyond it and through a second set of gates, my steps faltered.
It was a town.
Shops, homes, and people filled the vast inner bailey. The castle loomed above it on a rise, overlooking the bustling streets. The moment we entered, people paused in whatever they were doing, bowed low, and then continued on with practiced calm.
Alaric gently tugged me forward when I froze again, staring.
Near a sign that readDragonSpire Groceries,a few men were playing the bagpipes until an exasperated shopkeeper came out with a broom to shoo them away. They scattered, nearly bowling over a woman walking her dog. A man on a bicycle zoomed past an elderly lady eating an ice cream cone—in the snow—and she shook her cane at him as he vanished around a corner. Children giggled as they petted a sleek black horse with a long, silvery mane?—
“He’s a unicorn,” Alaric murmured beside me.
I blinked. “I didn’t know unicorns could have black fur.”
“They can. His magic gives him that shimmer,” Alaric said quietly.
Shay joined in, his breath misting in the cold. “That’s Shiloh. He was a medic on the front lines during the wars, but he hasn’t been the same since. He’s not dangerous, but I try to keep the kids from pestering him.”
Alaric nodded, watching as the unicorn turned away, posture tense but graceful.
I wondered if Shiloh would someday appear among my golden threads. It wasn’t always life or death—I hoped—but every thread meant someone who needed something.
“Unicorns are one of the mythical shifters, right?” I asked.
“They are,” Alaric said, lacing his fingers through mine. “There aren’t many of us left, but a few live here at Dragonspire.”
My eyes swept over the streets again. “And you just—what—adopted a whole town? How does this even happen? You’re not even technically Prime yet!”
Shay laughed as Alaric flushed slightly. “You have to understand, Everly,” Shay said, “dragons are the world’s protectors. It’s true that there was a time when a few rogue dragons made the paranormals turn against them. They wield massive power, and people were afraid. But at heart, they’ve always been protectors. Shifters instinctively flock to them for safety, especially those without clans. Alaric knew this would happen one day, so he built Dragonspire Keep.”
“And people just came?” I gestured broadly at the hundreds of shifters going about their day. “Like,‘Pack your things, family, today’s the day we move into the dragon’s castle?’”
Alaric choked on a laugh, and I heard Shay snortbehind him. I could’ve sworn even one of the guards cracked a grin.
It was a valid question!
When Alaric stopped coughing, he pulled me closer as we navigated the busy streets. “It happened gradually. They didn’t all show up at once.”
“Your life,” I said with feeling, “is very different from mine.”
