Page 65 of I Dream of Dragons
“I should have guessed you’d be here,” I mumble, unable to forget how he and Tru stopped me from escaping the king’s enclosed garden… yesterday. Was it only yesterday?
No wonder I’m exhausted.
Arkin bows. “Lady of the darakin.”
“Not you, too.”
His grin is full of mischief. “My lady.”
The title reminds me of Remi and guilt swamps me. I haven’t spoken to him or seen him since the trial. Haven’t thought about him when he had helped me so much.
Remi!
His amused voice pipes up inside my mind right away, startling me.“Present and accounted for! Did you call?”
Remi…I try to contain my shock at the immediate response.Where are you?
He doesn’t reply at first and I resist the urge to call for him again.
“I thought you replaced me,”he says after a while, his voice grumpy, and he sounds so much like a little boy, I smile despite myself.
Replaced you?
“With that drak.”
A laugh escapes me.Remi… Are you talking about Keres? No.
“Are you sure about that? He’s bigger. Stronger.”
So what? I needed a ride. He gave it to me. That’s all.
“You don’t ride a drak without having some connection between you.”
I didn’t even know they could mind-speak, I say, to change the topic.
“Why wouldn’t they?”
That’s right, I muse. Darakins and draks are related. All dragons are related, right?
“Not really. At least…”
At least?
“I don’t think I am. Related to draks, that is.”
I frown.Meaning?
“Darakins are related to the Great Dara, or so they say, not to draks. But I don’t think I am a real darakin.”
What are you talking about?
“I’m different. And the other darakins don’t want me around.”
Oh, Remi…I want to hug him, which is the weirdest thing if you consider this is a dragon. Darakins may be small, but they are still considered vicious, dangerous and cold.
“I’m going off to hunt. Holler if you need me.”The change in his voice is too brusque. Too sudden.“Unless you prefer Keres to help you.”
No, I don’t, I think firmly.You are my man. Dragon. Whatever.Happy hunting!
