Page 11 of The Dragon's Gambit
Chelsie snorted at this thought. Lizards of a feather flocked together. Leviathan was a dragon, even if he was a deity. Where did his loyalties really lie? Who would he choose, Reiya or the dragons? She frowned, defeated. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She squinted her eyes shut and, with a deep breath, ran toward a nearby pond. It was going to be hell when Reiya’s parents found out. They would come for her, especially when she told them Xander wouldn’t let her leave.
Xander kept Reiya tucked under his arm. “Come on, Reiya … you hungry? Let’s get you something to eat and maybe we can get to know each other better.”
Reiya looked up at him. There was a vulnerability in his eyes. Despite the situation, he didn’t seem like a bad guy. He let her feel like she chose to stay here on her own, when she knew that wasn’t the case. It was either choose to be here willingly or stay here as a captive. She had just chosen the easier route. However, it really was a good opportunity to get to know the dragons. All the kingdoms would be there, so if she could get on their good side, maybe they would ally themselves with the fairies. She knew she would never get a chance like this again. So, for the sake of her people, she decided to stay as a willing captive. If thatwas what she had to be in order to help her people, then so be it. This was the first time she’d really acted like a future leader for the fairies.
Surprisingly, she wasn’t afraid. She felt comfortable around Xander, and she trusted Grandpa Sage. She might as well try to enjoy this experience and see where the ride took her. Though, it was funny … she went from being locked in one cage to getting locked into another. At least it was a change of scenery.
She’d heard before that time flowed differently in the dragon kingdom. She wasn’t exactly sure how it worked or how it was different, but the rumor was that it could flow faster or slower. Because of that, it was easy to lose track of time, since you never knew how much time had actually gone by. It seemed like she would be finding out.
Reiya and Xander sat at a table toward the back of the party area. It was a bit more secluded, so it gave them a bit more privacy for talking. She didn’t miss the cold glares she got from various people, but she could understand them. After all, she was being very casual with their royalty. Grandpa Sage was also giving her a lot of attention. She had the feeling she was being envied hard right about now.
Xander looked up behind Reiya and a smirk rested on his face. She turned to look to see who he was looking at. There was Lee, walking toward them, and he was shooting a deadly glare at Xander.
“Lee!” Reiya jumped up and leaped into his arms. She normally wasn’t so forward with him, but her safety net had finally arrived. She was surprised he didn’t show up sooner. If she ever really wanted to leave, he was her trump card for getting out of here.
“Reiya.” Lee scooped her up in his arms and smoothed her hair back with his hand. “Are you okay?” He looked over her gently,watching her nod with a smile on her face. Then, he returned his icy glare to Xander.
“What game are you playing?” Lee growled out lowly to Xander.
Xander smiled widely. “Levi … so you finally decided to grace us with your presence. You know you’re supposed to be present during this event, since it is a big deal.”
Reiya noted the exchange. The men knew each other. Xander also called him Levi, which meant they were close. He told her that she could call him Levi, but she had adopted the nickname Lee, which he permitted as well. It felt more personal and intimate, her endearing name for him.
“Xander …” Lee growled again. Reiya noticed the tension in his arm as his fists balled up. It looked like he was trying to show some restraint and control his anger.
“I thought it would be nice to keep such a beautiful fairy around. I think if anyone can sway the hearts of our kind, it’s her.” Xander winked at Reiya and then stood up. He walked up to Lee, who still had an arm around Reiya. “Also …” He reached out and pulled Reiya from Lee, then rested an arm around her shoulders and smiled. “Look, Levi. I can hold her, and it doesn’t bother her.”
Lee looked at Xander's arm around Reiya and his eyes grew dark. “Careful.” His voice was quiet, dripping with a lethal warning.
The atmosphere became very intense. Reiya felt Xander's hand tighten on her shoulder as the two dragons pinned their gaze on each other. Their eyes glazed over as they silently communicated with one another. She could feel the anger rising. Xander's joking demeanor was soon gone, his lips forming a snarl at Lee.
“Come come, my dear. You come with me. Don’t worry about these two. They are always like this. You know what they say ...the closer you are, the more you fight.” Grandpa Sage walked up and plucked Reiya away from Xander’s side.
Reiya’s head was pounding. The pressure from being between the two of them was stirring a power deep inside her. She could almost feel it trying to claw its way out. It wasn’t able to set itself free … it only managed to make her head throb.
She walked away with Grandpa Sage. The situation felt weird. She didn’t know that Lee was so close with the dragons. It made sense, since they were his kind, but she had always imagined him just watching over them from a distance. Xander made it sound like he actually visited there, if not lived there as well. Grandpa Sage said they were really close, so they had to see each other often.
“Who is this lovely girl that seems to have captivated the lords?” A man with sun-kissed skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair walked up and stood in front of her and Grandpa Sage.
“Reiya, I would like for you to meet Reese. Reese is captain of the guards and Xander's cousin. Reese, this is Reiya. She is the princess of the fairies.”
“Oh? The lords are smitten over a fairy princess? Not that I can blame them. You are a beauty.” Reese winked at Reiya.
“I don’t think they’re smitten with me.” Reiya smiled back politely. It felt more like they were fighting over a toy than over a lover.
“I don’t know about that. I noticed that Xander's touch doesn’t harm you. That is very … curious. Want to dance, pretty lady?” Reese extended his hand to Reiya and flashed a wide grin to her.
Reiya smiled.Why not?She was getting more male attention than she’d ever gotten. She had always been surrounded by an overprotective power force. It was nice to finally get asked to dance without being afraid of her family.
“Are you sure you want to? I’m not exactly dressed to impress.” Reiya giggled, looking herself over.
“And you’re still one of the prettiest ladies here.” He winked and motioned for her hand with his fingers.
Reiya giggled and reached out, taking his hand. She smiled back at Grandpa Sage and allowed the gentleman to lead her out to the dance floor. She might as well enjoy herself.
Chapter 7 Daddy
