Page 78 of Taloned Heart

Spreading his wings wide, he launched himself into the air. A green streak had already darted toward him, and he’d been so worried about his son, who had smaller wings and wasn’t made to fly long distances like Nyx. His daughter could swim for the greater part of the journey, at least. Even though he’d promised her mother that he wouldn’t let her.

He got closer to them and a sapphire spiral rotated out of the ocean. She spun in a giant circle as water flowed off her form and then snapped her wings out wide. With a bright grin, his daughter joined his son and together they flew toward him, then circled as he beat his wings to remain still in the air.

They were here.

They wereflying, and he’dmissed it.

But they were alive, and they were well and they looked more like dragons than he’d ever imagined. Tilting his head back with a roar of delight, he swooped low underneath them. Nyx was much more agile. She spiraled around him in the air so he could get a good look at all the colors that flashed on her bright underbelly. Hyperion flew beneath him, tilted onto his back so he could stare up at his father with a teasing expression.

Andoh. They were here.

If he was a mortal man, he would have cried tears of joy. Instead, all he did was let out another trumpet of triumph that his children were flying. They were dragons, through and through, and he’d never been more proud of them.

Together, they all flew back toward the familiar island and landed in a heap of scales, wings, and claws. He dragged them closer to him, holding them out with his wing like it was an arm, forcing them to stay still.

“Stop wiggling,” he snarled as he looked them over. He nudged Nyx hard with his big head, making her stand up straighter as he circled his children. Hyperion wouldn’t stop bouncing. The boy never could control his energy, but by all the gods in the sky, they were perfect.

“My goodness, look at you,” he said as he leaned back and stretched his body out as large as it could get."You are stunning, the both of you. Exactly the dragons I always hoped you two would be."

They preened under his praise, just as he knew they would. And before he knew it, another heavy thud landed on the isle. Tanis, with all her glittering amethyst scales, made quite the presence here. He hadn’t thought to ever see her out of their homeland, and it made something in his heart twist to know that another full grown dragon had joined them.

A dark elf slid off her back, wearing a large pack that squirmed with something inside it. And to his surprise, a second elf slid off as well. Wearing yet another squirming bag.

He frowned. “Rowan? I thought you were staying behind with the children.”

“Ah, well.” Rowan shrugged the bag off and opened it to reveal a small, purple dragon that tumbled out into the dirt. The little one snorted hard to get the dust out of its nose before catching a scent and snuffling off.

He was... shocked. Why would they bring their baby dragons here, and why were they still so small? Was Tanis not feeding them?

Draven took his own pack off and let out the other two. The crimson one was much larger, as expected, but the little gold dragon was almost smaller than his claw and it made his chest flush with flames in fear of what might happen to the three of them.

“The dragonlings,” he muttered, meeting Tanis’s gaze with a shocked expression. “Why would you bring them?”

“This is a war, I know. But you need your family with you, Abraxas, and that includes all of us. If we cannot save Umbra, they will come for the dragons as well.” She grinned and shook off the weight of the elves and the flight and suddenly seemed larger. Stronger. More capable than he’d given her credit for. “Besides, I have plans for Umbra. And if you are going to fight against an elf who has an entire elven army at her disposal, then you will need both of these men to advise you.”

When Abraxas slid his gaze to the deepmonger, Draven puffed out his chest in pride. “I have been learning much in the months since you’ve been gone. Rowan and I have spent countless weeks learning the history of our people, and what Margaret might do. Battle tactics. Weapons. Spells. Armor. I have studied, Abraxas. I will be of use, if you’ll have me.”

“That’s the first time you’ve asked to be of use to me.”

“And the only time I’ll likely mean it.”

It wasn’t Draven’s words that convinced him. It was the ease with which he bent down and scooped up the golden dragon. Draven held the child like a natural, and he gently stroked underneath its chin on a hidden spot that made the small dragon go limp in his arms with pleasure.

A man like that, who could hold a baby dragon without fear, was a worthy advisor indeed.

Spreading his wings wide around all the people he loved, even Draven, he let out a low growl of pleasure. “Good,” he said. “I am so happy to see you all, even if now we must fight.”

CHAPTER30

The Ashen Deep’s forest was closest to Margaret, but Lore and the Matriarch knew it was the safest place for everyone. As much as she hated to admit it.

Lore didn’t want to be any more indebted to the Ashen Deep. Already the Matriarch had sunk her claws into Lore and even a goddess had to pay her debts. Lore had no idea what the Matriarch would eventually ask for, but that debt grew larger by the day.

She’d thought it would take weeks to find the leaders of every group that might help them, but the reality was there were very few people willing to help.

There were the humans, and those were limited in numbers. Scared, nervous. Their only leaders had hidden in Tenebrous for a while, and some were on the outskirts of other towns, but none of them were quite interested in helping. Beauty’s father had come to the forest, of course, and a few other nobles who hadn’t lost as much family as the others.

The dwarves were waiting for her the moment she called upon them. Lore had smiled at Algor and promised to keep his people safe as best she could, and he’d waved her off, saying that he had always known it would come to this. And as a dwarf, he’d always wanted to see what the Ashen Deep had built in comparison to his own home.

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