Chapter 17

Argenis felt her relax on his back and knew she'd be asleep soon. His mate had become quite the companion on flights. There were times when he couldn't take her with him, but if he could, she didn't hesitate to go with him.

A woman raised on technology as a babysitter, Ciel was struggling to adjust to not picking up her phone and cruising through social media. The last year, she'd spent studying. It would be a very long time before schools reopened. She needed a new interest.

She'd devoured all the romances in his library. Today, on the way home from patrols, he had a surprise for her. He had a feeling she would be very excited.

A couple of hours later, he felt her wake up. The slight change in their mental connection from her mind in slumber to drowsy and then alert always enchanted him. She hugged his neck. Okay, everything about her delighted him.

I think I fell asleep.

You woke up just in time. Look below.

She followed the direction he pointed with his massive head and took a quick breath in. What's going on? Is there trouble in Wyvern?

It's a celebration, Little Sky. Today is a special day.

Really? What's happening?

You'll have to wait to see. I'll land soon.

True to his word, Argenis dropped to the ground with a gentle thump. Well used to sliding off her mate now, Ciel dismounted gracefully and stepped back in his line of vision so he could know that she was safe. In a flash, he strode forward to claim a kiss.

"Let's go, Daddy. I can't wait to see what's happening."

They threaded their way through the streets of Wyvern. Running into people as they walked, Ciel stuck by his side. She understood why people kept their distance when they met people she'd known for years. Ciel called it the big, scary dragon effect. She and Aurora had become great friends and confidantes. Argenis knew it was comforting to know that Ciel wasn't the only one that people suddenly reacted differently to because of their mates.

He did not mind being on the outskirts of society. Being alone on his mountain was his favorite place to be. Interacting with people was a necessary task. He would do this for her.

"The library?" she asked, almost dancing with excitement.

"Yes, Little Sky. Today is the grand reopening."

He had timed it perfectly. As they walked up to the edge of the crowd, the town leader cut the ribbon, opening the doors once again. A committee had approached the town council to allow residents to establish regular hours for the building to be open. Taking books on an honor system, anyone could check out two books at a time.

"Did you know?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

"Aurora! I didn't!" Ciel darted toward her friend to hug her before waving at Drake. "BSD," she whispered to her friend, and they both giggled.

Drake rolled his eyes at their merriment, obviously in on the code for Big Scary Dragon. "Go get some books, you two. I have something to discuss with Argenis."

Holding hands, the two women joined the crowd. Connected still by a thread of mental communication, the dragons could keep track of their mates.

"What's going on?" Argenis asked in concern as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Nothing. I just didn't want to go in there," Drake confessed.

"Ah. Good idea."

The two dragons moved a slight distance away, so they didn't intimidate anyone. The foot traffic has shifted away from them, creating a snarl that eased as soon as they had cleared the area. With their backs to a nearby building, they could keep an eye on everything.

A child ran over to stand in front of them, staring. Argenis and Drake returned the careful consideration. Finally, the young boy asked, "Can you dragon out?"

"Simon! Do not bother the dragons. They are keeping us safe." The frazzled mother grabbed his hand. "My apologies, gentle… I mean, dragons. Sir Dragons?" she struggled to know how to address them.

"Dragon is fine. An inquisitive mind is admirable. We are not bothered," Argenis told her before fixing a stern look on Simon. "We do not however, perform like trained ponies and dragon out on request."

The little boy gulped audibly and nodded. "Sorry."

"He's fascinated by dragons, of course. His favorite stuffed animal is a dragon."

"Really? What color?" Drake asked casually.

"Silvery gray."

Argenis's mouth went dry, and he tried not to allow the whirl of thoughts in his mind to show on his face. "That is the best color, of course."

"You're a silver dragon?" Simon asked.

"I am."

"Come Simon. Let's not pester the dragons," his mother tugged him away with a thankful smile at Argenis and Drake.

"I wish there were phones again. I could have gotten a picture with them." The young man's voice drifted back to them.

"That doesn't mean anything," Drake assured him the moment they were out of earshot. Obviously reading the other dragon's thoughts.

"There is only one mate at a time. That young man was six?" Argenis asked. His mind raced. Was Ciel's life in danger? Was she ill? That couldn't happen again, could it?

"Just because he has a dragon means nothing," Drake said quietly.

"A silver dragon."

"The moment we were back in the spotlight, I'm sure every dragon in the toy store was claimed. It probably means nothing," Drake suggested.

"I know. It's just too… Too close. I can't lose another one so quickly."

"As we both know, even we can't battle fate and win. We also can't live expecting the worst. Would you have ever expected Wyvern to need its dragons so urgently again?"

Argenis considered his words. Drake could be completely right. Or he might just have a few years with Ciel.

"Daddy! I was waving. Didn't you see me?" Ciel said, appearing in front of him.

"The sun must have been in my eyes, Little Sky. Did you find a couple of books?" he asked, gesturing to the ones in her hand.

"I did. These look really good."

"I'm glad, Ciel. Are you ready to go home?"

"Wyvern is having a picnic. Can we stay? They're grilling hotdogs. Everyone brought something to share, but they told us, the dragons have done so much, they would be honored for us to join them." Ciel almost danced in her excitement.

"I think we could stay here for a while," he allowed, and both women cheered. "Let me hold those for you. Go socialize. Drake and I will strategize."

A hint of awareness made both dragons turn and step in front of their mates before they could depart. Keres approached. The crowd visibly shrank from the threatening vibes that the black dragon emitted.

"Keres," Argenis acknowledged when the other dragon halted a few steps from them.

"Argenis, Drake, mates. Do you want to introduce me to your mate, Argenis?"

"This is Ciel," Argenis said, not moving a muscle to allow the black dragon to see his mate. A jolt to his back made him automatically reach back to support her.

"Hi, Keres!" Ciel looked over her mate's shoulder as she clung to him in piggyback fashion.

A flash of amusement was stamped down by sadness on Keres' face. The dragon nodded and turned to walk away.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ciel asked.

"No, Little one. Keres battles his own demons. He has been too long without a mate," Argenis assured her.

"I hope he finds a mate soon. The picnic is a great place to search for her or him," Ciel suggested.

"I have a feeling that's what everyone thinks," Drake suggested, nodding to Khadar who approached.

Ciel immediately slid down to the ground and darted around Argenis to go talk to the emerald dragon. Knowing she was safe, Argenis followed her at a more sedate pace.

"Khadar! I'm so glad to see you. Did you whomp the mountain with your tail? That's what Daddy said."

"To close the opening? Definitely. No one's getting in there now," Khadar promised. "And good day to you, Lady Ciel."

"Thank you for helping Daddy rescue me," Ciel told him as Argenis reached them.

"I did very little. Your mate was the hero of the day. I was just there to… whomp," he finished, using her description.

"You did good. I went down there to look. Are you here to look for a mate?" Ciel asked, before slapping a hand over her mouth. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's okay to ask anything. Dragons don't answer anything they don't want to," Khadar told her.

Argenis watched the emerald dragon's words compute in Ciel's brain. He had not answered her question about a mate. Wisely, she nodded.

"Have you met my friend Aurora?" Ciel changed the subject as Drake and Aurora joined them.

"I have met the gold dragon's mate. My greetings, Lady Aurora."

"Hi, Khadar. It's good to see you again," Aurora greeted him.

"I see you all have found some spicy reads," Khadar observed.

"Those are ours," Aurora rushed to clarify why the dragons were carrying romance novels.

"A smart dragon always reads what his mate reads. It's usually very enlightening," Khadar suggested. "If you will excuse me, I might need to check out a couple of books."

"They're having a picnic this afternoon. Dragons are invited," Ciel rushed to tell him.

"Thank you, Lady Ciel." With a nod, he walked into the crowd.

"He has such pretty, old-world manners," Aurora commented.

"He is the charmer among us. The other unmated dragons are here as well," Argenis shared.

"How many hotdogs can a dragon eat? Maybe we should get some hotdogs from home," Ciel suggested.

"We will make sure there is enough food, Little Sky," he assured his mate.