Chapter 8

EIGHT

Samantha

We soar through the sky, heading back to base. Evander and Aydan fly closely at my sides, and Zane is just behind me. Even so, I can smell Zane as strongly as I can smell Evander and Aydan. His crisp, cool scent that reminds me of winter seems to surround me. I like it. Probably too much. Definitely too much given my complicated situation.

Glancing back at him, I’m struck by how different he looks from Aydan and Evander. He’s a little bit smaller, and his body is far sleeker than ours. While Aydan and Evander are all sharp lines and harsh edges, Zane is softer, smoother, like ice. And while in human form his hair was a unique white and pale blue color, he’s now a dragon with the same coloring across his glossy scales. Then there are the spikes across his spine. They looked like shards of glass instead of like spines. It’s beautiful and unique.

Eyes up ahead , Aydan tells me gruffly.

I huff, focusing on where I’m going. I’m sorry. I was just noticing how different Zane looks from us.

Zane’s voice is amused in my mind. That’s because I am an ice dragon. We are built for the cold and the water. You fire dragons are not.

Are there a lot of different kinds of dragons? I ask.

Many , he confirms. But most dragons are fire dragons.

We continue flying, and I keep glancing back. Zane does seem to… glide through the air in a way we don’t. Is it weird that he’s more graceful than me? I internally laugh. I have bigger things to focus on.

Zane’s appearance hadn’t even given me time to talk to Aydan and Evander about what happened last night. Just the thought of it makes my body feel hot and tense. If I thought I enjoyed sex with each of them before, it’s nothing compared to sex with both of them. I just have to hope they’re not filled with regret over our drunken decision, because I definitely want to do that again in the future.

Behind me, Zane flies closer.

Instantly, Evander and Aydan are there, forcing him away from me. Zane goes without a fight, but there’s tension between them.

Whatever you two did last night, it wasn’t enough to curb her arousal , Zane says, sounding amused.

If I could, my cheeks would be bright pink from embarrassment. I’m not aroused.

We can all smell you , Aydan says, a touch of frustration in his voice.

I’m even more embarrassed.

What are you thinking about? Evander asks, but I can’t tell what he’s thinking.

I decide to be honest. Last night.

Oh , Evander says, and I can feel Aydan waiting.

Yeah, I was just wondering if it’s going to happen again.

There’s silence in my mind until Zane speaks, It will. Many, many more times. Trust me.

If I wasn’t embarrassed enough before when he could tell I was aroused, I certainly am now that he’s made it so clear that he knows exactly what we did last night. It’s just as well I’m a fire dragon because my face feels like it might combust.

I wait for Evander and Aydan, hoping they’re not upset about it. I’d feel terrible if, with a clear head, they had regrets. I also don’t have a clue how I’d resist trying to get them in my bed together again.

Evander finally manages, I could handle that again. You, Aydan?

More silence. And then Aydan says, Yeah, I can handle it.

I’m so excited I do a little spin in the air, and all three of them are suddenly laughing in my mind. But I can’t help it. Aydan and Evander might not be best friends, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Mating her together will also help her conceal her scent better. The more males who come inside her, the more her scent changes, making her seemingly invisible from the other males , Zane explains.

I think two men is more than enough , Aydan mutters angrily.

Zane’s smile comes through his words. We will see.

We keep flying, me in an awesome mood, and my thoughts start turning. Every time I breathe in Zane’s scent, it feels more and more familiar to me. More and more natural.

Can you tell me about our most recent past life?

Of course , Zane says, then pauses. The last time of dragons was during the Nihongi period. It was a great time for humans.

720 BC was towards the end of the Iron Age , Aydan adds. Although I don’t know a lot about that period in history.

I do not know what you speak of, but I can tell you that things have changed since my last lifetime, Zane says, then continues. I believe ninety-five dragons flew the skies then, and we ruled over everything we saw. When I was searching for you yesterday, I saw vessels on your oceans the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Instead of wood, they shimmered like swords. And the places humans gather now are so much larger and taller, with humans milling about in every direction like ants. It made me wonder if humans have become more challenging foes.

When I was awake last, we sometimes fought with the humans, but we mostly got along because all of us dragons take on a human form at times. As much as we are dragon, we are human too. Knowing that we could easily kill off humankind made us cautious with them, even when they irritated us.

When did we live before that? I ask.

We awaken about every two hundred years, but we have a unique ability to make mankind forget about the days of dragons. It is said that the goddess of the dragons said that the memories of dragons were too dangerous for mankind. If they remembered us, they would seek out where we slumber and kill us as we slept. So, when the last dragon disappears from the earth, humans’ memories disappear along with them. Stories and pictures remain, but they’re thought to be the work of a human’s imagination rather than reality.

That makes sense. At the Phoenix Institute, I remember seeing drawings of dragons from all over the world, from vastly different time periods. Somehow, humans from different time periods and different places all described dragons in their own ways. Why didn’t I find that strange until now?

And the four of us were there? Together? I ask.

I can hear the smile in his voice. We had a large home up on a hill not too far from a village. Evander and Aydan, although they went by different names then, fought in many of the wars, but always came home to you. You, and the rest of your harem, stayed home, working on the garden, trading in the village, and having a merry life.

It’s weird listening to him, because I believe him, and because the whole thing is so strange. We’ve lived other lifetimes. Together. As humans and dragons.

It’s been a lot longer than two hundred years this time , Aydan says thoughtfully.

Has it? How long did we slumber? Zane asks, sounding thoughtful.

I can feel Aydan’s hesitation. About two thousand years.

Two thousand? Zane sounds like he’s in shock. What could have gone wrong for so much time to have passed without our reawakening?

None of us have an answer, so we stay silent. Minutes pass, and I wonder if I should ask him if he’s alright. All of this has to be upsetting for him.

At last, he sighs. Well, it is what it is. I cannot turn back time now.

I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding, hesitate, then decide to keep probing for answers. There’s something else I’m wondering about.

Ask away.

Why is there only one female dragon?

Zane chuckles. You are the most powerful and most sought after of all the females. You are also usually the first to be awakened, but in the coming weeks there should be at least nineteen others.

Nineteen. Wow. I selfishly wonder if my life will get easier after they wake up. One thing is for sure though, we need to do what we can to help these women when they become dragons. They shouldn’t have to deal with the shit I’m trying to handle.

How long do dragons live? Why do some dragons fall asleep beneath the earth, and others don’t? How does that work? Evander shoots out questions.

Dragons who sleep between lifetimes can live for thousands of years. But the dragons who are reborn each lifetime usually pass around their one hundred and fiftieth birthday. And when they die, the other dragons sleep. It’s our way.

We continue flying, and Zane moves higher. Up here. Catch the wind. Turn your wings to deflect the surrounding air downwards so we can ride the updrafts. Don’t waste energy that might be needed to defend your mate.

Evander and Aydan aren’t happy that he’s telling them what to do, but we all soar higher. And, sure enough, we catch a solid breeze. Now, we’re gliding instead of tiring ourselves out.

What else do you know? I ask.

Zane laughs. I can teach you all to fight. I always do.

We don’t need help learning to fight , Aydan says.

Actually , Evander draws out slowly, it couldn’t hurt.

Aydan grumbles in my mind but says nothing more. I wait, curious what Zane could show us that we don’t already know, but hoping that it’ll help us in the fight against… Than and Balor.

First of all, the best place to be in a battle in the sky is above your opponent. If at all possible, you do not ever want to be below someone. That is when you are at your most vulnerable. Zane moves in the sky so that he’s hovering above me. I can sense Aydan and Evander tense beside me, and I also think I can sense Zane’s attraction toward me. There is a move that most dragons know how to do well. It involves getting really high above their opponent, then diving down and catching the other dragon with their claws. For dragons, your wings are your more vulnerable part, and then your bellies. Never forget that. I can teach you the move that allows you to attack your opponent’s wings today. If you would like.

Seems pretty self-explanatory , Aydan says.

Then, by all means, try it , Zane encourages.

So, he does. He flies so far above us that he’s out of sight, then dives straight down at Zane. Zane, at the last minute, does a barrel roll and avoids Aydan in a movement that seems far too practiced.

What the hell? Aydan huffs angrily.

You let me catch sight of you. Next time, you need to simply drop down. Not fly down. Literally, drop down on top of me.

Aydan tries it, but he’s still flying, not dropping. And Zane always manages to avoid him at the last possible second, although I get the feeling the ice dragon is playing with him a little. Evander gets annoyed and tries it himself, but he can’t catch Zane either. No matter how frustrated he gets.

You’re too damn fast , Evander says, sounding out of breath.

Neither of you can let go of the control of flying and just trust your wings to catch you when the time comes. Let me show you.

Zane flies above us. And I twist to watch him. He’s a combination of white scales and pale blue ones, mirroring his hair. He’s a little smaller than Aydan and Evander, and far more graceful as he soars above us, then disappears in the clouds.

I fly a little slower, letting my men get ahead of me. I want to see what Zane will do. Male dragons seem to have a thing about getting on my back. If I can learn to avoid them, that’d help me a lot. And learning to attack them? That’s even better.

From one blink of the eye to the next, Zane comes crashing into Aydan with full force. Suddenly, both of them are plummeting from the sky, and my mouth drops open. Zane seems to have his claws in Aydan, how much, I don’t know, but they’re going to crash into the ocean if he doesn’t let him go!

Then, he does, separating himself from the big golden dragon in the sky. They both begin to flap their wings and shoot back toward us. I release a deep breath. Aydan seems to be okay. He really was just playing.

See the difference , Zane says.

Aydan sounds annoyed. How the hell do you just… stop flying like that? It feels dangerous.

You just have to trust your wings and know what your limitations are.

We all start to practice. When it’s my turn, I see what Evander and Aydan are struggling with. Stopping flying in the sky feels like getting out of a car while it’s moving. It seems unnatural, and absolutely dangerous. But Zane’s also right. When I finally manage to do it, and to land on his back, everything seems to click into place, and it doesn’t seem so scary any more.

I’m about to say exactly that when I breathe in his scent and stiffen. Being much smaller than him, I’d only managed to knock him out of the sky for a short time before he was flying once more. Now, I’m resting on his back like he’s carrying me, and it feels nice.

We used to do this all the time , he says, and I know he’s smiling.

I breathe him in deeper. Yeah?

Sam! Evander and Aydan say as one.

I push off from his back and into the air, knowing I’m playing with fire. Maybe ice. Or maybe I just want to be playing with ice, I don’t know, but there’s no way these two guys are ready to even think about sharing me with Zane, so I need to get the idea out of my head.

Want to learn the next move? Zane asks, and there’s attraction in his voice.

Yes , I say, a little too excited.

I need a volunteer.

I’m about to volunteer when Evander does, very pointedly doing it so that Zane isn’t anywhere near me, which I don’t appreciate. I can control myself. Can’t I?

Zane shoots into the sky above us once more. We all fly, giving Evander space, knowing that Zane is about to attack him.

Like before, Zane plummets from the sky and slams into Evander, grabbing hold of him with his claws. But unlike before, as Evander falls, Zane pulls away from him. Then, the ice dragon does a barrel roll as Evander falls from the sky, desperately trying to get his wings working once more, and Zane catches him again with his claws.

If this were a true battle, I’d be digging my claws deeply into the fire dragon, wounding him and disorienting him each time. By the time he reached the ground, he would be badly injured. Plus, these movements are easy, requiring little energy to achieve.

We practice this new battle move over and over again, laughing together. Zane is a patient teacher, and we’re terrible students, but as time passes, we learn the move.

I feel good as we fly, like I’m working with a team I really value. A team that fits me like a glove. I even think that Zane’s calm manner is helping to tame my fiery men.

Maybe with time we really will be a team together. I smile. We’re nearly home, and then we get to introduce Zane to the scientists. And to Granger.

For some reason, that thought makes me feel nervous. I hope Granger will like him. And I hope he isn’t too mad we disappeared for so long.