A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(124)

“Those would have been some damn big birds,” I said.

“The world is a mysterious place, Sam,” Ruv said. “Before today, you never knew sand mermaids existed.”

“And I was totally okay with that.”

His grin was rather unsettling. “Just because you ignore it doesn’t mean it will go away.” He continued on toward the dome.

“Fucking gypsies,” I muttered.

As we got closer, the whispering in my head got louder. It wasn’t forming words anymore, only sound, like a low hum. It itched and rankled, but the hook only pulled harder. Ryan walked closely at my side, his hand brushing against mine. It grounded me, kept my head mostly clear.

“They’re getting brighter,” he said as we walked into the shadow of the dome. “Your eyes.”

“It doesn’t feel like I’m seeing anything differently,” I said, though it felt like a lie. “They red?”

“Very.”

“That’s probably not a good sign.”

“Probably.”

The front of the dome had a large archway where I was sure had once been an entrance akin to the Great Doors into the throne room in Castle Lockes. But those doors were long gone, either corroded or destroyed at some point in the past. Now it was just a cavernous opening, and it was eerily reminiscent of the mouths on the sand mermaids, sans teeth. That wasn’t the image I wanted to have while walking into it.

But it wasn’t completely dark inside. In fact, it was rather beautiful, with shafts of sunlight crisscrossing through the openings in the dome, illuminating large swaths of ground. And while it was magnificent, it wasn’t what caught my attention.

No, what caught my attention was the life inside the dome.

For even though it was surrounded by a harsh and unforgiving environment, and even though it should have died a very long time ago, the interior of the dome was teeming with plant life. It was startling, seeing the bursts of colorful flora that bloomed within the dome. There were trees that looked almost as old as anything I’d ever seen in the Dark Woods. There were flowers of orange and violet and blue and ocher, much larger than the blossoms that grew in my mother’s garden. I heard the loud chirp of birds, their calls and songs echoing in the dome.

It was, in a word, extraordinary.

I glanced at Ruv, who looked just as shocked. “I thought you said this used to be an aviary.”

“It was,” Ruv said, taking a stuttering step forward. “It was dead. There was nothing but sand and stone on the inside from what we could see.”

“When was the last time you were here?”

“A year ago. Maybe a little more.”

That… I didn’t know what to do with that. “Those trees. They’re older than that.”

“He did this,” Kevin said, sounding just as awed. “The dragon. When he woke. He did this.”

“Godsdammit,” I said. “I don’t know anything about dragons.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Kevin said, “apparently neither do I. Why can’t I do anything like this? The only thing I can do is be amazing at everything I do.”

“Most everything,” Gary said. “And don’t feel intimidated. I’m sure this new dragon is lacking something. I mean, it’s obvious that all dragons have their flaws.”

“You weren’t complaining about my flaws when I had you on your back, you hussy.”

“Hussy? I’ll show you hussy, you gigantic—”

“Hey, Gary.”

“Yes, Sam.”

“Shut up.”

“But he—”

“No.”

“He started—”

“No.”

Gary gaped at me. Then, “That made me tingle. I can see why Knight Delicious Face gets off on you being all grr.”

“Nope,” Ryan said. “Not even a part of this.”

“You’ve never seen the interior?” I asked Ruv.

He shrugged. “As much as it can be seen when looking from the outside in. Remember, it was dead inside. Not like this. It was Prikasa. This is… not. You can feel it, can’t you? The dragon. The magic.”

Yes. I could. And the closer we were, the more it pulled. It didn’t hurt, but it was borderline pleasurepain. I was all but ready to charge into the dome, to immerse myself in it. I was able to hold back.

Barely.

“We shouldn’t all go in,” I said. “I don’t know how easy it’ll be to get through the growth. It’ll be… easier if it’s only a couple of us. If we had to run.”

“I’m not letting you go in there without me,” Ryan said. “So don’t even think about saying it.”

“I wasn’t,” I assured him. “You. Me. Tiggy.”

“Shouldn’t I go in?” Kevin said. “I am a dragon, after all. You might need me.”

“How would you feel had another dragon tried to enter your keep?” I asked.

“I would have torn him limb from limb!” Kevin snarled.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“I would have burnt him to a crisp!”

“And you really think it’s a good idea to leave me out here?” Gary asked, staring up at Kevin, who was working himself up in a right state. “Seriously? You bitch.”