The Dragon Legion Collection(68)

Damien didn’t laugh at her joke. Between two of the Mothers, the vegetation was moving in a distinctive way.


“Snakes,” Damien hissed.

He jumped up and drew his dagger. Petra turned to look, then smiled.

“They bite,” Damien insisted.

“Not this one.” Petra put her hand on his arm. “Put the weapon away and take the baby.”

“How do you know?”

“Where do snakes live?”

“In the earth.”

Petra gave him a hard look and Damien ceded the point. She must be able to hear or understand them. He didn’t like it, but he sheathed his dagger, then lifted his son from Petra’s arms. He nestled the boy close, then offered her his hand. Petra smiled at him as she accepted his help.

“Partnership,” she murmured, coaxing his smile again.

Then she knelt down to part the grass. Her move revealed a snake of the same blue-green hue as the darkfire. Its tongue flicked, then it turned and disappeared into the vegetation.

Something gleamed on the ground where it had been. Petra gasped in surprise when she reached for it, and Damien tried to see over her shoulder. There was a large green scale on the ground, one tipped with gold.

A dragon scale.

“It brought your missing scale!” she said with delight, bending to pick it up.

“My scale?”

“You have one that’s missing,” Petra said, placing a fingertip on one side of his chest. “I noticed when we flew out of the underworld.” She looked up at him. “Can it be repaired?”

“Yes,” Damien said with authority, then he smiled because their path had become clear to him. “And now I know exactly where we have to go.”

“Where?”

“Delphi.”

“For a new prophecy?”

“For a future. The Pyr have always had a strong link with Delphi. I have a feeling it’s gotten stronger.” He tapped the scale, certain that he’d find Alexander or word of him at Delphi. He was sure that Alexander would have created a plan for the future and that he could have a part in it, just for the asking.

Petra studied him, clearly mystified by his mood. “You know something I don’t know.”

“I hope more than one thing,” Damien teased and Petra laughed.

“Tell me!”

“These Pyr I met, each one loses a scale when he falls in love with his mate.” Damien grinned at her, inviting her to make the connection. He could see in her eyes that she understood and was pleased, but she teased him all the same.

“What if the mate doesn’t love her dragon back?”

He pretended to be downcast. “Then I guess she wouldn’t help him repair his armor. He’d be vulnerable when he fought, if he didn’t die first of a broken heart.”

Petra’s lips parted to argue, then Damien began to smile. He heard the distant beat of dragon wings and knew they wouldn’t have to go all the way to Delphi for his scales to be repaired. Petra studied him for a moment, trying to guess what was giving him such pleasure, then turned to scan the evening sky. The stars were just coming out, but Damien pointed out the silhouettes of a phalanx of approaching dragons.

“Alexander!” Damien shouted.

“How can you tell?” Petra demanded, for the dragons were still far away.

Damien tapped the side of his nose. “We recognize each other by scent.” He narrowed his eyes, using his keen senses to inspect the new arrivals. “There’s a woman with him, probably his mate, Katina. Six Pyr I don’t know and two young boys with them.” Damien took a long deep breath, liking that he could show off for her. “Also Pyr, but too young to shift shape.” He cast her a look. “If Alexander has two sons, we’re going to have to catch up.”

“I suppose I should have expected dragons to be competitive,” Petra mused and Damien laughed. Then he shifted shape to greet his fellows, carrying his son to meet his old friend.



* * *



Petra was entranced.

She’d never seen any of the other Pyr before, and the sight of so many of them at once took her breath away. The splendid sight of Damien in dragon form make her heart leap, and the change in the hue of his scales would remind them both always of how close they’d come to sacrificing everything.

The company of dragons landed in the clearing, their eyes flashing and their scales gleaming. Petra heard a rumble like thunder, even though the sky was clear, then there was a familiar glow of pale blue light. She closed her eyes and opened them again to find Damien leading a man with dark hair and dark eyes toward her. He held the hand of a pretty woman who smiled at Petra in understanding.

This must be his mate. Petra smiled in return, feeling that she looked less than her best but guessing the other woman must understand.

“Petra, this is Alexander. He was Drake’s second-in-command, and we served together. His wife, Katina, his son, Lysander, and Drake’s son, Theo.”

Petra spoke to each of them, then was introduced to the others in the company. They admired her fine strong son and made her feel welcome. She noticed Damien and Alexander standing together, as if in conference, just as there was another rumble of thunder. The two Pyr warriors looked serious. Petra glanced at the sky in confusion.

“Old-speak,” Katina said, appearing at her side with a smile. “It’s how they communicate with each other when they don’t want us to overhear.”