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He was already gone, disappearing quicker than I could blink.

I stared at the place where he’d been and felt his absence as potently as I’d felt his presence. I pulled the blanket tighter around me as my heart raced in a quiet panic. The fire cracked and popped, and I suddenly felt alone.

I left my villa at first light and followed the trail down the cliff that hugged the kingdom. The sun slowly rose and brought heatto the world, and I enjoyed the long shadows that grew shorter as time passed.

I made it to the wildlands outside the kingdom, where several farmers had relocated to till the fresh soil. It was sparse, without any real protection, but they felt safe in the presence of the dragons that frequently flew overhead.

I reached Poppy Meadow, tall grass mixed with orange poppy flowers in the sunlight. They swayed in the gusts of breeze before they straightened again, the sunshine reflecting off their green stalks.

He was impossible to miss, a black rock in the middle of the bright field.

Like a dog that had found the perfect sun spot, Zehemoth slept quietly on the grass, curled up with his snout near his tail, his wings folded into his body.

When I reached out my mind to feel his, I felt his dullness and knew he was napping. Since this was his favorite spot to soak up the sunshine on his black scales, I knew where to find him.

I joined him on the grass and used my pack as a pillow. I lay beside the large black dragon and listened to him breathe quietly and occasionally snore. My body was warmed in the sunshine, and I felt my mind grow fuzzy in the soft grass. I watched the blue sky and the white clouds, seeing the little birds cross overhead as they sang their song. And then I felt myself drift away, the calm sunshine gone and the storm wild. Water splashed over the edge and struck me in the face. I saw Wrath there and heard his voice in my mind.Because you were worth saving.

I felt scales gently prod my body.Sunieth.

My mind gently came to the surface, the storm quickly replaced by peace. “This spot really is comfy.” I moved my arms over my head and stretched my body, elongating my spine and pointing my toes.

His snout covered my view of the sky, and he rubbed my entire body gently, his mouth big enough to snatch me up into a single bite.This place is a secret—do not share it.

“You told me, so it’s not much of a secret.”

But I tell you everything,Sunieth.

I slid my hands over his smooth scales, slicker than rain-soaked cobblestone. “Alright, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

There are many grizzlies here. Great for hunting.He withdrew his head and stepped aside so I could have my space to sit up.

“All of you will drive the bears into extinction if you keep this up. How about elk or cows?” I sat up and crossed my legs, feeling the sunshine burn down on me like gentle fire. I squinted whenever I lifted my chin.

The antlers always get in the way. And cows are chewy because they’re lazy.

“More than a bear?”

Bears climb mountains and trees. They hunt for their own food. Cows just stand there and graze.

“All good points.”

He scooted back then lay on his belly, bringing his chin to the ground so our eyes were level. His were pitch black, and the details were hard to see, except on days like this, when the sunshine brought out the nuances of his eyes, the flecks of grayin the middle, along with the hint of gold right in the center. His eyes had been orange when he was born, but they’d darkened as he’d aged.How are you?

“I’m okay. Getting used to being home.”

Home is the one place you should never have to get used to.

“I know, but I was gone for so long. And it’s weird to be here, knowing the rest of my crew will never have that privilege. I would join them at the pub and we’d swap stories, but I’m the only one who made it back. Hank had a family…Davin had a fiancée…they all had people they left behind.”

Now I understand. Survivor’s guilt is what you feel.

“I guess.”

My father told me he felt the same way when he escaped the Southern Isles. His mind was stronger than the others, able to eject the mental attack from the enemy. Constantine, the strongest of our kind, succumbed to their forces. My father never understood why he was lucky and his king was not.

“I guess we’ll never know.”

I’ve wanted to visit you, but my father said you needed space to grieve.