Page 27 of Lahaina Noon (Modern Legends of Dragons & Shadows #1)

Chapter 27

B ridget held on tightly as they soared through the night sky. THIS. IS. AMAZING. Underneath her legs, Drake rippled a shoulder.

You don’t have to shout, he grumped at her.

Sorry, she thought back quieter. This is ahhh-maaazzziiinnng she drew out the word.

He bobbed a bit in flight as if to warn her he would drop her if she kept being a smartass. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew he never would and was just being playful. He rumbled in response to her hug.

She sat back up and continued looking around. She could make out the highway below them. It seemed they were following it north. The night air blew through her hair, tangling it hopelessly, but she didn’t mind. She was flying on the back of a huge black dragon. How many people could say that?

You’re the only one, he thought quietly.

Her heart swelled for a moment, thinking about the meaning behind that simple phrase. It was an honor, she understood, one reserved only for mates or battle partners. Drake angled slightly west as they flew over the city of McKinney. Already? She was amazed at how far they’d come. How fast was he going? She decided she didn’t want to know, really.

Good choice, he chuckled.

“Alright, Jumbo Jet, where are we going?” she asked aloud, and his left ear wiggled.

She had to admit his ears were adorable in this form. Peaked like a cat but longer, they could rotate and swivel to focus on whatever he was listening to.

Ugh , she heard him groan at any part of him being called adorable.

“Sorry, my fierce, vicious looking beast,” she consoled him.

Much better, he agreed, and the answer to your question is Lake Texoma. Drake started to lose elevation, and she saw they were now circling over the lake.

Where on earth are we going to land? , she worried.

Hold on, he thought to her, dropping low above an island covered in trees except for a large bare patch in the middle. He gently lowered himself to the ground like a giant butterfly and settled in. He laid his neck on the ground so Bridget could slide off and then sat back up. He had his massive paws primly placed in front of him, his tail wrapped around them neatly.

Bridget tried very hard to keep the comparison to a proud cat from her mind, as she knew Drake would not appreciate it. She looked around. Although it was late at night, the moonlight allowed her to see the surrounding area. “So, what is this, like your own island? How do you keep people away from here? How do you keep them from seeing you?” She whirled and looked at Drake, watching the way he tilted his head with the wind, letting it rush over his scales. She understood why he came here. The island’s cliffs were sheer. There was no way to anchor a boat and come ashore without some massive undertaking, which she was sure was something he discouraged.

Clever, he thought, that’s precisely why I chose it. It’s warded, so people can’t see me when I’m here. When I’m not here, it gives off a strong stay-away vibe to any would-be trespassers. On paper, this place is documented as a protected nature preserve for endangered species under the care and protection of Drake Enterprises. One of our many charitable works. I come here when I need to spread my wings and get away from it all. I love basking in the sun here in the summer. Something about this place calls to me. He fluttered his wings a little, then stretched out on the soft sand. Come here, he called.

She obliged and spread the blanket between one of his paws and his head. She sat down, snuggled into him, and enjoyed the closeness of the night air. She shivered a little and wished she’d dressed a little warmer. The wind off the lake carried a slight chill.

I can fix that , he said. He propped a wing around her, blocking the wind. It reminded her of the night prior when they were wrapped in his wings while he’d told her about dragon mates. His scales behind her began to warm, and she realized he was heating it for her, like a giant electric blanket.

She snuggled closer to him, grateful for his thoughtfulness. Do you like to swim? She thought suddenly, I mean, I know you do in your human form, but what about as a dragon ?

He chuckled, of course, I’m a fantastic swimmer. Another reason I like to come here. This form doesn’t fit in my pool at home, much to my dismay.

She had another thought. How do you keep people from seeing you when you swim though? Surely, something as big as you moves a lot of water. I’m assuming you can’t breathe water, so you’d have to come up for air, too. She felt, rather than saw him roll his eyes.

Yes, he said patiently, we have to breathe air, although we can hold our breath for a long time. But we use a simple glamour to hide ourselves, like a perception filter. It’s dragon code, per our ruling Council. No unnecessary exposure. You do have some that slip up now and then. Like my cousin, Corran. That idiot. He loves playing tricks on humans over in Ireland. You probably know of him.

She shook her head. She didn’t know anyone in Ireland, much less a dragon named Corran.

Drake chuffed, yeah, you do. You just probably know him as the Loch Ness Monster.

“Shut up!” she yelled, slapping his scales.

He chuckled, the rumble echoing over the water.

No freaking way! So, the Loch Ness Monster is real? Just a dragon with a penchant for pranks instead of some ancient sea serpent? Get out of town. She sat back, thinking about it and laughing. Oh, man those monster-chasing shows would never live it down if they knew it was a dragon intentionally messing with them. Anyone else I should know about? She inquired of him sweetly.

He chuffed again. Well, there’s Pedro, down in Mexico who has a penchant for goats and can shrink down really small .

“Chupacabra!” she crowed, laughing.

He nodded, go up North East, Vincent likes to leap from buildings in partial form, flying around being mysterious.

“Mothman?” she cackled, “Oh, this is just too good. So, what, all monster sightings around the world are just dragons who’ve got jokes?”

No, not all of them. Bigfoot isn’t a dragon. At least, not that I know. And Yetis aren’t dragons. Pissy creatures, moodier than dragons, honestly, he sniffed in disdain.

I can’t imagine, she thought dryly. He growled at her, and she kissed his scales again to mollify him.

“Vaughn Drake,” she whispered, “Tell me about your family.”

He sat quietly for a moment, then described his mother, Mirra. A silver dragon, a quiet beauty, whom everyone agreed was the kindest of all, but stern when she needed to be. She was graceful and fair. His father, Ivan the Red, was rough and ready. A black-haired warrior like him. They loved each other with a passion for the ages. He’d had a wonderful childhood. Lots of cousins and other dragon children to romp around with. Getting into the usual general mischief that most kids do. He told her of the day the Shadow Claw had invaded his village, and although he was almost a man by then, his father wouldn’t let him fight. He hadn’t yet made his final transformation; only then could he be trained in the specifics of his color specialty. They didn’t know yet what color he would be.

“Wait,” Bridget interrupted. “Dragon children are the same color as their parents, yeah?”

He nodded .

“So why aren’t you silver like your mother?”

He sighed. It was because his father was a red dragon, not a wielder; they weren’t sure which parent he would take after.

“Hold up again, I thought you said dragons didn’t mate with other dragons.”

Usually, they don’t, but my mother and father were the exception. My father was so fierce that only another dragon could tame him.

She nodded; he seemed like a mixture of both of his parents. Fierce and kind.

He continued to tell her about the day the Shadows came. His father and mother had both fought hard, but suddenly, the Shadow King himself had appeared behind his mother before she could turn. He’d slit her throat. Bridget winced and mourned at Vaughn’s pain at the memory coming through their connection. His father, enraged, tried to kill the Shadow King, but he had dissolved into shadow again. How do you kill something that has no form or mass?

The shadows withdrew, and his father had fallen to his knees, holding her body. You remember what I told you happens when dragons lose their mates; he reminded her quietly.

She nodded sadly.

It had killed his father. Vaughn, standing there watching this scene unfold and being helpless to do anything about it, had cried. Seeing his mother’s blood in a pool by his feet and his father’s lifeless body at her side, he vowed vengeance on the Shadow King. That he would avenge their deaths. In his rage, he changed into full form for the first time. Everyone was shocked. His scales were like polished obsidian; his eyes were like flames and even stranger; he shimmered with golden wings .

There had never been another black and gold dragon before that, he confided. Black dragons had been thought extinct when the last one had died over a thousand years before. His two-tone scales had shocked the dragon world, and he’d been sent before the ruling body, the Dragon Council. They’d examined him, not sure what to make of it. He was kept under strict observation and trained in the multiple guilds of dragon skills to find where his talents lay. It turned out to be brute strength and raw magic compared to more refined skill sets. He was a fierce and deadly warrior, his rage fueling many fights. The Council had wanted to keep him there, a tight leash on him, but he railed and fought, demanding his freedom.

He was finally granted it after many years, under certain terms. He’d agreed and set out to see the world. He’d wandered a bit until the 1940s when he settled in Dallas. The bustling city had appealed to him, but by then, the fire of his rage had been tempered. He’d already proven business savvy and had built up a large amount of savings. He’d stayed because Dallas just seemed right. It was meant to be.

What is the Dragon Council, and what were the terms ? she asked.

He chuckled, so many questions, my shining star. Tomorrow is soon enough for answers. Let’s get some sleep, and we’ll start again in the morning.

Bridget nodded, feeling the pull of sleep but wanting to keep listening to his fascinating history. He pulled her closer under his paw and turned his long neck around so she was completely surrounded by him. He pulled his wing over the top like a canopy, and she relaxed. She was safe here; nothing would harm her while she was with her dragon.

His rumbling purr and radiating warmth soon lulled her into a deep sleep.