Page 35 of So I Dared a Dragon (The Mating Game #6)

thirty-five

. . .

Aarix

Calista stared at the opening in the mountain in astonishment. None of the dragons who had accompanied us dared make a move.

“Can you feel it?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “There’s really life in there.”

“Of course there is.” I put my hand on the small of her back, just below her wings. They vibrated like she expected an attack.

But instead, she carefully wiped her talons under her eyes.

“What do we say to them?” She chuckled nervously. “Now I have so many questions, and it feels like I should just know these things, but I don’t. I’m scared, Aarix. I don’t want to mess things up for them again. I want it to be better this time.”

I slid my other hand around her waist and pulled her against my body. We fit together perfectly, like lock and key. Now it was my turn to chuckle at the thought. We would never have accomplished this without each other. Every single piece of this puzzle had to come together perfectly. We might have been freeing a thunder today, but on the journey, we’d found our family.

“We tell them they’re free. And then we honor what that means.”

The corners of her mouth wobbled, and she nodded. “I guess I’ve never fully experienced that for myself.”

“You will now. Forever and ever.” I pressed the sweet kiss onto her forehead that her soul needed, but my mate also needed to remember her power. She let out a yelp when I pinched her delectable ass. “What are you waiting for, sunshine?”

With a deep breath, she threw her shoulders back and waved for everyone to follow her. My heart swelled with pride. I did my best to remember what had been erased, the vibrant village that this thunder had called home before everything had been taken from them.

I prepared myself for dank walls, dark passages, and the sulfur smell of the warm springs that bubbled under the mountains that I’d called home for centuries.

But this was totally different. The pathways were wide, well lit, and glowed with that glorious red rock. Calista led us deeper inside the mountain with confidence, until we came to a balcony.

A whole village had been built down there, with little stalls for businesses, a main thoroughfare with dragons passing through, and dwellings that looked like they’d been built into the walls.

“This is what I remember the village looking like,” Calista said as she peered over the thick stone railing. “How do we get down there?”

“We can fly,” Darcy reminded her. “It’s been a long time since they’ve seen an outsider. We’ll need to show them we’re friendly.”

Calista turned to her friend. “Does any of this feel familiar to you?”

She nodded. “Is it weird to say I can taste it?”

“Not at all.”

The Rocky Mountain dragons had spotted us, pointing up with concern.

“They’re so human,” Calista gasped. “Okay, let’s do this.”

She launched into flight, and I followed her. The dragons watched us with astonished looks on their faces.

“I don’t think they remember me,” she whispered when we landed.

“They probably don’t believe their eyes.” I put my hand on her arm. “They need your guidance now more than ever.”

She stepped forward cautiously and took a deep breath. “My name is Calista. Long ago, I was part of this thunder. A lot of things have happened since we last saw each other, but the most important thing is you’re free now. The mountain is open. The world is yours again.”

One of the female dragons approached. “Calista? Our Calista?”

She nodded.

“We thought... I guess it doesn’t matter now.” The woman pulled her in for a hug. “You don’t remember me, do you? I’m your aunt Estene. Your mother—” She put her hand over her heart. “Follow me. All of you. Wait. I recognize Darcy, but none of the male dragons.”

Calista beamed like she was sunshine. “This is my mate, Aarix, from the Smoky Mountain thunder.”

Estene drew away from Calista. Her eyes darkened as she took me in. “You can’t trust this dragon, Calista. He’s the one who imprisoned us here.”

I expected that, but there was no stopping my insides from turning to rubble at the pure hatred those words hurled at me.

“I was deceived just as you were.”

“More lies,” she said.

“It’s true. The Smoky Mountain dragons were imprisoned for centuries, just like you were,” Calista said quickly, before we lost all trust for good. “The Night God lured them into darkness so he could steal their power. Aarix helped me free you.”

Estene narrowed her eyes, her gaze landing on the Guardian Stone. “How long have you had that?”

Calista put her hand over the stone, and the ruby glowed, illuminating us all with red. “Aarix gave it to me.”

“You trust these dragons?” Estene gave us a wary look.

“With my entire heart.” Calista swallowed hard. “We can walk out of this mountain today, all you have to do is follow me. Follow us. The world is a very different place than the last time you saw it. But we can help you find your place in it. If that’s what you want.”

“Estene, who’s there?” A woman with red hair as fiery as Calista’s appeared. Her mouth dropped open. “Sweet moon, I don’t think I believe my eyes.”

“Mom.” Calista rushed toward her mother and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Emotion spilled from her body as her mother rocked her in her embrace.

“I’ve seen you so many times in my dreams, but I never thought I’d hold you again.” Her mother took a deep shaky breath when she pulled away. “What happened?”

“The mountain is open. You’re free to go.” Calista looked around the open area. “How many of you are still in here?”

Her mother’s face fell. “Not many of us. Maybe twenty? Our males all perished. Without the sun, they lost their power. Many of our females, too.” She shook her head. “The important thing is you’re here now. How did you get here?”

“It’s a long story, and I can’t wait to tell you.” She wiped more tears from her eyes. “Come, please. I can’t wait for all of you to see the sky again.”

Her mother stepped closer. “What about him?”

“Aarix?

She shook her head. “The Night God.”

“He can’t control us anymore,” Calista said.

The truth was, it was complicated. We couldn’t kill him. We needed the darkness as much as we needed the light. But we wouldn’t let him use us anymore.

It was my turn to step forward. “I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve endured while you were trapped here. But I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make things right.”

A small group of women had assembled behind Calista’s mom. Some of them had red hair like Calista’s. Family. Others had blue and purple hair. They were a majestic thunder. They deserved to be free.

“Come,” Calista coaxed the female dragons. “It’s time for the Rocky Mountain thunder to be powerful again. I’ll show you how.”