Page 28 of The Baby Dragon Cafe (The Baby Dragon #1)

Chapter 28

S lowly, painfully, Saphira climbed the rest of the way up, and this time, she wasn’t afraid. Aiden was right beside her, watching her with quiet concentration, and she knew that if she so much as slipped, he would leap out to catch her, even if it meant that he fell in the process.

Luckily, she made it to the top without any more hiccups.

Once she did, Aiden landed Torch, then leapt off, running straight to her. Sparky was behind him, coming out of Torch’s paw. Before she could even react, he swept her into his arms, hugging her tight.

He buried his nose against her neck, his breathing uneven. She could feel just how scared he was.

“I’m alright,” she told him, pulling back and holding his face in her hands. “I’m alright.”

“Was that it?” he asked.

“No, I need to go in,” she said. “There’s a dragon guarding the gems, and I need to take one.”

His grip around her tightened with fear, but then he released a measured breath.

“I know you can do it,” he said, voice low. “I’ll be waiting right here.”

She smiled, bringing his mouth down to hers. He kissed her firmly, then pulled away before he got carried away. Aiden rested his forehead against hers.

“Good luck,” he whispered.

She pulled away from his arms, the air cold around her. Sparky fluttered up and licked her face, wrapping his little paws around her neck. She squeezed him.

Then, she faced the cave. It was dark and gaping; from here, she could not see the contents except for a brief glimmer here and there. She stepped forward, and suddenly, she was afraid.

Maybe this was silly, but she couldn’t shake the insecurity deep within her. If she successfully retrieved the gem, she would wear it so everyone would know without a doubt that she belonged.

Taking a deep breath, Saphira entered the cave. Darkness surrounded her completely, but she kept going, until she felt warm air blow against her face.

She took a step closer, and all of a sudden, light filled the cave: white, black, red, and blue glittering gemstones shining all around her. And in the center lay a sleeping dragon.

With a swallow, Saphira stepped closer. Then, the dragon woke.

She jumped back, heart trembling as the dragon came fully awake, rising up. It was the biggest and oldest dragon she had ever seen, double the size of Torch and the other dragons she had interacted with. It was also a different breed than the four she was accustomed to in Starshine Valley; this one had green and gold scales, its eyes a kaleidoscope of different colors.

She had never seen anything like it—she hadn’t even known such a creature existed! Such a sight now was a wonder, even if it was frightening. And it was .

The dragon registered her and released a low growl, sending a shudder down her back.

She released a shaking breath, rooted in place as the dragon’s face came closer. She had the sense that she could not just pluck a gem from the wall; she needed to let the dragon assess her first, earn its permission.

Then, the dragon roared in her face. Its hot breath blasted against her, her ears splitting, and she cried out with fear, squeezing her eyes shut. As much as she wanted to run, Saphira stood her ground, holding still.

The dragon quieted, and she opened her eyes to find it was inspecting her now. The dragon got closer, sniffing. Saphira’s heart pounded.

Then, the dragon seemed to make a decision. She braced—but it bowed its head to her.

Even though she was shaking, Saphira lifted a hand and petted the dragon. It purred, then settled down.

Oh my god.

Saphira took a cautious step away from the dragon, but it was unperturbed. She went to the cave’s walls and picked a gem: the one that was the most beautiful to her. It caught her eyes immediately. It was black and purple, the size of her fingernail.

She looked back at the dragon, who nodded its head at her. Then, Saphira turned around and stepped toward the light until she had exited the cave. Behind her, the dragon exited the cave as well; once it was out in the open mountain air, it stretched, and she realized it was even bigger than she’d realized.

The dragon tilted its head back and roared in the sky, erupting colorful flames against the clouds. Saphira gasped at the beautiful sight as Aiden wrapped his arms around her from behind. They watched the fire, stunned.

Then the dragon went back into its cave, leaving her.

She was still shell-shocked; she couldn’t believe she had done that.

“Saphira,” Aiden said, holding her face in his hands. She looked up and met his searching eyes.

Saphira opened her hand, and they both looked down at the gem in her palm.

“I belong,” she said, voice a whisper.

“You always have,” he said, then kissed her.

She kissed him back, smiling then laughing against him. He pulled back, shaking his head at her.

“You shaved a few years off my life, but it’s alright,” he teased. “As long as you’re laughing.”

She shoved him, and he pressed a hand to his heart, doubling over.

“God, that was stressful,” he said. “I need to catch my breath.”

“Honestly, me too.”

They both stood in silence, taking in breaths of air. Aiden shivered, and she remembered he still wasn’t wearing a jacket. She took off the robe Mireya had given her and gave it to Aiden, since she was wearing a coat underneath, anyway. He slipped the robe on, and it was about six inches too short, but it covered his body well enough.

He opened his arms, and she stepped in, both of them inside the fabric. She put her arms around him, both of them keeping each other warm with their body heat.

“Better?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Much.” He pressed a tender kiss against her forehead, and she leaned into him.

A moment later, Sparky bounced over, wanting to join them. Saphira laughed, letting Sparky in between their legs, and he made them even warmer.

There was no denying that he was all grown up, that he was all trained.

“I suppose our agreement is coming to an end,” Saphira said, trying not to sound too sad as she scratched Sparky’s chin.

“Our agreement may be coming to an end, but there is no ending my love for you, Saphira,” Aiden said, releasing his grasp on her to reach into his pocket. She stepped back to see as he pulled something out, holding it up between them. “Nor is there any end to Sparky’s love for you.”

Saphira gasped. It was a golden Drakkon ID card that stated she held equal custody over Sparky. A lump rose in her throat, her eyes welling with tears.

“Thank you. This is …” There were no words.

“No need to thank me,” Aiden said. “We’re yours, the both of us. What is a piece of paper when you own our entire hearts?”

She smiled, kissing him, distracted until Torch made a noise, unhappy to be up in the cold for so long.

“You should probably go, anyway,” Saphira said with a laugh. “Or Mireya will suspect I cheated.”

“I’ll see you on Mount Echo,” he said, stealing one last kiss before heading to Torch. Sparky licked her cheek, then flew to Aiden’s side. They saddled up and were off.

Saphira blew out a long breath, waiting for the dragon that had dropped her off to come retrieve her. A little while later, it came, and she flew back to Mount Echo with a novice, still not quite believing that she had done this. The gem was still in her hand, beautiful and sparkling.

Maybe it was silly to put herself in danger for this little stone, but she had wanted to do it. She was proud of herself for it, and she was happy that Aiden had supported her through it, even though she knew how stressed out he had been by it.

She made it back to Mount Echo, where Mireya and Aiden were both waiting. Dismounting, she went to Mireya, who met her halfway while Aiden stayed back.

Saphira opened her palm, showing Mireya the gem.

“Good.” For the first time, Mireya smiled. “I knew you could do it.”

“Really?” Saphira was surprised. “You seemed so displeased with me.”

“I still had faith you could do it. Aiden and you are bonded.”

“Yes, but we aren’t actually married … we were pretending.”

Mireya looked amused. “I am not stupid. Nonetheless, you have the spirit of a true rider. I had no doubt you would finish the ritual and, married or not, you and Aiden have a deep bond, and you and Sparky have a deep bond independent of that, and the three of you are interwoven—which is all to say that, yes, you belong.”

“What about the gem?” Saphira asked. “Do I keep it as a spoil?”

“Wear it with pride, show everyone,” she replied. “Or, if you have no need for it, you can sell it to us. You have a fine eye; the gem you selected is rare. It will be worth a great deal.”

It would be the perfect token to prove to everyone what she did today, but just then Saphira realized she didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, actually.

While she appreciated the validation from Mireya that she belonged, she realized after hearing her say it that she actually already knew this. Deep down, she knew she belonged amongst the dragons; it was why she had not been overwhelmingly afraid to complete the ritual.

She knew Sparky loved her. She knew the baby dragons at the cafe did. She had let a few voices poke at an irrational insecurity, but she would not let that insecurity hold any weight over her again.

She looked down at the gem, glinting in her hand, and thought about the last of her mortgage. “How much could I sell it to you for?” Saphira asked.

“At least forty.”

Saphira blinked. That was more than enough. The gem was beautiful, but it was not as important as her cafe.

“Perfect.” She handed Mireya the gem. “I’d like to sell, please.”

Mireya nodded, pocketing the precious stone. “I’ll manage the funds.”

Then, Mireya took her leave, and Saphira turned around to Aiden, who was watching and waiting. She smiled, and he exhaled a sigh of relief, face brightening.

He didn’t know what she was smiling about, but it was enough for him that she was happy, which only made Saphira’s smile deepen.

She went to him, throwing her arms around him. He spun her around, smiling into her neck.

“Aiden,” she said. “Let’s go home.”