Page 74 of The Black Dragon
Closing his eyes, he summoned courage. The notes came pure and clear.He sang an ancient dragon song of sorrow, of loss so deep, it became numbing. Throat closing tight, he fisted his hands and sang, tears pouring down hischeeks.
When he finished, he opened his eyes. Vision blurry, he watched Ariel. Tears poured down her owncheeks.
“Justin,” she whispered. Ariel put her palm on his cheek. “Yourparents.”
He jerked his head up and down. Brokeninside, he barely found the strength to tell her. “They were devoted to each other. Every Sunday they’d load up the car and take a picnic basket and go off by themselves. I didn’t mind when I was younger. But the summer I turned twelve, all these hormones kicked in and I resented them not paying enough attention to me. I felt like I was going crazy. They say it happens to black dragons of enormouspower. It’s to prepare them for the eventual shift when they turn twenty-one.”
Ariel said nothing, only continued gazing athim.
“One Sunday in May they did the usual. Loaded up the car and went to leave me. This time it hurt more than usual because the night before they’d punished me for pouring ink all over my cousin’stoy.”
Justin took a deep breath. “I stood on the stepsas my father started the car. And I cursed them. I wished they would drive off and leave me alone forever. And…I got my wish. That’s the darkness inside me, Ariel. I cursed my ownparents.”
“Oh Justin. You didn’t mean it. You were angry and a child, nothingmore.”
Eyes shining like two wet emeralds, she opened her arms. He went into them, burying his face into her shoulder. Smellingher sweetness, the fresh scent of wildflowers from her shampoo and tasting the salt of histears.
No longer did he fear caving into grief, letting it consume him. Ariel had freed him in so many ways. She had opened the cage door imprisoning him in her father’s basement, and she had opened his heart to hope he could beloved.
The darkness inside him shrank, becoming smaller and smalleruntil it turned into a tiny pinprick, and then it winkedout.
Finally he raised his head, wiped away his tears. With his thumbs, he traced two lines down Ariel’scheeks.
“Thank you, sweetheart. No one has done that for me in a very longtime.”
“Make you sing?” sheteased.
But he wasn’t eager to break the solemn intensity of these past moments. He wanted to cherish them,hold themclose.
“No. Made me feel, really feel, instead of pretending it didn’t matter and I didn’t care.” He cupped her face with his palms. “Made me feel whole oncemore.”
Passion filled his kiss. When they separated, Ariel gazed at him with such love, he felt peace in his heart. Maybe he was still a dick, and the darkness he felt inside him would surface now and then, but withAriel at his side, Justin knew it was time to moveon.
“I’ll never be a whole dragon.” Ariel stuck out her prosthetic limb. “That’s fine with me. I have you, and a new life. And maybe, with your help, I could shift into a dragon and learn to fly. I’ve always yearned tofly.”
He would use all his powers to grant her dearest wishes. With the magick from the vortex and the crystals,Ariel would grow stronger in the coming years. They had a lifetime together to discoverthis.
Anything was possible, if youbelieved.
Ariel pointed out the striations on the cliffs, the colors dancing in the fading sunlight. “It’s lovely here. Always has been, but I’m getting tired of seeing the same view. I want totravel.”
“We don’t have to remain here,” he reminded her.“Drust warded the cavern and the babies will sleep for another five years. We have freedom to explore. Visit your mother’s relatives if youwish.”
“That would be nice. Eventually. For now, I want alone time with you.” Ariel slid her arms around Justin’s neck. “Where to now,choirboy?”
A small smile touched his mouth. “I’m a tumbleweed, sweetheart. I go where the wind rollsme.”
“What are we waiting for then?” She kissed him. “Let’sroll.”