Page 22

Chapter 22

Zayne

O ur second flight went even better than our first. The team, carrying their confidence from their first time out there, outdid themselves in their second round. I couldn’t be more proud, especially when the scores came back. There were some really strong performances today and to see our numbers telling the crowd that we had some of the strongest was so healing after last year’s failure.

Jay seamlessly fit into Isaac’s spot. It was always stressful when we swapped in our alternates at competitions. As strong as they were, the chemistry was always different, and with that came room for error. But we had a strong team this year, and they didn’t let any changes get in their way of shining. There were teams that didn’t give everyone time on the field. That would never be me. It wasn’t fair to leave any of them on the sidelines, not when they all put in their all throughout the season.

The team stood around us in their human forms, all of them practically glowing. We all grasped hands as we waited for the judges to announce the winners. I wanted it to be us, and we’d done well, but even if we didn’t, the entire competition was victorious, in my opinion.

Finally, it was time to tell the crowd who was walking out with the trophy. I held my breath as they called our name—Emberstone Elite division. The crowd let out an enthusiastic roar of applause.

The team jumped for joy and hugged each other, tears in many of their eyes. Meanwhile, I wrapped Ash in my arms and hugged him tight. We had done it.

“This is because of you,” I said. If he hadn’t come, today would’ve been a repeat of last year. I’d have tried my best, but honestly, I wasn’t what they needed—not by myself anyway. It was Ash and me together that made this possible.

“All of us,” he said, “and this amazing team.”

I held his hand as the two of us walked to the podium and accepted our trophy together. This was a monumental day for so many reasons, not for just us as a school and a team, but having a team with Co-Leaders taking home the trophy was historical, as was my mate not being a dragon.

As we stood in front of the roaring crowd, waving and holding our golden trophy high, the thrill of victory coursed through me. Never before had a competition meant so much to me. This was a victory for the whole team, not just for me, and I couldn’t wait to see where their talent led them next.

We walked back to the team, and they welcomed us with open arms. Their smiles and shouts of excitement were infectious.

“Can you believe it, Leader Zayne! This is amazing. I never thought we’d be here. Not after last year.” Christa had every reason to be concerned after the season closing we’d had. If she’d left to go to another school, I wouldn’t have blamed her. She had talent for days and they’d have gladly had her. We were lucky she chose to stay.

I pulled her into a hug. “You deserve this. You and Scott earned your captain titles. Ash and I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

When I looked over, Jay was shaking Ash’s hand, and his mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear his words. Ash clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him into a hug. What a difference from the first day when they met. Jay had really come a long way this season, and as amazing as his flying had been today, the thing I was most proud of with him specifically was his growth. It wasn’t easy.

We took our seats as the ceremony moved on, announcing the winners of the other competitions. It had been a very full competition, and there was a lot to take in and celebrate.

As much as I wanted to return to our room to be with our nest, we needed to show our support for the entire division, not just ourselves. Our team would understand, but this was about more than just us.

Ash held my hand the entire time. I gripped him tightly, never wanting to let him go. I wanted years and years of working by his side like this. Scratch that—make it a lifetime.

Once the ceremony was over, the whole team returned to the room where Ash and I were staying. Normally we’d have gone somewhere to celebrate, but with the clutch here, we all felt the itch to be with them. I had planned to return to the room to cuddle with my mate and our eggs.

The team had other plans.

Our five team members made it to the nest first. Each of them ran a gentle hand down the shells and told our eggs about their achievement. They said it was good to talk to them, that it helped with early language development and with a sense of family. Good thing, since they had dragons talking to them pretty much nonstop.

Ash and I watched. If the scene before me blurred slightly, it was just because I was tired and had nothing to do with the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

Scott and Christa both laid their newly earned medals next to the egg. “There. That looks nice right there,” Scott said.

Emotion made my voice come out thick. “Guys. You earned those.”

They smiled at us. “Yeah, we had to fight over who was going to gift their medals to the dragonets. Scott and I won, only because the others have more opportunities to win medals since they’re younger.” That logic didn’t make any sense to me, but they weren’t giving the medals to our young because of logic. They were doing it because they loved them—it was 100% emotion driven.

“These dragonets are a part of the team, Leader Zayne,” Isaac said. “They brought us luck and gave us something to win for. Winning is great, and we certainly love doing it, but honestly, I just thought it’d be cool to be able to tell these little guys or girls that they were at our division competition and they gave us good luck. That’s what we do this for, right? The next generation.”

Words failed me, and I just nodded. My mate was pressed against me, my shirt damp where his face rested. He too was crying. So much happiness it was leaking out of us.

“That’s exactly right,” Ash said, voice cracking. “We’re honored that you would gift our eggs something so important to you all.”

“Well, the trophy isn’t going to fit in there,” Jay joked, but the way he was eyeing the nest, I suspected he actually considered doing just that… or trying to.

The team hung out for a while, but eventually, they all wanted to go celebrate with their families. Any other year, Ash and I would go out to dinner as a bonding time with the team and their loved ones, but I found myself just wanting to be with my mate and our eggs. None of them pushed. If anything, a couple of them hesitated leaving us in the first place.

We gave the grandparents, their new preferred titles, a gift card to a local restaurant to grab dinner. They had been here for so much of the time, and they needed real food, fresh air, and a break. That left us with Hayden and Kellan. I thought for a moment they might’ve had something they wanted to say or ask. But no. They weren’t quite ready to leave the clutch yet.

One more story, one where the two of them described one of our routines in painful details, and they gave our eggs one last affectionate caress and were on their way.

Our travel nest wasn’t as big as the one we had at home, so we had to sit outside of it to be with our eggs. I didn’t love that, but I’d have loved my mate not being able to make the trip even less. This meant that we were together, and I’d take a sore neck in exchange for that any day of the week.

“This is so surreal,” Ash said. “I thought it would take longer to build up our team. Yet here we are, division champions.”

In the beginning, I hadn’t even sure if it was possible, much less in the time that we’d had. But the team bonded and worked together in a way that I’d never witnessed in all of my many years. Most of that was thanks to Ash. He had this quality that drew people together.

“Indeed. But there are two more competitions for the year, plus the other tournaments. The team will hit some obstacles, mistakes will be made. We aren’t going to win everything.” And we didn’t need to. This season was already a lot more successful than recent years, and we’d only just begun.

“It sort of feels like we already have.” Ash laid his cheek against the shell of our golden egg.

“I feel the same way, mate.” I reached across the nest and caressed his cheek. “And it’s thanks to you. You brought us together.”

“No, mate… we did that. Together.”

We stayed in silence for a few minutes, soaking in the alone time together with our eggs.

“Jay talked to me after we won.” Ash sat up.

“I saw that. I’d wondered what he said.” I’d never have pried. If it was important, Ash would tell me. He wasn’t one to keep secrets, and I trusted him 100%.

Ash smiled. “He apologized. He said his behavior earlier in the season was not something he was proud of, and he is immensely glad that I came to be his Flight Leader.”

“That’s great.”

“It is. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted him to acknowledge his behavior. I definitely didn’t realize it affected me so much.”

I had too. There was a part of me in the beginning that suspected that he was going to be a problem in the future, that he was set in his thoughts. As time went by, that fear fell away, and I was glad that I hadn’t judged him too harshly at first and kicked him out. Goodness knew there were moments I wanted to.

“This is why we do what we do, mate. To make a difference in the world. One dragon at a time.”

“Indeed.”