Page 62 of Upon Buried Embers (Upon Buried Embers #1)
Elf
“Sasha? No, maybe Kara? Ugh, that doesn’t work either.” I groan, helping Sparks with his own little bed next to Drogonah as Escor carries the bucket of stones.
“I need a name that feels like me, you know?”
Rumbles.
“I can’t be called Elf forever. I don’t want to be Elf forever. I want to be…me.” I sigh. “I asked Rohan to help, but he said it should come from me. That I should make the choice.”
Growls.
“I know it’s me who needs to make this decision, but who am I?”
I wipe my forehead and sit back, looking at the circle with a nod of satisfaction.
“There, all sorted. Sparks?” I call, standing. When he doesn’t come, I look around. “Where is he?”
Alter, Doren, and Agnor are next to me. But apart from Drogonah and Escor, no others are here.
I look at Drogonah and Sparks isn’t annoying him, so where?
I turn to Escor and splutter out a laugh. He’s sitting on his hind legs, bucket in his mouth, and resting inside of it is Sparks, his front claws hanging over the lip of it.
“What are you doing?” I chuckle, going over to them and stroking Escor before patting Sparks in the bucket. “Wow, so warm.”
The stones in there are like their own little bed of warmth, and Sparks lays on his back, stone in his front paws, eyes closing.
“Okay, we’ll just rest for a little bit.”
Escor places the bucket in the circle, Drogonah curling his tail around it, managing not to disturb the stones I worked hard to place.
He sleeps so much, but Rohan says it’s natural for how young he is.
“He’ll be okay, won’t he?” I ask Drogonah, and he rumbles his reply.
“I just worry. Rohan said he hasn’t had one as young as Sparks here before, and we have to take him to The Games…
Maybe we should have left him in The Glade.
” Drogonah growls, tightening his tail around the bucket as tiny snores come from within.
“I know he’ll be protected.” I sit up straighter. “You’re right. He’ll be safe with us.”
Drogonah and Escor rumble in agreement.
I take a seat in front of Drogonah’s bed as Escor lays down next to me.
“Selia? Alison? Dormi?” I lay back, arms out wide. “Why is this so hard,” I whine.
Rumble .
I look at Escor, tail swishing lazily back and forth.
“Who am I?” I ask him, looking up at the crystals glowing in the opening, shining down on me. “Who do I want to be? Who can I be?”
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath and just… feel.
I’m warm.
Surrounded by fierce protectors.
I’m in Rohan’s clan. My cheeks heat. Rohan’s bed.
I collect roses every morning.
I speak with my friends, Beau and Tofa.
I give apples to the horses.
I let Melle always touch my ears to make her smile.
I train with Calian.
The collar is off my throat.
I have no Master.
I’m not a slave.
So who am I?
Who. Am. I?
My eyes fly open and I sit up, heart beating fast against my rib cage.
“Alara.” I turn to Escor and he stands, head tilted. “My name is Alara.” Licking my face, he dances on his feet, rumbling his approval. That’s it. I have a name. Alara. “Do you like it?”
He growls softly, and surprisingly, so do the other dragons in here, even Drogonah.
“They’re noisy today,” Rohan says, entering the cave, and I stand, running over to him.
“I know my name!” Without thinking, I launch myself at him. He chuckles, catching me and spinning me around.
“You chose one?” he asks, eyes gleaming.
“Yes.”
“And?”
I stand tall, feeling a little shy.
What if he doesn’t like it? Is it stupid? Will he approve?
“You can tell me, Little Whisperer, whatever it is will be perfect.” He brushes some hair behind my ear. “Tell me, words,” he says softly.
I eye Escor as he sits up straighter, eyes on me, and I nod.
I clear my throat, looking Rohan in the eye.
“Alara. My name is Alara.”
His soft smile is instant, and butterflies fill my stomach as he places a kiss on my forehead. “See, I told you it would be perfect.”
My cheeks ache with how wide my smile is.
“Alara,” he hums, and my cheeks heat as his eyes darken. “We shall practice remembering it many times tonight.”
“Maybe.” I bite my lip, and he backs me into the cave wall, hands resting on either side of me.
“Maybe?” he murmurs, voice gravelly. “You would reject me, Alara ?”
I shiver. “Never,” I breathe as he dips his head and places his lips to mine.
My breath catches, and his hands move to my waist, pressing closer, and I feel how hard he is for me, how much he wants me.
I moan into the kiss, and his answering groan has me instantly ready for him. I bring my hands up, grabbing his shoulders to get as close as possible and he chuckles into our kiss.
“Later,” he growls, pulling back as I catch my breath.
I’ll never get tired of kissing him.
Escor comes over, head held high as he sits, chest puffed out.
I laugh. “Escor approved of my name,” I tell Rohan, and Escor rumbles, very proud of himself.
“I see,” he chuckles, and then he looks to Drogonah, and like the grumpy dragon he’s just remembered he is, he takes his tail from around Sparks and turns the other way.
Gods forbid he’s seen caring.
“Oh, I saw, Drogonah,” Rohan teases.
Growls .
“You are not fooling anyone.”
Huff .
“He’s a softy, really.”
“Only for a select few,” Rohan says.
He must still hate me then.
“Come, it’s time to get ready for tonight’s feast. I have clothes for you.”
I look down at my pants and tunic. “We don’t go in these?”
“Not tonight.” He eyes his feet and I hop on with a smile. “With only a few days left before we travel to The Games, this feast could be our last. We make the best of it as much as we can.”