Stealing the Dragon’s Heart by Kiersten Fay

27

Aidan was stunned into stiff compliance as Onnika eagerly dragged him by the hand though the roaring crowd, conflicting scents from food vendors wafting all around. Her natural excitement and enthusiasm flowed into him like a crisp drink of water through a parched throat, filling him with unexpected vitality. She stopped to admire each tall, intricately carved column lining the arena; gazed up at the clear blue sky, letting the sun warm her face; and cooed at the flocks of fluffy little critters the size of Aidan’s hand that braved the edge of the arena, looking for discarded scraps, their perky, oversized ears flicking this way and that.

Kneeling, she stretched out her hand, inviting one to come and let her pet it. “Come here, pretty baby.”

The creature sat on its haunches and cocked its head to the right.

“Careful,” Aidan warned. “They might be carnivores.”

She stood and faced him with a sigh. “You’re probably right. First rule of interplanetary space travel: Never trust anything unnaturally cute. The cuter they are, the harder they bite.”

He sent her a mocking smile. “So that clenches it. I can never trust you.”

She smiled up at him with a twinkle in her eye. “Ah, but I wouldn’t bite you…much.”

How was it that everything she said and did pleased him? Even when she was rebuking him, it was like being reprimanded by a seductive artist. He never knew what to expect from her, and because of that, every minute with her was surprisingly refreshing.

She grabbed his hand again. “So, what should we do first? I don’t see any VR tournaments this time. Shame. Of course, there’s hand-to-hand combat. Everyone loves blood sports.” She shot a dispassionate glance toward the fighting arena, where Asher was already squaring off against an opponent twice his size. Lear stood on the sidelines, conspicuously close to Caryn, her anxious gaze trained on Asher.

Arrogantly, Asher broke away from his opponent to give Caryn a cocky grin and casual wave before hard-knuckling the man in the temple and dropping him.

Aidan worried the two were being way too obvious in their ploy to get closer to Caryn in order to siphon information from her. If Caryn didn’t figure it out, eventually Onnika would. This was just the sort of conspiracy the crafty minx would see coming.

He eyed her holo-gear, hating that it hid part of her from him. What was she concealing? What would she do if he simply removed one?

“Is there always a fighting tournament at every stop?” Onnika asked casually.

“Hmm? Oh, usually.”

Narrowed eyes met his, as if he’d done something wrong. Then she brightened. “Well, you won’t be signing up for that.”

“Pardon?”

“If I don’t get to do anything dangerous, neither do you.”

He scoffed. “Of course I will fight if I have to.”

She plucked at a button of his shirt. “Okay, then. How’s this? If you fight, so will I.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort!”

She shrugged nonchalantly, unfazed by his outburst. “That’s entirely up to you, now, isn’t it?”

He forced himself to remain calm. He hadn’t planned on fighting in a tournament until much later in the race, anyway. He saw no point in risking himself like that unless it was truly necessary. Plenty of better ways to get vouchers for now. Until then, he’d figure out how to manage her foolhardy ways.

“Fine,” he said softly. She narrowed her gaze at his easy capitulation. This time it was he who grabbed her hand, conveying her along. “We’ll find something the both of us can do.” He was going to have to watch her every second, keep her close to him. The prospect was not unwelcome.

One could always determine the culture of a world by the tournaments they hosted. This world was more ruthless than it first appeared. Aside from the one in which Asher was competing, there were two other fighting pits. The most brutal one pitted a large number of contestants against each other, all viciously battling in a savage crush of chaos. He quickly steered Onnika away from that pit, just in case she got any ridiculous ideas about teaming up.

Several tournaments extended outside the arena. The first was alongside a murky wet marsh that surrounded a center island where colorful flowers bloomed. For some reason, no one had lined up to attempt it, thought the objective seemed simple enough. All one needed to do was swim to the island, pick a flower, and bring it back.

“What’s the catch?” Aidan asked the nearby controller. With a cruel tilt to his beak-like mouth, he pointed to a dark shadow in the water. The shadow moved, interrupting the glassy surface with a wide ripple. Aidan instantly realized that something nefarious lurked underneath, likely waiting to drag down the next unsuspecting fool who dared cross to a gruesome death.

Onnika shivered and gave it a quick glance, shaking her head. “No predicting that one.” At the same time, he told her, “Not going to happen.”

The second appeared to be a race up a small mountain to a bluff at the top. Several contestants had already entered and were waiting in a line of puttering vehicles much like the one that had ferried Aidan and his crew here, a driver and passenger in each.

The registrar, another fur-skinned native, called to the gathering crowed. “The first team to bring me the gilded egg at the top of the cliff shall win two vouchers.”

Onnika hopped up and down. “Ooh. A gilded egg.”

“You are acquisitive by nature, aren’t you? Keep in mind, two vouchers mean extra danger.”

They stood back to watch. As soon as the tournament began, the vehicles’ engines revved, spinning dirt and debris behind them as they lurched forward to claim the lead before disappearing into the jungle. Overhead, a set of metallic flying contraptions buzzed and zoomed past, following after the racers.

“What are those?” Onnika asked.

“Cameras,” Aidan replied. “So no one misses the action.”

A large screen set up nearby blinked to life, showing the vehicles from behind driving at breakneck speeds. The terrain was rough, covered by overgrowth. While attempting to pass, one of the vehicles nearly toppled into a gully, half-hidden by foliage. The driver veered away from it just in time, but lost ground in the process.

Another misguided driver tried for a shortcut over a patch of what at first glance looked like wet soil, but turned out to be an inky mud pit too deep to cross. The vehicle’s occupants managed to crawl out and leap to safety just before it sank completely. They were lucky to be alive, but were out of the race unless they could run to the top of the cliff.

The team in the lead came to a screeching halt at the edge of a crevasse that cut along the mountain range, blocking their way. A hand crank that operated a drawbridge sat off to the side.

Swiftly, a dark-haired passenger got out to lower the bridge, but as soon as he let go to reenter the vehicle, the crank wound back around, and the bridge sprang back up.

So that was why this was a team tournament, Aidan thought. The second person would need to stay behind to ensure their partner could get across on the return trip.

Just as the man lowered the bridge again and waved his companion across safely, another car pulled up. He released the bridge, keeping the others from crossing, and prepared to defend the crank from anyone else using it. The occupants of this second vehicle quickly caught on, and with two against one, the scuffle didn’t last long. Mercifully, they only seemed to have knocked their lone opponent unconscious rather than outright killing him.

Aidan thought he and Onnika could win this one easily. Onnika would be safe as the driver, and he could stay behind to lower the bridge for her return while fending off the competition.

Before he relayed the idea, the screen showed the first vehicle arriving on the plateau. The driver left the car and sprinted to where a large, sparkling egg rested atop a thin waist-high pedestal at the edge of the cliff. The oblong shell seemed to be made of tiny gemstones glinting in the sun.

Onnika’s eyes widened at the sight.

“They may not let you keep it,” he told her.

She huffed in reply. “That would be cruel.”

He suppressed a chuckle and turned back to the screen. As soon as the man picked up the egg, a great shriek erupted in the sky, and a sudden shadow loomed over him, swiftly growing.

The cameras barely had time to focus on the massive bird, wings outstretched, hulking talons extended. The creature plucked the man by the shoulders and lifted him into the air, its great wings flapping furiously. The egg fell from the man’s grasp as he struggled to free himself, but those talons were digging in, drawing blood.

With purpose, the beast glided down the mountainside, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the arena, and then dropped the man into the murky marsh. Sputtering to the surface, the man fought furiously to make it to shore…but he vanished under a dark current without a sound. Whatever lived under that water got to him first. Then there was nothing but silence and a dying ripple in the water.

“We are not doing that,” Aidan pronounced.

“Well, we have to do something,” she argued. “I’m not just going to stand around and let everyone else have all the fun.”

“Fun?” He pointed up to the bird, now flying back to collect its egg. “That is not fun. That’s a deathtrap. It’s too dangerous.”

“I disagree.”

“Of course you do. You’re determined to get yourself killed.”

She crossed her arms and gazed at him as though he were slow-witted. “Are you not a fearsome dragon?”

He hesitated, seeing where she was going with this. “Well, yes, but—”

“And am I not the smartest, most devious, most beautiful woman you’ve ever met?”

“Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

Pivoting on her heels, she approached the registrar. “Excuse me, sir, are there any rules about how we make our way to the top?”

The man nodded politely. “We provide the vehicles if needed, but you are allowed to use your own ground transport, should you choose. However, no flying crafts are permitted.”

“What about something that flies but is not a craft? A creature sort of like that killer bird, only more cuddly?” She gave Aidan a conspiratorial wink.

Cuddly, indeed.

One of the man’s fuzzy brows lifted. “As long as your flying transport is not motorized or mechanized, I suppose it would be allowed, but may I ask to what sort of creature you refer?”

“Oh, you’ll know it when you see it.” She held out her arm so he could scan her wristband before Aidan could talk her out of it. After a moment of reluctant hesitance, Aidan let the man scan him in as well.

As they stood off to the side waiting for more contestants to sign up for the next round, Aidan muttered darkly, “Don’t you think you should have asked if you could ride me before signing us up?”

Her smile came across sly and impish. “I didn’t think I had to ask, since I’ve already ridden you.”

He swallowed at the forced memory. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

She tsked. “Now, Aidan, you must have realized by now there was no way you and I would part ways without me finagling a way to soar through the sky on the back of your dragon counterpart at least once. If this mission proves too dangerous for even a fearsome dragon, you can fly us away, and we’ll simply forget about getting those two vouchers.”

She spoke with nonchalance, but his mind had tripped over the words part ways, and an odd sensation permeated his nerves.

Footsteps drew their attention. Caryn, Asher, and Lear were approaching. Lear was developing an angry bruise under his right eye. Asher’s left cheek was slightly swollen and discolored.

“Did you both win?” Onnika asked, then glanced curiously at Caryn. Her sister’s arms were crossed, and her expression was drawn tight with annoyance.

“They were being reckless and foolish,” Caryn announced in a tone sharper than Onnika had ever heard her use. “They each signed up for a second fight, even though they’d already won their vouchers.”

Aidan chastised them with a glare. “Why would you do that?”

Asher answered first. “He thinks he’s a better fighter than me.”

“Because I am,” Lear said matter-of-factly.

“I landed way more hits than you.”

“And I knocked out my opponent swifter, ergo…”

“That’s not even the worst part,” Caryn cut in. “Afterward, they started grappling with each other for no apparent reason.”

“What’s the matter with you two?” Aidan snapped. This little competition they’d started was clearly getting out of hand. “This isn’t why I asked you to…we have enough competition as it is without the two of you making enemies of one another.”

Onnika gaped at Asher and Lear, both of whom looked sullen and disgruntled as Aidan continued to reprimand them out of earshot. They were behaving like rivals. Was it just an act? Or was it all about besting the other? Their intention was foggy…unreadable. As though they weren’t quite sure what they planned to do next, but whatever it was, it concerned Caryn.

Caryn met her gaze and gave her an exasperated look. Men.

Onnika pulled her aside and lowered her voice. “What’s going on with them? They’re not interrogating you, are they?” Onnika had assumed that was why the two were focusing their attentions on Caryn, but now she wasn’t so sure. Their objective seemed to be shifting.

Visibly surprised by the question, Caryn shook her head. “They’re acting like they hate each other all of a sudden. They weren’t like this back on Latherial when we were shopping.” Onnika recalled staying with Priya, wanting to try on a few more outfits, while Caryn went off with Lear and Asher. Which one could claim to offer better protection was a tossup.

“What were they like on Latherial?”

She tapped her chin. “They were pleasant enough. Considerate.”

“How so?”

“Well, they explained more about the race and what’s to come. Lear bought me something to eat and then Ash decided we needed dessert. These delicious little cake things. He gave me the biggest one.” She smiled, as though it had been the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

Onnika felt a pang of sorrow over their difficult life, filled with more cruelty than kindness.

Caryn didn’t notice. “And then today he got me this necklace.” She hiked her thumb under the chain to lift a flower-shaped pendant with a red jewel at the center.

Onnika rocked back on her heels. “Ash gave that to you?” He was certainly showering her with sweets and jewelry. Was that Ash’s way of softening Caryn toward him, or had she bewitched them both without realizing it?

“Sweetie, I think they’re fighting over your affections.”

Caryn blinked. Then her eyes went wide with worry. “That can’t be.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because…I…hmm.” She turned thoughtful. “I’d gotten the impression Ash didn’t like us very much.”

“Maybe at first, but I think you’re changing his mind. You know you can be as irresistible as me when you want to be.” She didn’t say more, knowing Caryn would reject the notion. While Onnika was pretty and charming, Caryn’s beauty was more than skin-deep. It went all the way to her soul. Onnika’s allure was behavioral, practiced, and perfected. Caryn’s was ingrained. People gravitated to Caryn almost like plants to sunrays. Only Caryn had learned to dim her light, hide it from the world. Onnika was hoping Lear or Asher might motivate her to let herself shine…which was why she decided not to fill Caryn in on their little plot just yet.

“But I don’t want to be adorable,” Caryn whined.

Onnika suppressed a laugh at Caryn’s afflicted expression. “Hey, if I had two guys fighting over me, you know what I’d do?”

“Both of them, probably.”

Onnika let her mouth drop open in feigned outrage. “I can’t believe you just said that!” She paused, happy to see Caryn back in a humorous mood. “Well, you’re probably right. I say enjoy it while you can.” She took on a more serious note. “But if they start asking questions…”

“I know, I know. Not a word.”

Onnika nodded in approval. “There’s my little two-timing hussy.”

Caryn, cheeks growing pink, slapped Onnika’s shoulder. “You know I’m no good with men.”

“Ha! Men are easy. All you have to do is remember one thing…” Just then, the registrar announced their race was about to begin. “Oops. Got to go.”

“Oni, wait! What thing should I remember?”

She waved back at her. “You’ll do fine.”

As she returned to Aidan, Lear and Asher moved to flank Caryn, whose hand flew to cover her mouth in alarm when she saw where she and Aidan were headed. She raced forward. “Oh, no. You’re not doing that race up the mountain, are you?”

Onnika sent her a huge grin. “You’re going to want to watch this one. It’s going to be awesome!”

“Not if you end up in that marsh, it won’t.”

“Come.” Asher held out his hand to Caryn. “Aidan won’t let anything happen to your sister. We’ll watch from the café over there. I’ll buy you a refreshing drink.”

Almost absentmindedly, and still gazing at Onnika with worry, Caryn placed her hand in his.

Fury danced over Lear’s face. “I’ll get the refreshments. I know what she likes.”

“Something sweet and fruity,” Asher supplied blithely. “Right, Caryn?”

Aidan blinked at the three in bewilderment as they walked away. He scrubbed a hand down his face and glanced down at Onnika as though coming to some sort of realization. “You two are the bringers of chaos.”

Onnika laughed. “I like that.”

“You would.”

As if simply to irritate him, she repeated dramatically, “The bringers of chaos.”

“Come on, you.” While the other contestants climbed into their respective vehicles, Aidan guided her to a nearby pasture. So he could shift, she realized.

“You should stand back,” he told her.

Anticipation swept her veins as she took several steps back, her eyes glued on him. She didn’t want to miss a second of this.

A loud ringing bell proclaimed the race had begun. She didn’t even glance at the sound of engines roaring to life in the distance.

Aidan’s skin shimmered, the air around him distorting like waves of heat crashing around him. His eyes flashed as though backlit by emerald fire and his skin began to deepen in color, darker and darker, until it took on a midnight shade. His body morphed, doubling in size, then tripling, growing larger still. His face and neck elongated, developing ridges that tapered down his spine to his elongating tail. And suddenly a fully formed dragon stood before her. Like a caged beast finally unleashed, he stomped his taloned paws and bared his massive fangs, roaring up to the sky and spitting a stream of fire.

Mouth agape, head tilting back to take in the sight of him, all she could think was, He’s magnificent. Maybe she said it out loud, because in the next instant, he trained that cold, reptilian gaze on her.

Too late, she realized she should have asked if he remained cognitive in his dragon form, but she knew he’d never do anything to put her in danger, so it must be so. Still, apprehension fluttered through her belly.

She approached cautiously, extending her hand the way one might do with a stranger’s pet.

He puffed and rolled his eyes, which made her laugh. Then he lowered his head and body flat on the ground as though to put her at ease. Her hand made contact with his massive snout. It was warm to the touch and had the consistency of textured leather. He held still, allowing her to explore his face and neck with trembling fingers. She had always imagined dragons had scales, and they did, but these scales were covered in a layer of soft, silky fur.

Next to his ear, she muttered, “You are so beautiful.”

He grunted as though insulted, and a poof of hot air shot from his nostrils.

“Oh, pardon me. I mean handsome. Is that better?”

He rolled his shoulders in what could be construed as a shrug. Then his head came around so that he could urge her onto his back with the tip of his snout.

“All right, all right, give me a second. It’s a lot to take in.” Leveraging herself on Aidan’s front leg, she climbed onto his back and settled her legs on either side of his lower neck. Not surprisingly, they had gathered a crowd. Some people cowered behind booths and tables. Others stood frozen in befuddled awe.

As soon as she was securely in place, his great wings unfolded from around his body and began to flap. The motion blasted a current of air over her, whipping her hair. She gripped the ridges of his spine with white-knuckled fingers, feeling the first spark of reservation as adrenalin coated her system. But there was no time to entertain doubts. Aidan’s wings churned harder, and she felt him push off hard against the ground. Then they were rising and moving through the air with greater and greater speed. The arena was quickly left behind, the jungle now passing beneath them. As they soared, Aidan’s spine rolled along with the flapping of his wings, but it was an easy, fluid motion that she adapted to swiftly.

Through the thick jungle below, she caught glimpses of their competitors’ vehicles vying to pass each other.

Suddenly Aidan banked right, heading away from the mountaintop.

“Where are you going?”

Of course he didn’t answer. Onnika peeked ahead to see the marsh below. She caught sight of the suspicious dark spot under the water. If that conspicuously shaded area was anything to go buy, the thing was huge and boasted three or more monstrous tentacles. When Aidan’s head swung around toward the shadow, he let out a great roar that vibrated his entire body. She felt it through to her bones. Apparently alarmed by the sound of an even larger predator, the other creature slithered away in the opposite direction, deeper into the marsh.

Onnika laughed. “You just had to show off, didn’t you?” Maybe far fewer people would perish now, at least until the creature returned.

Aidan glided for a moment, swaying this way and that, and she suspected he was enjoying himself. She was, too, hardly caring that they were in the middle of a race. He took her up to the cloud line and she put her hand out. Amorphous wisps sifted through her fingers. The world from up here, flying so freely, with no noise, no worries, nothing but her and Aidan, felt exhilarating.

Regretfully, she called out to him. “Remember, we have a race to win.”

He chuffed out a sigh, and she felt like a wet blanket. He banked to the left, finally heading toward the mountaintop. It took only a minute to reach it. There was still no sign of the other contestants. She couldn’t even hear their vehicles.

Aidan made a feather-light landing. Quickly she slid off his back and approached the egg, keeping her eyes on the sky. There was no sign of that bird.

The egg had been returned the pedestal, sparkling in the light. She had assumed it would be made up of glittering stones. Instead, the shell was painted in brightly colored jewel tones and wasn’t quite smooth, but roughly textured by many small facets that caught and reflected the sun. Still, it was a beautiful thing to behold.

The instant she lifted it off its platform, a screech erupted from deep in the jungle. The bird shot into the air from behind a nearby tree line and dove for her, and she realized it was just as enormous as Aidan, and probably just as deadly.

Aidan was quick to place his big, reptilian body between them as he let out a terrifyingly loud roar. Onnika felt certain they could hear the raucous sound back at the café.

The bird squawked in surprise and lost its coordination, trying to backtrack into the air with wings that suddenly moved out of sync before it managed a midair turn and soared away…but not for long. It quickly circled back and shot toward Aidan, its razor-sharp talons bared.

Aidan’s lips pulled back, revealing his fangs, looking ready to do battle. The thought of him possibly getting hurt sent icy terror up Onnika’s spine.

But she saw another option, and she had no time to doubt herself.

With the egg tucked under her arm, Onnika raced toward the cliff. Putting two fingers between her lips, she let out a high-pitched whistle. “Aidan! Catch me!” Then she leapt off the edge and felt herself falling…falling…

It felt as if time slowed while she watched the ground rush up to meet her. Then suddenly a blurry dark cocoon closed around her and her descent was interrupted. It took her a moment to realize she’d been gently caged in Aidan’s clawed paw as they flew down toward the start of this macabre race. She glanced back through the bars of his claws, seeing that the bird hadn’t followed, opting to remain near its territory.

Aidan landed in the arena to the uproar of people cheering. After he released her, she stepped away and lifted the gilded egg high into the air in triumph, and the cheers turned deafening, managing to drown out the raging of her own heart. She could tell Aidan was behind her in his dragon form because she felt a hot puff of air waft over her shoulders. She turned, coming face to face with him. His piercing gaze was narrowed on her. She was sure he hated her stunt.

In an attempt to sooth his ire, she leaned forward and kissed his snout. “You were magnificent.” At the sight, the crowd became even more boisterous.

While Aidan shifted back, she handed the egg to the registrar. He muttered humorously, “I’ll know it when I see it, huh?”

She smiled at him. “I hope we didn’t traumatize that poor bird.”

“You’re sweet, but it will be fine once its egg is returned.”

Onnika realized the egg was the bird’s offspring and wasn’t sure how she felt about it being used in such a way.

Coming up behind her, Aidan placed his palms on her waist. “You throw yourself off a cliff without a thought, but you’re worried for the creature that dropped a man to his death and would have happily done the same to you?”

“Well, you can’t really blame the bird. We stole its baby!”

His gaze snapped to the registrar. “That’s a real egg?”

The registrar answered. “Yes, and several months from now, it will hatch.”

“You’re not afraid it will get dropped and shatter during this event?”

He knocked on the shell with his knuckles. “It’s harder than a diamond. When the time comes, the mother will drop this from a very great height to help her baby break through the thick shell. We collect the pieces and use them to cut other hard material such as stone and glass.”

“Amazing,” Onnika marveled.

“Thrilling,” Aidan said flatly, having already lost interest. “Where are our vouchers?”

“Here you are.” He presented them with two vouchers, and Aidan snatched them out of his grasp. “Enjoy the rest of the festivities.”

As they strolled toward where the others were seated, she asked, “Are you angry with me?”

“No. Yes. Not exactly,” he stumbled.

“Then what, exactly?” she asked. “It looked to me like you were enjoying yourself before we landed.”

“I was,” he admitted, though, strangely, he didn’t sound happy about it. “In fact, that was the most fun I've had in a very long time…until you launched yourself over a ledge without warning.”

“I whistled.”

“And what if I couldn’t catch you?”

“Then I would have fallen.”

He rolled his eyes. “It was unnecessarily reckless.”

“I didn’t want you to have to fight that bird. What if it hurt you?”

“You were worried for the bird’s safety and for my safety, but not your own?”

She shrugged. “I knew you’d catch me.”

“And how did you know that?”

Her eyes glinted mischievously. “Because you wuuuv me.”

Aidan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do not tease me right now. My blood pressure is still off the charts.”

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him to a halt and then folded her arms around his torso. “Thanks for not yelling at me.”

He sighed and glanced down at her. “The only reason I’m not is…gods, you amaze me.”

She pulled back to look up at him, a little surprised by the admission.

“I've only ever flown with one other person like that. I never thought to do it again. Others of my kind will find it shameful, but that’s not…I couldn’t care less about cultural backlash.”

She thought of the woman in the photograph. Was she the one he referred to?

“I never thought I'd experience that again with someone I…admire.” When a wide grin spread across her face, he rushed on. “Don’t let that go to your head. I just find you to be brave. That’s all.” Her continued grin caused him to grunt out an expletive under his breath, and he turned to resume their trek.

She matched his stride. “Well I’m glad to have been the one to experience it with you. I’ve never seen anything as marvelous as you in your dragon form. Likely never will again.”

“I’m sure you’ll see many more magnificent things.” He paused before adding, “Once we part ways.”

She halted for a moment before matching pace with him again, noting the sudden drop in her stomach. Up until now, the only other constant in her life had been Caryn. Caryn had always been there for her, and she would always be there for Caryn. She never imagined another person could ever hold equal stature, but Aiden was vying for a position in her heart.

She realized leaving him would bring her pain.

But it was inevitable. She wouldn’t make the mistake of risking her and Caryn’s anonymity because of her own dimmable desires. That meant she could never be completely honest with Aidan. And he deserved someone who would unfold herself to him completely. Which was something she could never do. Too often, letting others into their little circle had backfired. And yet, some part of her wanted to do just that.

Too late, she noticed Aidan’s penetrating gaze. Was he studying her reaction?

She gave him a cool smile. “You’re probably right. It’s a big universe. Full of wonders.”

His lips flattened into a tight smile. “Sure is.”

They reached the table where Caryn and the others were nursing drinks. Priya, Zeek, and Vin had joined them. Caryn looked rather uneasy, eying Aidan warily, as if she expected him to transform at any moment and chomp on her with his mighty teeth.

“You two really know how to put on a show.” Zeek appeared thoroughly impressed. Then he cheekily asked, “How did you like your forbidden flight?”

“Forbidden?” Onnika repeated.

Aidan claimed one of the empty seats. “Yes, many dragons watching the feed will find it dishonorable that I let you ride atop me like that. Isn’t that right, Lear?”

Lear shrugged. “I didn’t design our social constructs. And you’re well aware I rarely followed them. In fact, Caryn, if you’d ever like to fly with a dragon, I’m at your service.”

Caryn stiffened. “N-no, thank you.”

Lear’s features sank in disappointment.

“Smart girl,” Asher blithely interjected. “There’s nothing special about it.”

“How would you know?” Lear challenged.

“I fly spacecrafts. Couldn’t be any better than that.”

Lear turned to address Onnika. “You have better insight than most. What do you say to that?”

“Sorry, Ash, riding a dragon is waaaay better. Caryn, I highly recommend it.”

Pursing his lips, Asher glared at her. She merely shrugged in response.

Aidan added encouragingly, “And there are two vouchers to be had.”

Caryn looked down in contrition, perhaps reminded that she’d yet to bring in a single voucher.

“I’d fly very smoothly,” Lear said, sounding hopeful. “None of those reckless maneuvers performed by Aidan and Onnika.”

Aidan countered, “Who’s the one signing up for extra fights just to show off?”

“I wasn’t showing off. I was honor-bound to outperform Ash.”

Asher cracked his knuckles. “Let’s see you outperform me one on one.”

“Bring it on, metal head.”

Aidan, losing patience, snapped, “If you two don’t knock it off, I’ll transform right here and rip both your throats out.”

As they continued to bicker, Caryn sank deeper and deeper into her chair, as if attempting to disappear entirely. By her sickened expression, she was feeling pressured into riding Lear’s dragon for the good of the group. Despite her terror, Onnika guessed she was seconds away from reluctantly agreeing. Caryn had been forced into too many undesirable situations in her life, and Onnika hated to see it happen again.

Before Caryn could say anything, Onnika offered, “What if I rode with Lear?”

Everyone gaped at her as though she’d suggested they go swimming in the marsh.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Onnika hastily added to fill the sudden awkward silence.

Lear shot a tense look at Aidan, so fast she nearly missed it. Then he shook his head in a hard, jerky motion. For some reason, her gaze was drawn down to Aidan’s tightening fist.

Placing her hand on Aidan’s shoulder, she asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

For a moment the table was silent. Instead of answering, Aidan hooked her waist and drew her onto his lap. Stunned, she glanced around, taking in the others’ shocked expressions. There was a primitiveness to his possessive grip, which should have rankled her…but it didn’t. Instead, a kind of giddiness rippled through her. Aidan had just practically made a public announcement of his claim on her.

Onnika recovered quickly and quipped, “Perhaps I should say more wrong things.”

Aidan’s lips quirked into a wry grin. “Because you already entered and won with me, you wouldn’t be permitted to play again. And even if you could, I wouldn’t allow it.”

“And why not?”

“Because I know you’d try that cliff diving stunt again and I wouldn’t trust Lear to catch you.”

“I would have gotten to her a lot sooner than you,” Lear protested.

“In any case,” Aidan continued, “there are others here who could ride Lear, like Ash or Zeek.”

In unison, all three balked hard.

“Not on your life,” Asher declared.

Zeek said, “There’s no way my junk’s getting that close to the dragon prince.”

“I’d rather die,” Lear muttered.

Onnika found their objections fascinating. Was it really such a big deal? Or were they just too overcome by their masculine animosity?

“Oh, for goodness’ sake. I’ll do it,” Priya grumbled. Without another word, she stood and made her way to the registrar’s booth.

Lear sent a surreptitious glance at Caryn, who was intently studying a crack in the wooden table. He let out a begrudging sigh. “Very well.”