Baby From Frost by Ashe Moon
Prologue
Delos
Leaning over the taffrail,I watched the ocean slide past the dark wooden hull, clumps of ice like frosting crumbling as the steamship pushed a slow course northward, away from the frozen continent. We were a day at sea with another two to go until we reached Old Shore Port, and despite the seasickness, I couldn’t be more excited. My life was starting. I’d only ever been able to dream about the north and all of its promises of alchemic freedom, where you could find all the rare gear, ingredients, and knowledge a young dragon could want. Where I came from, all you could find was ice and thin living, and all you could do was whatever you could to survive.
For years, I’d stared into the white expanse and wondered how I would be able to make my way to the sea and how I would find the money to get on a ship. I looked at maps and fantasized about ways I could fly across the water, but any dragon could see the distance was impossible. And then, one day, a stranger wandered into the markets asking for salves and fire orbs. I knew he was an ice dragon like me because he only wore a light tunic, unlike the humans who couldn’t survive without their thick fur coats. He kept his face hidden beneath a shawl, and when I told him that the medicine would be no problem but fire was hard to come by and would take a few days for me to make, he flashed a hand of black coins and told me that the cost wasn’t important. Then he asked about a safe place to stay while he waited, somewhere discreet, and I offered him my tent.
That first night, he kept to himself and never showed his face, and I found myself telling him about my wishes to leave this place and cross the ocean. He listened silently, never responding, but also not ignoring me. I got the sense that he was glad to listen, that maybe he hadn’t had a pleasant interaction in a long time. The following days I left him alone in my tent while I went to find the components needed to bottle dragonfire; for some reason, even though I didn’t know him, I felt like I could trust him with my space. Then, that night, he revealed his face and told me his name.
He was Raka, and he was going across the ocean. He told me I couldn’t tell anyone, that it was life or death, and I promised him I wouldn’t. He was gorgeous, an omega with dark hair and gray eyes that were charged with purpose. He was a man on a mission, I could see that. I’d never met anyone with that kind of energy before—so clear and with such purpose that I felt more alive being near him. I didn’t know why he decided to trust me, but when I finished preparing the fire orbs for him, I also gave him a proposal.
“Hire me to escort you. If whatever you’re running from is dangerous, then you’ll do better with an alpha watching your back.”
And to my surprise, he agreed. So, I left everything behind, and we traveled together through miles of blizzard country to the Frozen Coast. Raka wouldn’t use his dragon form because the sky would be watched; by whom, I had no idea. We moved on foot, and it was cold, even for ice dragons. Then a snowstorm whited out the landscape and made it impossible to navigate. I made a shelter out of ice and bricks of snow, and for days, all we could do was take refuge as the temperature continued to plummet.
“I was the youngest alpha in my family,” I explained. “My brothers all joined flights and left the nest. No flight would take me. I didn’t have anything to offer, nothing anyone needed in our village. I was a burden, so I left.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“You don’t need to be. Anyone in my position would’ve been expected to do it.” I smiled dryly. “To maintain balance in the community. Just the way things go where I’m from.”
“I left my family, too,” he said. “Except they’ll do anything they can to find me. And I’m not going to let them.”
I felt a bond to him. To my naive mind, it was like he and I shared something special, like we were both up against the world. The exact reasons why he’d left his family, why he was running so far, didn’t matter to me. It was my first time feeling this way about an omega, and I was spellbound. I could feel him becoming more comfortable around me, allowing himself to lean on me for help, and through those few cold days, we learned that we could trust each other. Ideas for the future unfolded in my head like the crystalline threads of a rapidly forming snowflake. I wanted to keep him safe. I could help him when we reached that foreign shore, and maybe we could even become mates.
I gripped the rail as another bout of nausea lurched through me. The seabirds wheeled overhead, their cries sounding a lot like they were laughing at my misfortune. I watched as they zipped down and snagged fish from the icy water in their beaks, and wished I could be up in the air with them. Only sea drakes belonged on the ocean, not someone like me. And I seemed to be the only one who was sick.
“I got this for you. One of the crewmen said it helps with seasickness.”
I looked up to Raka walking over to me with a bowl in his hands. I tried to smile at him but was immediately defeated by my own stomach. I turned and retched into the void. The seabirds cackled, and I thought about throwing an icicle at them.
Raka’s palm rested against my back, rubbing me gently. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I’m fine, really. Perfectly fine—” Another whirl of vertigo cut my words short.
“Drink this.”
“This looks like a human’s work,” I muttered miserably, taking the bowl from him. It was filled with a green liquid that didn’t look much different from what I’d just spilled out, and it smelled like barnacles and seaweed with a hint of honey. In fact, I was positive that was exactly what it was composed of. An alchemist’s nose never lied. I knocked it back in one gulp and fought the urge to spray it over the side. It gurgled around in my stomach, but to my surprise, my nausea began to fade after a few minutes.
Raka stood next to me at the rail and we watched the sea together. I stole glances at him, fascinated by the intensity in the eyes shaded beneath the shawl. The way he stared out towards the empty horizon in the direction of the place we were going, it was like he was willing the land to rise out of the water and meet us. His gaze would’ve been enough to cut through and break any obstacle that got in his way. But Raka was gentle, too. He could speak with a softness that I could never hope to have, not just the words he used but the way he carried himself. He was elegant, polished, and he glowed, like new ice under a full moon.
“Raka,” I said, “I was—”
“Stop,” Raka said, holding up his palm. “You’re going to ask me a personal question.”
“Well, I—”
“Delos, it’s better for the both of us if we don’t get too close.”
“You’ve gotta tell me something else about yourself. We’re traveling companions.”
“Companions? Didn’t I hire you? That makes you more like my servant. I’m joking! Don’t make that face.” His smile was like sunlight on my heart. “If it’s any consolation, I do trust you. And…I do enjoy your company. A lot.” He took a long breath. “Which is why it’s better we keep some distance.”
I’d never felt so happy before. “How about something small, then? You could…you could tell me what your favorite animal is.”
He laughed. “Favorite animal?”
“I’m serious.”
“I have an affection for cats,” he said. “My family kept several cats to hunt ice voles. I’d spend a lot of time with them. I could train them, you know? I taught one how to ring bells to tell me what he wanted. Food, cuddles, and so on. He was so smart.”
“Cats seem like jerks to me. The ones I’ve seen, anyway.”
“Not at all! You have to get to know them and let them get to know you. There’s a cat on board, did you know?”
I shook my head.
Raka grabbed my arm. “Let’s go find him. I want to get off the deck.”
He led me inside to the lower decks where the less cold-tolerant passengers sheltered under blankets, clustering as close as possible to the steam room run by coal-blackened fire dragons who kept the furnaces stoked with their breath. There weren’t many people aboard, and we moved through the empty corridors past the dining hall, further into the depths of the ship.
“Where was it that you lived that you could keep cats as pets?” I asked “All the ones I ever knew were feral. Bushy-coated snowcats.”
“Sneaky, Delos. You managed to get some information out of me, but no more.”
“You know, Raka, I don’t know a whole lot about anything outside of alchemy and the icy shithole you found me in. But I get the feeling you’re someone special.”
“Oh, why, thank you,” he said without looking back at me.
“I mean, like someone highborn.”
He stopped so suddenly that I ran straight into him, and by instinct, I threw my arms around him to keep him from falling onto the ground.
“I’m telling you, Delos,” he said. “Warning you… Don’t get too close to me. It’s not going to end well. It’ll only hurt you.” He pushed away from me. “I’ve already let this go too far. I shouldn’t have agreed to bring you.”
“Why did you, then?”
He stayed silent, his expression cold.
“Raka, I don’t care if you’re highborn, or lowborn, or anywhere in between. None of that matters to me. It wouldn’t change how I feel about you. I’d still…”
“You’d still what?”
I struggled to get the words out. I wasn’t good at this, not at all. “I’d still…want you.”
His sharp gray eyes softened slightly, and he put his hand on my arm. Did his smile seem forced?
He sighed and said, “I wish you hadn’t told me that.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I said. “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met. You make me feel like I can do anything. I know we’ve only known each other for a week, but this is real. I know it is. I’ve never felt this way in my life.”
“I wish I could say I don’t feel the same, Delos. It would make things so much easier. But that would be a lie.”
My heart swelled. He felt the same, and that was all I needed to know. Slowly, I moved my arms around him, worried to make a wrong move that would cause him to pull away. But he slid his hands up my biceps to my shoulders, and he looked at me like he was helpless. And I felt the same, swept off my feet by the force of everything. I wasn’t adequately equipped to handle the way I felt. I didn’t know to sink my claws into the ice to stop me from plunging into the abyss.
A furry white shape blurred across the end of the hallway, and Raka pulled away, snapping out of the moment. “There he is! Come on.”
I hurried after him, my heart pounding with excitement. All I could think about was how close we’d been, that if we hadn’t been interrupted, maybe we would’ve…
Raka disappeared around the corner, and when I made the turn, he was already sweeping the fluffy bundle of thick fur into his arms. The cat meowed but otherwise made no protest, and Raka hugged it tightly.
“Look, isn’t it cute? They told me they have him catching rats, and isn’t he doing such a great job? Yes, he is.”
He grinned at me and ruffled the cat’s fur, and for a moment, it looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. Whatever he was running from, whatever he was hiding, it didn’t matter—it was like he was hugging his own pet cat from home and living in that memory. I was just happy to be able to see this part of him, that he was willing to share it with me.
I stroked the cat along with him, and I was fascinated by the curious rumbling it produced from inside its body.
“Cats aren’t so bad,” I said.
“You just have to get to know them.”
I would get him a cat, I decided. I’d find work selling my wares, open an alchemy shop, and we could find a place to live together. And we could have a cat, just like he did back home, and he would be happy. We’d both start new lives. We could be mates. Everything we’d been wouldn’t matter anymore, and we would start completely fresh. I’d no longer be the third alpha of a family. I’d take care of him, and we’d have our own flight.
I couldn’t hold it back any longer. Raka looked up at me, about to say something, and I leaned in and kissed him. He made a surprised squeak, but then his lips played against mine. The cat’s paws thudded lightly onto the floor, its collar jingling as it dashed away. Raka slipped his arms around me and pulled me closer. The ship swayed and we stumbled across the hallway, still locked to each other, and Raka’s back hit the wall. He held me tightly, our tongues teasing softly together. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever felt. I was floating, barely even aware when the ship rolled the other direction and sent us against the opposite wall. Then we made for the cabin hand in hand, almost running to get there.
The space was tight, just a bunk bed next to a frosted porthole. I had the top, Raka the bottom, but that night we shared. I latched the door behind us, swaying with the ship as I unfastened the ties on my coat. Raka slid onto the bed, undressing as I kissed him and pushed him against the wall. I was on top of him, sliding between his legs. I’d never done this before and I didn’t know if my eagerness or awkwardness was as apparent as it felt. But when I looked into Raka’s eyes, I knew it was his first time, too. He was under the same spell I was.
Our naked skin pressed together, my chest to his back as I slid my hands across his body, hungry to know the feeling of his muscles under my fingertips, to explore every contour of their shape. Everything about him sent my need into a frenzy. I was learning what it felt like to lose control, to be taken by an omega’s heat. Each breath I drew sent me spinning, the cool scent of his flesh swirling deep into my lungs. And his moans, they were like music. I’d never heard anything sound so good before.
His warmth surrounded me as I pushed in as deep as I could manage, rolling my hips against his perfect behind. He grabbed at the thin mattress, his body tensing and releasing as he worked me inside of him. We moved together, synchronized in pleasure until a brilliant heat squeezed around my length as I thrust towards climax. And when I came, it was like sunlight filling my head. I felt nothing but Raka, his wonderful aura enveloping my entire being as I pulsed and emptied every bit of myself into him. And that was it, the nail on the coffin that sealed my connection to Raka forever. I loved him; it didn’t matter how long we’d known each other. Any scrap of my usual sense of reason was gone—all I wanted was him.
When the dizzying haze passed, I slowly withdrew myself and lay beside him. His gray eyes searched mine, his fingers slowly tracing the muscles in my forearms. White crystals prickled across my skin, the byproduct of a sudden shift in body temperature. We were cozy, but any human or fire dragon would’ve felt a chill in the room. Our breath made puffs of steam in the air, and our skin glistened with melting dew.
Giddy from the moment, I began to spill out all the thoughts and plans I’d been fantasizing about while Raka listened quietly.
“We could find a place to live near the ocean. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to live where it’s not frozen. Will it be too hot? I could find work. Open another alchemy shop. I’ve heard there aren’t many dragons there. Certainly, the humans need dragon alchemy. I’m good at what I do. It might be hard at first, but we could find a small place.” I turned and grinned at him. “Oh, and we can get you a cat, of course. And—”
“Delos…”
“Okay, fine. We can get you many cats. As many as you want.”
He put his hand on my arm. “Delos, don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
He shook his head at me. “We…probably shouldn’t have.”
I frowned. “Did you not want to?”
“I did. Since the moment I stepped into your tent.”
My heart jumped when I heard this, but his expression tempered my happiness.
“I’ve never felt this way before,” he went on. “I can’t stop it. I’ve been trying.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Because, I’ve told you, getting too close to me is only going to hurt you in the end. I shouldn’t have ever agreed to bring you with me.”
“You say that, but you wouldn’t have made it very far without me.”
“I would’ve found someone else to guide me,” he replied. The hurt must’ve been obvious on my face, and Raka looked away. “I wouldn’t have felt the same about them as I do about you. It would’ve been easier.”
“I just don’t understand. We’ve left that place. Whatever you were wanting to leave behind is behind. So, start over. I already told you, your past doesn’t matter to me. You can forget it. I don’t need to know.”
“There are some things you can’t forget,” he said. “And there are some things that no amount of distance can be enough to escape from. Delos, you surely can’t be okay with not knowing what I’m running from? You don’t really know who I am.”
“That’s fine,” I said stubbornly. “Really. That’s how strongly I feel about you.”
He smiled, but the sadness remained in his eyes. He took a deep breath, sighed, and then pushed his face against my neck. I wrapped my arm around him and squeezed him close.
“I’ll protect you,” I said. “I’ll take care of you.”
The weather was changing. The humans left their fur coats in their quarters and ventured on deck. Now that I finally had my sea legs, I was ready to enjoy the fresh air and do a bit of exploring, but Raka hung back and stayed in our cabin, lost in thought. I picked up some food from the dining room and came straight back to him. I expected him to tell me to go up on deck on my own, but instead, he sat and ate with me. After we finished, I reached out and hesitantly placed my hand on his back, nervous to see what his reaction to my touch would be. He smiled quietly at me, and I moved my hand around his waist and pulled him closer. Raka leaned against me, then laid his palm on my thigh. Slowly, I moved my other hand to his thigh. His eyes followed my fingers as they wandered up his leg. Then he shivered, and his eyes met mine. He looked lost. But then he kissed me, and I held him, and he melted into me and pushed his face into my shoulder. He took long, deep breaths, and for a second, I thought he might’ve been crying, but when he pulled away, his eyes were dry.
That clear, icy look. It was captivating.
Later, Raka agreed to join me on deck, and we walked to the highest point on the ship and looked at the horizon. The water seemed to be a different color here, and the sky was a bright, clear blue with some of the biggest clouds I’d ever seen. Dolphins danced over the waves next to our wake, my first time ever seeing them in person.
“We’re almost there,” Raka said.
“You sound nervous,” I replied. “Don’t worry, Raka. I promised I’ll look after you. We’ll be fine.”
I slipped my hand around him, no hesitation this time. He pushed his fingers through mine and tilted his head against my ear.
“You dummy,” he muttered, and I kissed the side of his head.
Things are going to be fantastic,I thought as I watched the clouds moving overhead. Soon I’d be in the north with Raka by my side, and the possibilities of our life together were endless. It was hard to believe that just a week ago I was peddling potions, barely making things work. A family was what I wanted, a flight of my own, and now I could have that. For once in my life, luck was in my favor.
Raka didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, and I was more than happy to just enjoy his company, so we walked quietly around the ship together, people-watching. Eventually, below decks, we ran into the ship’s cat again, who for whatever reason came straight to me, pushing its face against my ankle as it weaved through my legs.
“Look at him,” Raka said. “Cats must love you.”
He knelt down and made a clicking noise with his tongue, and the cat immediately went to him.
“But they really love you,” I said.
“Life would be so much easier if we were cats, don’t you think?”
“Sure,” I said. “Lie around all day, chase mice. But I like being a dragon. I’d never want to give up my ability to shift. The experience of living in two forms. Of being able to fly.”
“It’s overrated,” Raka said, scratching under the cat’s chin.
“What? How so?”
“I don’t see what’s so great about it. Dragons don’t need to shift anymore. And look around you. This is a human’s world now—where we’re going, even more so. It’s nothing but trouble to a dragon in today’s world. Frankly, those who cling to the old ways are going to be left far behind.”
“I’m not clinging,” I said, frowning.
“I never said I was talking about you,” Raka replied, looking askance. “But if you’re feeling defensive about it…”
“I’m not. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the old ways, though...”
“You told me that your family cast you out because of the old ways. I’m surprised you’d defend them.”
“I’m not, really. Hold on, what’s going on? Did I say something wrong?”
Raka stood up. “No, you didn’t. I apologize.”
I sighed. “Let me guess… Something to do with your past?”
Raka looked away, his lips pulled tight. “I’m sorry. It’s better—”
“Better for me if I don’t know. I understand.”
“Things haven’t changed, Delos.”
“Well…some things have changed. Right?”
Raka touched my arm. “The place we’re going is not a haven for dragons. The division between dragons and humans is even greater in the northern continent, in ways most southern dwellers won’t understand.”
“Like me, I guess.”
“All I’m saying is that where we come from, people rely on the old ways because it makes it easier to survive. A shifted dragon can withstand the cold much easier than in human form. But where we’re going, the old ways are no longer king. It’s not a place for anyone who wants to cling to living as a dragon. And that’s exactly why I’m going there.”
“You want to live as a human?” I asked, shocked.
“I just want to live on my own terms.” He smiled. “I bet you’re really regretting everything now, aren’t you?”
“It’s a lot to take in,” I said. “But…there’s no way I could regret meeting you. Nothing would change that.”
Raka took my hand and pressed it to his cheek. Again, I thought I saw a slight change in his eyes, a flicker of sadness. I hugged him because it was the only thing I could think to do to make him feel better. I didn’t know what was causing him pain, and I knew I would hit a wall if I asked. But it didn’t really matter. Maybe someone wiser would’ve read the signs, seen the blizzard before it hit, but I wasn’t wise or experienced, or even willing to look. My mind was set, and I’d given my heart to him.
The word spread that we were to make port in the morning. I kept going back to the bow of the ship, straining my eyes at the horizon to get a glimpse of land that was still too far away to see. Part of me wanted to take to the sky and just go on my own two wings because I was so eager to see what this new place would be like.
That night, under the light of an oil lantern, I lay on Raka’s bunk and watched spellbound as he lowered himself onto me, guiding my length to his entrance with his hand. He closed his eyes as he sank down, taking me entirely inside, and I moved my hand along his thighs up to his waist, still in complete awe of his body and what we were doing together. It was like a dream. We were both in a dream.
He was all around me, so tight and impossibly deep. I held him steady and lifted my hips, thrusting upwards as I circled my fingers around his hardness, and I stroked him while I buried into him, committing every little pulse, every moan, every look he gave me to memory. I never wanted to forget this moment with him; it was different from the first time the night before, like Raka was meeting me with more intensity, without hesitation, and it was almost desperation. I held on as we moved faster, his clear eyes burning into mine, and I couldn’t hold back. It was so intense it felt like I was near to passing out—a snap of white and I was throbbing uncontrollably into him as I gasped for breath, the climax feeling like it was going to last forever. We kissed, and he touched his forehead against mine, and then his nose to the tip of my nose, and I was nothing but happy, the happiest I’d ever been in my life. The happiest I would ever be.
Then we lay together, arms around each other as the ship swayed gently and the stars made seesaw motions through the porthole. His head was on my chest and his eyes stayed fixed on mine, and I wanted to stay awake to match him, but I was so tired, and soon my eyelids began to fall.
I wasn’t sure how long it took before I finally drifted, but somewhere from the darkness of my sleep, I heard a voice whisper, “I’m so sorry, Delos.”
I was jolted awake by a loud clanging in my ear and was shocked to see a member of the ship’s crew standing in front of the bunk, outlined by the light of my open door.
“There’s an emergency. Fire on deck. All passengers must evacuate immediately to the deck level.”
And then he was gone, clanging his bell down the hallway as others ran past the cabin, talking in panicked voices. I whipped off the sheets, turned, and felt my heart plummet when I saw the empty space next to me.
“Raka?” I shouted.
I looked at the top bunk, threw open the bathroom door, and stupidly looked underneath the bed, but the room was completely empty. He was gone. Then I saw the note sitting on the counter. I snatched it up, read it, crumpled it in my fist, and bolted out the door.
“Please forget about me.”
I ran past bleary-eyed passengers hurrying along the hallway, continued up the stairs, and burst out onto the upper decks. The first thing I saw was the tower of flames engulfing the top level of the ship where the steam stacks jutted out behind the command deck. At the front of the ship, the crowd of passengers waited to climb onto lifeboats, their faces turned up towards the flames. I rushed over and pushed my way through, shouting for Raka. Across the water, small boats were sailing over to help, and I could see lights of a harbor in the dawn. We’d arrived.
“All the cabins are clear,” I heard a crewman say to his crewmate. “This is everyone.”
“Wait!” I said. “There’s someone missing.”
“Who?”
“My cabinmate.” I gave them my cabin number.
“We cleared that floor,” he said. “If they weren’t with you, then they must be on deck.”
“What if they went somewhere else inside the ship?”
“Then someone would find them. The crew is finishing sweeping the other decks now. Hey, wait!”
I went back and nearly slammed into a crewman carrying the ship’s cat. I spun around, startled to see the animal, hoping that maybe Raka would be somewhere close behind.
“Hey, get on deck!” the man shouted as I ran inside and down the stairs.
“Raka!” I yelled.
The note felt like a stone in my pocket, and a voice deep in my mind told me I wasn’t going to find him here. A group of crewmen caught me as I was running up the stairs.
“You, come with me!”
“Someone might still be down there,” I said back.
“No one’s down there. We’ve made the last sweep.”
“Then where the hell could he be?” I said, dismayed.
“Come on, you’ve gotta come with us. You stay down here and you’ll be trapped. That fire is spreading right down through the compressor tubes into the bowels of the ship. By the gods, how it got started is beyond me…”
It was at that moment that I remembered the reason Raka and I had met. I’d never asked him what he wanted those fire orbs for.
Back up on the deck, my mind raced for an answer. Could he have really done this? Was he still somewhere onboard, hiding where no one could find him so that he could go down with this burning ship? Why? Why would he do that?
“This way, onto the boats,” someone said, grabbing my arm.
Most passengers had already been evacuated. There weren’t many on board. I took one step forward, stopped, and then shook my arm free.
If he was still on board…
“Hey, you! What are you—”
I sprinted for the railing, vaulted over, and exploded into my dragon form over the water, my wings unfurling to their full length and carrying me up into the sky. The small boats were circling our ship, pumping feeble sprays of seawater onto the growing flames. The last lifeboat hit the surface just behind the line of others rowing their way towards the docks. I didn’t have time to fully appreciate the scene in front of me, a town stretching from the ocean cliffs to a border of forested hills, so many buildings, and not a speck of snow or ice to be seen. The air was moist and clean on the inhale and carried the smell of so many new things. But the acrid smoke rising from the ship hid most of it. The fire was spreading. I wheeled around to the rear of the ship where the fire was burning hottest and let loose a spray of blue ice from my mouth that blanketed the deck, only halfway hitting the flames. The heat was intense, and I couldn’t get close enough. I climbed up then spun around, back on the same course. Just then, out of my peripheral vision, two dark shapes split the pale morning sky.
Fire dragons! In their claws, they gripped massive cauldrons filled with water, and they made a pass over the ship, so close that the flames licked their bodies. The cauldrons tipped, dumping their contents onto the flames. The fire shrank for a moment and then burst out with even more intensity. The larger of the dragons swooped down to the water, refilling his cauldron. The other one made eye contact with me, and I quickly flew to his side.
“I’m Altair,” he said quickly. “That’s Rainor. You’re an ice dragon?”
“Delos,” I answered. “Yes. I can’t get close enough. It’s too hot.”
“We’ll get you close enough,” he said. “Rainor! Drop the tank, we’re going to shield this guy so he can use his ice on those flames.”
“Perfect,” Rainor said.
Their cauldrons hit the water and the three of us came around in formation with me just behind them.
“Dive!” Altair shouted.
I felt the heat on my scales until both of them pulled back their wings in front of me, overlapping to form a shield. Somehow, not a word needed to be spoken. We kept our dive in perfect synchronization until the last possible second that I could bear, and then I unleashed a torrent of ice right into the heart of the flames, snuffing them out and freezing the ship to its core. Together, we pulled back into the sky like a trio of flocking birds, just above the billowing steam and smoke from the extinguished fire. The rear of the ship, heavy with ice, sank to the waterline and began to flood.
“I have to get back down there,” I said.
“Why?” asked Rainor. Only now was I able to fully appreciate how big he was, like a floating wall of scales and muscle. Altair was trimmer, with sleek spines and dark red plating.
“There might be…I think someone is still on board.”
“There wasn’t,” said Altair.
“How do you know?”
“Fire dragon. My eyes are sensitive to heat signatures. I looked straight through that ship and everyone had gotten off.”
They turned to fly back to land, leaving me floating above the ship.
“Hey,” Altair called. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know,” I replied blankly, staring at the boiling water below me as the bow tilted and dipped under the surface.
“You were a passenger on that thing, right? Where are you headed?”
“Nowhere,” I said. “I don’t know where I’m going.”
“Rainor and I take it upon ourselves to protect the town from fire, though as you can probably tell, it isn’t an easy job for a couple of fire dragons to do. That synchronicity we had, that’s not common. We’ve been looking for an ice dragon. Do you need a place to stay?”
“We’ve got plenty of room,” said Rainor. “Big-ass warehouse we’re turning into a station. It’s grungy as hell, but it’s cozy.”
I turned and flew slowly after them in a silent daze. Raka…? I felt in my gut that he was responsible for starting that fire. But why? Why did he run away? Why did he leave me behind?
I felt a tightening in my chest, like the encroaching bite of ice in a cold snap, overtaking everything that was once warm and filled with hope and love. I became someone else at that moment. The Delos I’d been when I left was going down with that frozen ship.
