A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania 2)

“What,” I said, sounding grumpy. “It’s a thing.”

“I don’t want your ass cake,” Tiggy said solemnly. “No more cake for Tiggy.”

Ryan helped me up, arm wrapped around my waist. The lights of Zero’s magic were gone, and the forest around us was dark, but I felt… lighter, somehow. Like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I glanced at Zero, who was curled in on himself, looking pensive and nervous, like he’d done something wrong.

“It worked, didn’t it?” I asked him.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t mean—”

“Zero.”

He flinched.

I pulled away from Ryan and took a slow step toward the snake dragon. He looked as if he was about to flee, but I reached up and touched his face, trailing my fingers along his jaw. I thought he’d jerk his head back, and for a moment, he almost did. But then I pressed my hand firmly against him, and he shuddered before nuzzling into my touch. There was a spark deep within me, and it felt like his firefly lights, like he’d given me part of himself. It was warm and sweet, and it felt right, like it was supposed to be there. Like he was supposed to be there. But it was still timid, unsure.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You really want me?” he whispered.

“I do.”

“And you think I can help?”

“Yes. Because you’re not a villain, Zero. And when this is over, I will help you make things beautiful again.”

And for the first time, Zero smiled at me, a wide, toothy thing that was really rather remarkable.

That spark in me burned a little brighter at that.

“ARE YOU sure about this?” Ryan asked, watching as Kevin carried Tiggy across the divide. The dragon had already brought Gary and Ruv across, given the stone path had been broken during the mermaid attack. “It just feels… weird. Leaving him here.”

I glanced back over my shoulder where Zero lay curled up behind us, tail twitching back and forth. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m sure. He needs to stay here for now. He’s not ready to leave yet. And I’m not ready for him. There’s still work to do.”

“The other dragons,” he said.

“I don’t know how they’ll react,” I admitted. “And I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

“Ah, but that doesn’t necessarily bode well for the rest of us.”

I laughed, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll protect you, babe. I got your back.”

He rolled his eyes, but I could see the blush on his face. “Maybe I want to protect you,” he muttered.

“Yeah, yeah, big strong knight. I get you.”

“What if Myrin comes for him?”

That name. I felt chilled every time I heard it. “Even if he does, Zero’s already chosen. I trust him.”

He searched my face for something. What, I didn’t know. “And you don’t think someone like Myrin could bend another’s will?”

“I don’t think it’s possible for someone to make a dragon do anything they don’t want to do.”

“You have a lot of faith in that.”

“I have to,” I admitted. “Because the alternative scares me.”

“North, then? To Randall.”