Fang And Claw (Nocturne Academy 2)

The Drake reinforced this thought strongly in my head. Of course we could never be parted! We belonged together. I was his treasure—his L’lorna—I must not leave him. I must stay close to him so that he could guard me and protect me always.

“Don’t worry,” I told him, stroking his long, velvety muzzle. “I won’t.”

“Um, you won’t what?” Avery asked, frowning.

“I won’t leave him,” I answered. “He’s asking me to come with him to the Sky Lands. And I’m going.”

64

Kaitlyn

Of course, my announcement caused a lot of consternation and worry among my Coven.

“Kaitlyn, you can’t just fly away to a whole other world!” Megan protested.

“Do you even know where the Sky Lands are?” Avery asked, frowning.

“You’re going to get expelled!” Emma warned, looking worried.

Again, Griffin was the only one who seemed to understand.

“Let her go,” he said quietly. “She needs to go.”

“You can’t know that!” Megan flared, turning on him. “Don’t advise Kaitlyn to go off with a giant dragon she’s never even seen before to God-knows-where with no warning like this!”

Griffin took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

“My darling,” he said gently but firmly. “Can you not feel the connection between them? The force that pulls them together? It is the same force that pulled the two of us into each others’ orbit, though we didn’t understand why. We didn’t know at the time that you were destined to be the Witch Queen or I your Blood Knight—we only knew that being together felt right. And that the idea of parting felt wrong.”

Megan bit her lip.

“I guess I can see that,” she admitted grudgingly, at last. “But I worry about Kaitlyn! I don’t like the idea of her going off to a strange land with nobody she knows to protect her.”

The corners of Griffin’s mouth twitched.

“Megan,” he murmured, “Do you really think that any one of us can protect Kaitlyn as well as a ten-ton Drake with teeth like daggers, talons like swords, and the ability to breathe flames?”

“What about that, though?” Avery asked, frowning. “I mean, what about the flame breath?” He looked at me. “Aren’t you afraid of that anymore?”

I looked at the Drake, who was still regarding me steadily with his large golden eyes.

“Once you are Blood-Bonded to Ari, my flame cannot burn you,” he told me quite clearly. “And until then, I will be very, very careful, my L’lorna. I would rather die than harm you in any way.”

The truth of his words—of his love—flowed over and around and through me. I think there’s a verse in the Bible that says something like, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” And that was what I felt now—perfect love. I was so filled with it, there was no room for my fear of his fire anymore.

I might have been scarred by The Fire and I might fear other flames, but not the Drake’s. Because his would never be directed at me—they would only ever be used to protect and defend me, always.

But this was too complicated to explain to Avery. So I simply said,

“No, I’m not afraid. Not anymore.”

Avery frowned. “I feel like he’s got you hypnotized, Kaitlyn! I don’t like this sudden change. You were scared to death and now you’re acting like this enormous dragon is your new best friend. I mean, the Goddess only knows what’s going on here!”

I looked back at the Drake, troubled that Avery would think that way.

“He just doesn’t understand,” I told him, frowning. “Can you…do you think you can make him—make all of them—understand that you don’t want to hurt me?”

The Drake snorted uncertainly. He would never have the same connection with any of my friends that he had with me, he told me. But he thought that maybe if they would touch him, he could help them understand how he felt for me—at least a little. He would try, anyway, if they were willing.

I turned back towards my Coven.

“He wants to help you understand he won’t hurt me,” I said, translating the complex emotional message as best I could. “He says if all of you will come up and touch him, maybe he can make you see.”

“What—so he can hypnotize us too?” Avery snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t think so!”

But Griffin and Megan were already coming forward to stand with me. And next Emma came as well, moving a little tentatively and looking at the Drake with wide, uncertain eyes but moving towards him all the same.

“Come, Avery,” Griffin said, turning to my last Coven-mate, who was still frowning mulishly and holding his ground. “It’s not any kind of a trick or a hoax. I know you cannot fully understand because you haven’t found your fated-mate yet, but there is truth here. Truth and love.”

“Well…” Avery frowned and grumbled but at last he threw up his hands. “Fine—I’ll come.”