A Storm in the Desert: Dragonlinked Chronicles Voume 3 (15 page)

“I love you for thinking that way.” Willem’s arm went around his waist. “But no one is ever completely safe. All we can do is make things as safe as we can.”

As safe as we can? Aeron hitched up the satchel on his shoulder and put his arm around Willem’s waist. Well, as long as he had the things he valued most, that might be good enough.

+ + + + +

“Happy Birthing Day!”

Anaya watched through the doorway as glasses and mugs were raised all around Aeron. She rumbled happily and added her own low croon. It was good that he was not sad anymore, not angry anymore. Willem had been able to explain it to Aeron better than she could.

She felt happy. Willem was good for them.

Balam rubbed his cheek against hers.
They celebrate Aeron’s birth?

They do. He is sixteen years old today.

Years. Those are full season cycles?

They are. A human word.

I am almost one year old.

Anaya turned to him.
That is true. Three months and a few days to go. I had forgotten.

How old are you?

A little over one year and two months.
Except for Ikan, she was the eldest of all the bonded dragons.

You are not that much older than me. Four months?

She made a huffing sound.
One more month and I would have been half a year older.
She looked back at the party. Liara was refilling cups.

Balam laughed quietly.

She glanced at him. Was he making light of her?

He rubbed her cheek again.
Even when you are angry, I feel as if butterflies dance in my belly when you look at me.

Her breath caught. Warmth spread out from the center of her being, radiating out to arms, tail, neck, and beyond. She stared at him in wonder.

Sometimes, that exact feeling filled her stomach when she looked at him, or flew with him, or was near him. An excited fluttering, as if thousands of—

Anaya?
Aeron peered through the doorway at her.

A–Aeron?

Are you okay?

I am just excited for you. Happy Birthing Day!
She needed time to think on this. What did it mean?

Thanks, dear-heart.
He smiled, sent her a hug, and turned back to the others. Willem handed him a package. After opening it, Aeron wrapped his arms around Willem.

Anaya blinked. That emotion, the one coming through the link right now. It was the same. But how? Her memories did not contain a dragon that had ever felt like this. And yet—

She turned to Balam, astonished.
I think . . . I think I am in love with you.

He rumbled happily.
I have always been in love with you.
Leaning closer, he touched his nose to hers.

Butterflies.

+ + + + +

Above, stars lit the sky like so many millions of tiny diamonds tossed into the air amidst a glowing backdrop of deep blues and purples. The crystalline clarity of this winter’s night left nothing to obscure the incredible sight.

Renata took it all in and smiled beneath the riding mask. This place was just as beautiful as where she was from. Different, yes, with grass, plants, and forests instead of dry soil, sand, and scrub brush. Glancing down revealed a sea of dark evergreen trees racing past below. A real forest! And it was colder. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, yet. The people, too, were different. That they had the same tradition, celebrating one’s birthing day, was one more reason she loved it here. That and the love and friendship the dragonlinked had for each other. It was such a contrast to Bataan-Mok. Polandra seemed to be happy here, too. Renata raised her arms into the rushing wind and let out a happy yell of delight.

Xochi added her own joyous roar as they flew along the patrol route.

As her bond-mate’s bellow faded, Renata closed her eyes and concentrated, stretching out her senses as far as she could.

Nope. Nothing.
No nahual around.

That means we can have more fun!

Renata gripped the hand-holds and clamped her legs to the saddle as Xochi increased her speed. Three barrel-rolls later, and Renata was again cheering and laughing.

What would Nesch Takatin think if she took Xochi to Bataan-Mok and they did a few dragon tricks over the sprawling structure? Would his face turn purple as he sputtered, staring up from one of the plazas, trying to give out orders for the Manisi to attack them? Renata was glad she’d left that place.

Honestly, though, she was actually doing a lot of the same things for the Guildmaster as she’d done for the Nesch. But here, at least, it was for something good and worthwhile. And it was
fun.
Fun was in very short supply in the Order.

Xochi backwinged suddenly and hovered as they both looked to the north.

What in Yrdra’s—
Renata pushed out her senses, but it only confirmed her initial thought. The nahual was well within their ten mile range.
How did we miss that nahual until just now?

I do not know. It was not there and then it was.

She played with her tongue, gently pressing the tip of it between her teeth. Was there now another kind of nahual, a new kind of nahual-ton?
Let’s get over there.

Watching the beast through the binocle revealed nothing unusual. It would disappear into its tunnel for a while, kicking out dirt onto a large mound just outside, then spend a great deal of time spreading that dirt all around the area.

Smart.
Xochi sounded impressed. Her massive wings beat the air as they hovered several hundred feet from the nahual.

How so?

By spreading the soil around, it does not leave evidence of its den being dug.

Hmm. That is smart. And troubling. Nahual are more intelligent than I’d imagined.

This one will not be for long.

You’re right about that. Let’s take care of it.
Renata stowed the field-glasses as Xochi flew them in.

It knew they were coming. Nahual definitely had some sort of sense like they did, though not as strong. When Xochi dropped to the ground, Renata grabbed her bo and leapt off. She landed in an attack stance, facing the beast.

It hissed, opening wide its terrible mouth.

Xochi’s answering growl was deep and angry. The red dragon moved off a few feet to the side.

Renata wove Neilah’s Constriction around the nahual’s neck. She grunted as the spell was immediately countered, its power rebounding back to her like a strike to the gut. Then, almost faster than she could see, the beast leapt at her.

Renata!

Eyes wide, she crouched, planting one end of the bo in the dirt and lifting the other end toward the beast. It caught the thing in the stomach. Renata held the bo steady in the ground and used it with the nahual’s forward momentum to lift the creature up and over her.

The nahual hit several feet behind and rolled a few times, scattering leaves and twigs, before it rose to its feet and hissed, spittle flying from its horrid lips.

The pulse of magic came less than a second before the glamour spell landed.

Renata smiled and marveled at the pure calm she felt, the sense that nothing mattered anymore. She’d forgotten how nice it felt.

Xochi roared at her and said,
Counter it!

Why was her bond-mate so angry, so worried? This felt nice.

Renata!

Okay, okay.
She examined the glowing numbers arrayed about her, like soldiers standing in rows and columns, all at attention. There, and there, and there. She raised the new figures, inserted them among the others, and the glamour fell away.

Head clear, the realization of how terribly effective the spell was, of how she’d not wanted to counter it, was like a slap in the face. She spun to face the beast.

The nahual screamed in frustration and gnashed its teeth.

Xochi paced back and forth nearby, rumbling angrily. Her movement caught the things attention.

“No!” Renata took two steps toward the nahual. “Don’t you dare look at her, you bitch!”

In desperation, she began weaving another spell on the thing, but even before the enchantment had been completed, it was countered.

“Gods damn it!”

The nahual growled and turned to her.

Well, at least she had its attention again. It was going to be tough, though. This nahual was very good at countering. Renata wove four spells, and four globes of light appeared, dozens of feet in the air. They lit the clearing, making everything easier to see. The nahual glanced up, covered its eyes, and hissed.

Xochi roared at the beast.
I will breathe fire on it.

If I could somehow get it to stop moving, that would work. But it counters every spell I throw at it.

The thing sprinted for her. It didn’t jump—it just ran straight at her, leaves, scattering dirt and leaves behind it.

“Shit!”

Concentrate!

Renata quickly moved into a defensive stance. As the slavering creature drew near, she was suddenly reminded of Polandra attacking her during practice. She felt a little guilty that this beast had brought her friend to mind, but she didn’t have time to worry about that right now.

Where were the nahual’s hands? Where was it looking? What were the muscles in its chest doing, the muscles in its legs? She adjusted her position slightly, waited, and watched.

Just before it reached her, its muscles gave it away: A feint to her right. That meant the real attack would likely be to her left.

Pushing off with her right leg briefly, leaning a bit to the left, at the last moment she then shifted and jumped to the right, spinning the bo and bringing it down on the back of the nahual’s head as it flew past, claws swiping the empty air where she was not.

It grunted, and as it fell, was somehow able to twist around and lash at her.

The sound of tearing leather, brief as it was, made her shiver. She then gasped as pain spread across her leg.

Renata!

She ran across the clearing, away from the thing, and quickly examined the wound. The gash on her thigh was shallow, but long. The leather riding gear had prevented it from doing even more damage. Still, it hurt and was bleeding.

I’m okay. It’s not very deep.

It hurts you.

Yes, but not so much that I can’t fight.

The creature stood and slowly licked blood from the claw that had ripped through her pants. Its long, narrow tongue was obscene. Once done, it stared at her. The drawn-out, quiet hiss it made was not angry this time. It sounded . . . eager.

Renata went over her options. The nahual was very fast. If it got in close and stayed, she was done for. Maybe Xochi could attack it. She glanced at her bond-mate. Imagining what those claws could do to delicate wings, however, made Renata toss that idea aside. What could she do, then?

The nahual, shadowed eyes never leaving her, moved closer. Not quickly, though. No, it took its time. Was it enjoying this? About halfway across the clearing, the nahual stopped, glanced down, and stepped over a storm-tossed branch before continuing its slow advance.

Renata bit her lip. What could she do? The damn thing was so good at countering that casting spells on it was pointless. But what if both she and Xochi cast spells together? Perhaps a flurry of them would keep the nahual occupied, give her time to do something. It was so fast at countering, though. Any spell cast on it was—

Her eyes widened.

Any spell cast on the nahual. She smiled. Any spell cast on the nahual!

Xochi turned to her.
What is it?

Renata quickly took part of Xing’s Levitation and used it to infuse the entire large branch behind the nahual with a vector.

The creature must have felt the magic, for it stopped and stood, twenty feet in front of her, staring. Waiting?

Oh, no, Renata purred to herself, you won’t be able to counter this.

She aimed the vector directly at herself, through the nahual, and extended it a few feet behind to give it plenty of punch. She spun her bo as a distraction just as she completed the spell.

The nahual’s muscles tensed, probably in preparation for her to attack. Behind it, the branch was suddenly airborne. The nahual must have sensed something—the movement of air, the sound of dry leaves rustling, she’d never know what—and it started to turn its head, but too late.

The foot-thick branch struck with such force that it split in two. One half flew past on Renata’s right, the other—so close she heard it tearing through the air—flipped past on the left. The nahual, hit square in the back, was knocked several feet closer, face-down.

Renata, not wanting to take any chances, quickly moved to the side, away from it.

Smart! It cannot quickly counter what is not cast on it.

That’s exactly right, sweetling.