Dragon Tamer
Chapter 26

As soon as I shut the door to my room behind me, I stripped out of the stupid dress and changed into my riding gear. Monsters be damned, I couldn’t spend another minute in this castle. I was falling apart and making a fool of myself. Not how I wanted the Dricinos to be viewed as.

I shoved the last of my things in my backpack then swung it over my shoulder. After my last visit here, I knew enough of the castle to confidently replace the dragons’ den. I could make a quick escape to Elesor and be out of here before anyone noticed I was gone. Assuming anyone will care I’m gone.

Shoving that thought aside, I yanked the door open--and found Camden standing in my way about to knock. Someone had given him a pair of pants to fit into, but apparently they couldn’t replace him a shirt. The torchlight in the hallway cast shadows over his broad chest and abs, making him all the more heart-breakingly handsome. I couldn’t stand to look at him.

“Kali?” He peered at my backpack and frowned suspiciously. “You’re leaving? You can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s better than being here,” I spat. A part of me wondered why he was here, but the other part just wanted him to get out of the way so I could leave and move on with my life.

He winced then put a hand on either side of the door frame, blocking my exit. “Was it the party? It was too much, wasn’t it? If it was the dress. . . my mother won’t have you executed; she knows what a twat I can be. I only wanted to fool around. I didn’t think people would fear me like that. Having you near made it less overwhelming for me. You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me differently.”

Don’t do it. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to look up at him. My heart went out to him, it truly did, but the instant I looked into those mesmorizing green eyes, I would only be reminded that I could never be his. His people would soon come to realise he hadn’t changed at all and that he was worthy of their love and devotion. They just needed time to adjust. He didn’t need me.

“I just wanted to say goodbye and go home, Cam,” I confessed, the resolve in my voice not nearly as strong as I wanted it to be. “I didn’t want to dance with Ronan or to be told I have a boy’s name or be paraded in front of everyone like that. That might be your life, but it’s not mine. I’m just a dragon tamer.”

“I’m sorry.” He sounded earnest in his apology, but he still didn’t move out of the way. “What do you want to do instead?”

I peered up at him, hoping it wasn’t too noticeable I’d been crying before he arrived. “What do you mean? What about the party?”

I thought he had only come here to apologize and stop me from leaving while it was still dark.

He shook his head, finally dropping his hands to his sides. His eyes flashed gold. “Forget the party if you’re not enjoying it. I don’t know when I’ll see you again; I want to spend tonight with you, however you want to spend it.”

It occured to me to reach up and kiss him with everything I had, to pull him into the bedroom and make love to him. It’d be a night I would never forget. A night he hopefully wouldn’t forget too quickly. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to see him every morning when I woke up, to fly to the ends of the world with him, go on our own adventures. But I couldn’t have any of it. He was a Dragon Prince. His duty was to stay here and protect his people, not run away with some daydreaming nobody--on the off chance that’s what he even wanted. Of course he didn’t, though. He could have anyone he wanted. And he picked that woman who’d called him Cammie.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Can we go flying?” That’s what I needed right now, to feel the wind in my hair, to clear my mind, see the ocean one last time, to pretend the sun was never going to come up, and see his beautiful dragon one more time.

His jaw went a little slack in his surprise; he seemed to think I wanted to play poker in my room or something. “Um. Sure. We can meet Elesor-”

“No. Um, I want to. . . ride you. . . if that’s okay?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered how he had reacted towards me when I touched him back in the jungle. “Never mind. Of course it’s not. Your dragon doesn’t want me touching you. Let’s go get Elesor.”

He winced then recovered quickly, grabbing my shoulders before I could walk around him. “Slow down, Kali. I’d be honoured for you to ride me. . . er, as my rider. On my back.” Even in the darkness, I saw his cheeks flush. “Let’s go.”

He lifted me into his arms and strode into the bedroom. If there was anyone in the hallway, they wouldn’t have thought we were going for a flight. He crossed the room in four long strides and kicked the balcony door open.

I stared down the hundred foot drop with wide eyes, gripping his shoulders tightly. “Cam? Are you sure about this?” I'd expected to go down to the dragons' den with him, where there was plenty of space for him to shift. There was nowhere for his dragon to go on the balacony, which meant. . .

He winked at me, stepping onto the railing perfectly balanced, despite the strong wind blasting us from below. The ocean roared below us, waves crashing against the cliff face. The full moon was the only light we had, though I was sure Camden could see everything much better than I could.

He looked down at me, eyes shining as beautifully as the stars above us. “Do you trust me?”

“What kind of question is that?” I’ve never trusted anyone more in my life. He had seen sides of me I feared to show anyone else and never once made me regret it.

He played a wolfish smile. “You’re the one questioning my abilities.”

I clung to his neck when a particularly strong wind hit us from the side. Still, he didn’t falter, an immovable force. The heat of his body protected me from the harsh breeze threatening to chill me.

“I imagined getting on your back as a dragon. . . . Can you shift while you’re holding someone in human form?”

“My dragon seems to think so. Let’s give it a go.”

Before I could protest further, he stepped off the balcony. My scream was engulfed by the wind whistling in my ears. Cam tucked me to his chest and began to shift. Seconds later, I was sitting in the claws of his dragon form. He spread his wings wide, catching the air current; we went up and up, soaring high over the ocean. Once he leveled off, he opened his claws and gestured with his colossal head for me to climb up his back. I sat on his withers, feet stirruped on the joints of his wings where they connected to his torso. His gait was so smooth in the air, I didn’t have to use my hands; I spread them out like they were wings of my own and let the wind take my hair away. I cried out as loud and fierce as any dragon; Cam mirrored my cry, a deep bellow that reverberated down his entire body. Laughing, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around as much of his neck as I could and brushed my fingers over his silky scales, memorizing every part of him. A purr vibrated through him and into my bones. It was a feeling like no other. I never wanted to forget this moment.

~~~

We flew for hours, high to join the moon and stars lighting the night’s sky, or low against the ocean’s surface. I climbed down his side, wrapping my legs around his front one and let my hand glide over the black ink glistening below us. The crisp salt water sprayed my face and side, chilling me to the bone. Shivering, I climbed back up between his wings, ignoring his laughter. He regained his altitude then teetered slightly to the left a few times--then he flipped all the way around, flying upside down. I slipped off with a surprised yelp, but he dipped underneath and caught me against his chest, claws holding me steady against his beating heart. I had nothing to hold onto; I had to entirely rely on him to not let me go. I pressed my ear to his chest and listened to the rhythm of his dragon heart as he soared upside down. I’d never experienced anything like it; his heart made a beautiful sound and he filled me with his warmth.

This was how I wanted to spend my last night with him, if I couldn’t have him any other way.

Sometime later, he landed in the dragons’ den under the castle and curled up near the ledge, head resting beside me. I leaned into his neck, pulling my knees to my chest, even though he gave me plenty of warmth. He fell asleep in his dragon form, chest rumbling as he snored along with the other dragons.

While the sun slowly crept over the horizon, casting beautiful colours over the ocean, I grazed my fingers over his smooth scales, memorizing every bump and crevasse, the deep, deep green of his scales, the sounds of his breathing. At least I got one wish: I’d spent the night with him and had him at my side until morning.

Once the sun was high enough, I snuck out of his embrace, brushing a kiss on his muzzle. “Thank you for having faith in me when no one else did, Cam. Don’t forget about me too quickly, okay? It’d break my heart if you did, because. . . because I love you and I’ll never forget you. Goodbye.”

He slept soundlessly while I jumped over his legs and tail to Elesor’s side. She watched the green dragon sleep, a soft crooning noise escaping her throat.

I petted her neck in comfort. “I know, Elli. I’m going to miss him too, but this is his home, not with us. Are you ready to go?”

She nodded, lowering herself down. I saddled up and strapped my bag to her side. After one last glance to the sleeping dragons, I hopped into the saddle. Elesor leapt off the ledge and followed the air current higher than the castle. We followed the sun across the sky westward for home to start our life right where we had left a little over a month ago. As much as the idea of moving on hurt, I couldn’t wait to get started.