Bleeding Ink

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Sorceress and dragon stared at one another long and hard, neither one moving a muscle. Odanth's eyes glittered as he looked over every inch of her before coming back to her face and narrowing. Adeena realized then she didn't have her Lady Addie Merlo glamour over her. She was just herself, just Adeena.

The last time he'd seen her, though, she'd been all but four years old. A little girl who loved her dragon something fierce and just as he did her, who had tried to get to her whenever the assassin came to kill her and Cleo, who watched her die from where he circled high above before he could even make the dive.

Echoes of his roar of fury and heartbreak shook her to her bones. Gods, why was she just remembering this now? She hadn't thought about it in ages, the smaller details of that fateful night.

Odanth moved slowly then, crouching down on all fours as his massive head dipped toward her, nose level with her stomach as he inched forward. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him. But even after all these years, she still knew dragon etiquette, still knew he was the one who needed to make the first move.

Eyes locked on hers, Odanth moved closer, steam curling from his nostrils, warm breath brushing against her. Adeena slowly extended her hand toward him. His gaze shifted to it, pausing. An offer, even when she felt him tugging on their newly uncovered bloodrite bond.

And he accepted it, pressing his nose to her palm, and breathed in deep as his eyes closed.

Though they shot back open as soon as he realized who she was.

There was no more hesitation as he took two more thundering steps toward her, excitement flaring through him as a happy grumble sounded from his chest. Tears glittering in her eyes once more, Adeena let out a choked laugh as the dragon she hadn't seen in over a century shifted his massive body around her, curling in tight as if to give her a hug. Odanth nuzzled the side of his head against her stomach, pulling her back against the warmth of his side.

"Hi, my sweet dragon," Adeena whispered to him with a laugh, leaning down to kiss his brow. She smoothed her hand along his snout, making him grumble in contentment.

Odanth huffed out another breath, looking up at her again and yet not moving from how he was curled around her. It took her no time at all to realize what questions flickered in his gaze.

Where did you go? Where have you been? Why did you leave us?

"I know. I'm sorry. If I had it my way, I would have come back as soon as I was able. Both me and Evander."

At the sound of her grandfather's name, Odanth perked up again, his tail swishing. He and Ollyn had loved him fiercely, too, so no wonder losing him was just as devastating.

"He's all right. One day...one day soon the two of us will come back to you, Ollyn, Grandma Renna...and Cleo. Cleo's been taking good care of you, hasn't she?"

Odanth grumbled and almost seemed to give her a nod.

"Good. I'd have to talk to her if she hadn't been, huh?"

Her dragon moved so he could see her, so he could look clearly into her eyes as if to remind himself that this really was Adeena he was talking to, his bloodrite bond who he'd been without for so long. She smoothed her hand along the top of his snout, right between his eyes as he closed them and let out what almost sounded like a content hum. Where did he learn that from?

"I missed you, too," she whispered to him.

***

There was no use trying to hide a dragon five times the size of a horse. She couldn't, not when Odanth didn't want to let her out of his sight. Instead, Adeena promised him she would be back later that afternoon and made him promise to stay there right by the glittering pool while she made her way back to the inn.