Dracon (1st book of the Draconon Series)

Chapter 44

Pop!

Crack!

Whoosh!

I jerked my head back and took a few steps back when I felt this wave of magic and power entering my head and causing my ears to pop and ring, and I shook my head to get rid of that stupid ringing tone that seemed to appear afterward, no matter how hard I tried.

I snorted and shook my head from side to side, pinning my ears to the side of my head and growled, flicking my tail.

What the actual fuck just happened? I thought and shook my head again, and finally the ringing stopped just as fast as it began. That was weird and did not feel good at all.

"Your Highness?" I heard Targon ask from the ground with a small groan in his voice, and I instantly looked that way to see him lying on the ground with a small grimace on his face, clutching his side. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he studied me, waving off Andromeda. "Can you hear me, now?"

Relief and guilt filled my body when I realized that I had knocked him down when I jerked my head back and took a couple of steps back to get away from the stupid magic that filled my head.

I hesitated before I slowly nodded and lowered my head closer to him to see if he was ok and how much pain I had caused him.

Targon chuckled and rubbed my nose when I nudged his side and breathed out just a bit in concern. "I am ok, Your Highness," he said, the chuckle still in his voice, and I closed my eyes a little while he rubbed my nose. "Thank you for checking in on me."

Then, stand, I wanted to say but couldn't and nudged him again, earning another chuckle from my guard.

Targon nodded and bit back another chuckle. "Move your head for me and then I will stand, Clove," he promised while he rubbed my head again. "I am not that injured, so there is nothing for you to fear.

I held back an eye roll but did what I was told to do and moved my head away from him. I watched him with a critical look on my face, earning another chuckle from my guard while he stood, the grimace appearing again.

"You can link me to talk to me, Your Highness," he said softly. He took a hesitant step toward me and held out his hand, not touching me like he wanted to.

There was this... look in his eyes that held a small bit of doubt in it, and I could tell that he didn't know if I would allow him to or not, even though he had been petting me a couple of times while I kept my face near him.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, not knowing where this was coming from, before I nudged his hand with my nose, and he rested his hand on my nose, breathing a small sigh of relief. 'Sylias?' I asked when I felt something stirring in the back of my mind, for I had not contacted my guard just yet. 'Is that you?'

Sylais grumbled something under her breath about magic and pain and whatever else she was mad at, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief to hear that she was ok.

Thank Gods...

'Yes,' she said with a small tired chuckle in her voice. 'It's me. Are you ok?'

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, flicking my tail in annoyance. 'I believe it is me that needs to ask you if you are the one that is ok, Sylias,' I said. 'You are the one that has disappeared on me after I finished shifting into our other form.'

Sylias bit back a small chuckle, and I had a feeling that she slowly nodded. 'I know,' she said. She sighed and seemed to flick her tail in annoyance and guilt. 'I wasn't strong enough to do that, neither of us were, so I hope that you will be able to forgive me for disappearing on you and causing you so much pain.'

I bit back a small chuckle and mentally shook my head. 'Don't apologize, Sylias,' I said, not mad at all. 'I do not know why you are apologizing to me when it isn't your fault. It was just something that had happened, and it's no one's fault.'

Even if it was a little strange...

My dragon breathed a small sigh of relief and mentally nodded. She flicked her tail and cocked her head, and I had a feeling that she wanted to know how I was feeling. 'So, how are you feeling, Clove?' she asked. 'Do you feel sore or in pain?'

I flicked my tail and assessed our shared body, not knowing why she didn't do it on her own, but I didn't feel sore or in pain at all, much to my relief. 'No,' I said. 'I do not feel sore or am in any pain at all, Sylias.'

She breathed another small sigh of relief and nodded again. 'Good,' she said. She flicked her tail and let out this gruntled purr. 'I am glad that you do not feel sore or in pain.' She paused and raised an eyebrow in question. 'Now, do you want to stand?'

"Clover?" Targon asked when I silently agreed with my dragon that I wanted to try to stand and get my bearing as a dragon. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he studied me, pressing his lips into a thin line while he moved a hand across my nose.

Worry and nervousness flickered through his eyes when he saw me put my legs under me, and I could tell that he didn't know what I was planning on doing but hoped that everything was going to be fine. "Are you ok?"

I nodded and nudged him a little back so that I would be able to stand without hurting him or having him fall to the ground again.

Targon pressed his lips into a thin line but did what I silently told him to do and took a step back, taking his hand off of my nose. "Are you sure?" he asked and cocked his head while he studied me, and I nodded. He bit back a small sigh of annoyance and slowly nodded. "Do not try to fly yet until you get your bearings as a dragon. Is that understood?"

'We should just fly away and see what he has to say,' Sylias said, and I couldn't help but bite back a small snort. 'You will be able to do it, and I know that you will do great.'

I bit back a small chuckle and mentally shook my head. 'Not yet,' I said and kept kneeling while I continued to get my bearings and slowly started to get the confidence to stand.

"Clove?" Targon asked,and I looked at him, pricking my ears toward him. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he tapped the side of his head, and I raised an eyebrow in question, silently waiting for him to continue.

"Do you remember how to contact me via mindlink?" he asked with a small hum in his voice while he studied me, raising his eyebrow in question. "You know that you can do that, correct?"

I hesitated before I slowly nodded and flicked my tail. I hesitated before I took a deep breath and released it, setting a link between us by pushing against his mind, and he looked down while I did so.

Targon accepted the link between us while he continued not to look at me, and I could feel this same comforting presence in my mind when I contacted him when I was human.

I hesitated before I flicked my tail and looked at him. "Targon?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, and he looked at me again. I didn't know why I was so hesitant, so afraid, but for some reason, I was. "Can you hear me?"

Targon bit back a small smile and slowly nodded while he bowed, submitting. "I can," he said, breathing a small sigh of relief and he looked at me again and offered me a tight smile with pride shining in his eyes. "How are you, my Princess?"