Verath the Red (Dragonwall Series #3)

Prologue

Isabella waited alone, shielding her gaze against the sun. She surveyed the empty landscape and sky above, chewing on the inside of her cheek. This was a mistake. She shouldn't have come.

Dissatisfaction blossomed in her chest like a night flower opening at sunset. She placed a hand against her abdomen, calming her jittery stomach. It was no use.

Nearly a year had passed. Would he look the same? Act the same? Would he look upon her as he once did? Her mind raced back to their first meeting, to the days when he had been nothing but a dragon. She recalled the reverence in his telepathic voice, the awe in his eyes. A snort fell from her nose. A dragon—yet he beheld her as the greater being. And she was. But what dragon would admit to such things?

She glanced about. Perhaps it wasn't too late. She could slip away, pretend she'd never received his invitation. Vigilance had requested she wait beside the monstrous boulder that pointed south-west like a finger, towards the very tip of the Eigaden Peninsula. Shielding her gaze against the harsh sun, she saw the sparkle of cerulean blue beyond the land. The intense light bearing down on her left her eyes watering. It was too much—too bright. She already missed the muted illuminance of the forest.

A sigh escaped her lips, frustration getting the better of her. Never take orders from a dragon! Or even a request made politely. She had considered refusal, her mind like a pendulum swinging back and forth. She knew what it might mean, seeing him again.

The war was over, and against all odds, Rage had been defeated. She owed the beasts of the sky nothing. Yet, a smug smile of satisfaction blossomed across her face. What would they think—those beasts? How would they react when they discovered her trickery? When they discovered what she'd done? Perhaps they wouldn't realize it...not until much later. Thousands and thousands of years from now.

And still, a sense of obligation tugged at her gut even now, but an obligation to only one beast...not all. She felt pulled—tugged. With Vigilance, she had always struggled, struggled against some invisible force tying them together. He was—in a way—her creation. That alone created an inexplicable fondness for him.

It had taken her nearly a week to journey to this place from the heart of Esterpine. She thought perhaps there would be something telling about it, some special indicator as to why she was here. Even as she studied the land, nothing spoke of its purpose. All she saw was a remote, unpopulated stretch.

She had come alone, too, as requested. Her unicorn, Klide, waited patiently beside her. She stroked his head, whispering to him. Unicorns were not servants of her people, they were companions. Often eager to help. Klide had been her companion for many years, offering his back countless times during her journeys through the forest and beyond. His unbelievable speed allowed her to travel throughout the countryside, far and wide, faster than any horse could possibly match.

Klide's mind touched hers, humming with the gentleness of the forest. She could almost smell the night flowers and foliage, the soft dirt. His presence was different than a dragon's. A dragon's mind, or a Drengr, as they preferred to be called now, was overly complicated, full of deceit and trickery. There was still too much dragon and not enough human in them. She should have done a better job. Dragons, and even the Drengr, would never be simple and pure as the unicorns. But the magic she'd worked was impressive nonetheless.

Something was coming. Klide whispered his warning, brushing against her. She glanced in the direction indicated and noticed the glitter of deep blue scales on the horizon, moving south-west towards her. She exhaled, relaxing her tense shoulders. Her fingers reached for Klide's mane, for comfort. His hair was silky against her skin. He nuzzled her side before turning his attention to the grass beneath their feet. It never tasted as sweet as home...She felt his thought like a forlorn sigh. And yes, she had to agree with him. Nothing seemed as sweet outside of their forest world.