Dragon Scales (Rise of the Dragon Riders Book 2) by Ava Richardson

Author:Ava Richardson [Richardson, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-24T13:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

The forest below was a patchwork of green hues. From her vantage point on Alaric’s back, Cora couldn’t help but chuckle a bit when she thought of her earlier misgivings about training in the notorious forest that so many believed to be haunted or populated by monsters. The lore surrounding the place had given it quite the reputation, but Cora had come to realize the forest wasn’t at all what everyone believed it to be.

The Meldona Forest, despite its rocky terrain, was a quiet, peaceful place. Cora had learned to appreciate its stillness. Being on Alaric’s back, flying above the trees with the wind in her face, felt wonderfully liberating. There was a contentment that flying always provided her, and she allowed herself to enjoy it.

I am not sensing anything other than the usual animals, Alaric’s voice came through her thoughts.

Cora inhaled deeply and let her senses push beyond her to read the terrain. Nor I. I think there were some bears a few miles back, but nothing bigger, and certainly not a dragon herd.

Reading an area had quickly become second nature to Cora and Alaric. It was one of the few skills that they’d been able to pick up almost immediately once Tamsin had taught them the basics. Now, Cora found herself doing it constantly. It gave her a sense of security to always have an awareness of the things that lived and moved around her.

They continued their trek northward, reading the forest below for signs of the dragons and enjoying their peaceful time together up in the air. Back in Barcroft, they’d had limited opportunities to fly together, always worried about being seen, but here, there were no people for miles, giving them the freedom to relax and enjoy the flight. As Cora felt the tension unwind from her shoulders, she realized how right Tamsin had been to think this would be good for her. Whether they found other dragons or not, this was the perfect chance to give her mind and magic a chance to recenter and reset.

Wait, Alaric said a while later. I think I’m getting something.

Cora straightened her back, her senses tingling and humming with energy that pulsed through their bond. I feel it too. Over there. She pointed. There’s more than one of them. I’m not positive they’re dragons…but they’re certainly bigger than anything I’ve “read” before, except for you. Given her connection to Alaric, reading him wasn’t quite like reading any other creature—but up until this point, she hadn’t been entirely sure how much of what she sensed of him in the reading was different from other animals because he was a dragon as opposed to different because he was her dragon.

I believe there are at least a dozen or so of them, Alaric confirmed. And they seem to me to be the right size and shape for dragons.

Cora could sense this too. It must be the colony Tamsin spoke of.

A spike of curiosity trickled down the bond and grabbed Cora’s attention. What are you thinking? she asked.

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