Raven Dreams (Desert Dragons 4) by Julia Talbot

Author:Julia Talbot [Talbot, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIN 07645-02465
Published: 2016-02-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

God, Oliver’s head throbbed and nausea pushed against the bottom of his belly and back of his throat. He was going to puke. Imminently.

The new clutch of dragons was settled -- half a dozen of them as big as his little ones were when almost grown. The twins had died, still and cold in Dan’s hands. He kept heading over and checking Dan’s pulse, which was there, but just barely.

Kalo… Well, his pulse was erratic, racing one minute, thready and weak the next. Bipbi lay along Kalo’s shoulders, still and tiny-looking.

“What the hell happened?” Arturo was growling. “Why are they in frickin’ comas?”

“They bonded with the little ones when they passed on.” Mik sounded like it was the most normal thing on earth.

Oliver wanted to hit him.

“What does that mean?” Banger asked, holding Sunny and Frank close to him, which Oliver figured was an instinctive move.

“They’re like my Piasa now. Dragons in the spirit.”

“But --” Oliver started tugging at his braid. “You lived.”

“Of course I did. Piasa is so strong.” Mik smiled, his soft expression telling Oliver Pia was talking to him on a private wavelength.

“So I’m going to lose all of them, dragons and men? They came here to be lost?”

“No. No, they’ll be okay.” Mik looked way more doubtful than he sounded, though.

“How? How will we be okay? There are so many. So many dragons.” Oliver sat down hard, slapping on the rough floor, sending up a puff of dust.

“I know.” Arturo knelt next to him, hand warm and comforting on the back of his neck. “We got this, babe.”

“Something’s wrong. There are so many. So very many.” Oliver looked up at Arturo, worried, unable to stop messing with his hair. “They’re everywhere. We can’t keep them hidden.”

“Maybe we won’t have to for much longer. There has to be a reason. Maybe they’re supposed to help us.” Banger seemed… calm. So much more so than the rest of them. Then again, he was new to this, so maybe he had no idea how serious this was.

“They’re beautiful.” Arturo leaned hard against Oliver’s back.

“They are.” Tears stung his eyes, because hatchings always made him emotional. Such amazing creatures, his dragons. No matter what kind they turned out to be.

Turquesa came to him, trilling softly, buoying his soul. Azul slipped under his arm from the other side, making this little cooing noise.

“My good ones. Oh, I love you all so.” Oliver sighed. “If they make it, Kalo and Dan will be leaving, won’t they?”

Mik nodded, his expression sympathetic. “They will. Piasa says they’re needed up in the mountains. Not where you were,” he added, nodding at Arturo. “Up where they belong.”

“Is that where Dan came from do you think? The high desert?”

“I bet so, even if he is a pale one.” Mik chuckled. “He has that air about him.”

“Your cousin thinks he’s broken.”

“He does seem… forgetful.” Mik shrugged. “He was beaten and kidnapped and starved. I bet he recovers soon.”

“And if he doesn’t ever get his memories back, he’s good to the babies,” Arturo pointed out.

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