Song of the Dragon Queen (Dragon Reign Book 3) by Cadence Connor

Author:Cadence Connor [Connor, Cadence]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-11-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

RYLAND

It was an odd sensation, feeling like a stranger in his own Maise. To be sitting at the table he’d had so many meals at and feel like more of an outsider than the new rider that only turned up in their Fordde today.

“Some more roast, Ryland?” Tallan said cheerfully. The rider shook back his shaggy blond hair and offered the plate of meat as if he were the host and Ryland was nothing more than a new, green junior.

When they first arrived this morning, Zin’s new dragonmate was practically vibrating with nerves and tripping over himself to greet Ryland, who had been dragged out by Raph to meet the pair upon arrival.

“Thanks.” Ryland took the piping hot plate and moodily stabbed a dark piece of meat. Perhaps a good meal would make him feel better about this entire thing. Something had to break through.

Around him, Jax and Faran joked with Commander Effront while Zin, Maeve, and Jule had moved on to their second bottle of red, enjoying their opportunity to catch up. Both Zin and Maeve were a bit more subdued than he’d usually seen them together. No doubt the news of Meilene’s journey had affected what should have been a happy reunion.

Zin came here under the pretenses that Ryland and Meilene wanted to meet her new dragonmate, only to discover that they’d be staying longer than expected, and she’d soon have to help her Reina through a traumatic season.

It was enough to dampen anyone’s mood.

As Tallan was so new, they didn’t want to spoil his first visit to the Domium Fordde with such sour news. So, the poor queensmate, along with a few others at this table, remained painfully in the dark. He was too busy trying to get Zin’s attention to pick up on the undertones of dinner.

It looked like his efforts would be in vain. Zin smiled nicely at her partner rider, but there didn’t seem to be any deep affection from the queen rider’s end. Not that it deterred Tallan in the slightest.

Ryland chuckled at the poor rider’s attempts. He was new and unaware of queen riders’ stubbornness and how long it took them to warm to a new dragonmate, if they ever did. Something Ryland was well aware of from his first months with Meilene, who was lukewarm at best, all while trying to find a way to get rid of him after Aletzia and Maleth’s first mating.

The thought brought back that familiar ache in his heart.

So, Ryland leaned back in his seat and allowed Raphael and Maeve to lead the discussions and keep the laughter flowing this evening as much as possible, given that half the group was privy to a terrible secret that the other half was blissfully unaware of. All in all, it was an uncomfortable night, and many of the group didn’t understand why.

It felt like he forgot how to have a normal conversation with someone who wasn’t a medic or Raph. Even being in this Maise felt strange. Everything was off without Meilene here.

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