Whisper of Water by Jillian James

Author:Jillian James [James, Jillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-18T16:00:00+00:00

Dragon

“Two more times,” Eden orders. Her hair is mussed, and the barest sheen of sweat beads on her own brow as she stands with me at one end of the arena and points to the course she has set up for us. I groan inwardly, but don’t dare complain as I line up next to her.

An earsplitting howl suddenly pierces the air and I gasp and nearly jump out of my skin.

There, in the sky, three large figures fly toward us—their tails, wings, and claws clearly visible in the morning light. My first instinct is to scream and run for cover, but Eden grips my hand in hers, staying my outburst and holding me solidly in place.

“Do not run,” she commands, her eyes boring into the side of my head as I watch in terror as the creatures circle closer and closer to where we stand.

“Listen to me,” she snaps. My eyes go to hers, even as the unnatural wind from their wings stirs the hair that has escaped my bun and pulls my clothing against sweat drenched skin.

“Do not run,” she repeats, “and do not let them see that you are afraid. These men are ours. They won’t hurt you. They are not a threat.” I swallow and nod, lulled into a strange hypnotic calm as she speaks. The sound of the ocean on the other side of the castle seems to shudder and groan along with me as I force my legs to remain planted and my lips to stay shut.

Of course, it is not the first time I have seen the massive, winged creatures flying above the castle. Day and night, they dart to and from the island, either hunting or patrolling or merely enjoying the freedom of the open air. But this is the first time I have been subjected to the sight out in the open with nowhere to hide.

Eden squeezes my hand again and forces my attention back to her.

“Dragons are prideful, reactionary creatures, and the smell of your fear will not be something they can ignore. They won’t understand your response, and will either take offense or panic trying to root out the cause. So stand your ground. Ignore them if you must, but do not cower,” she orders.

I focus on the rhythm of the sea and allow my chest to rise and fall in time with the waves on the shore as I watch them touch down. A red Dragon and a black Dragon land just beyond the wall of our small practice corner, their massive forms towering over the space and watching the scene with curiosity.

The third and larger of the group is a silver beast that looks like it could topple a mountain all on its own. It has thick, curving horns and a tail lined with lethal looking spikes. The creature rears back and lands gracefully inside of our practice space, swinging its neck side to side as it watches Eden and I both with interest. She tugs me forward and I squeeze her hand so tightly I’m sure her fingers ache from it, but she says nothing.

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