blinked at her, unsure.
After a moment of indecision, Kara smiled at him. “Why don’t we call you Byrd, since Raven’s last name was Nightingale and Noah’s last name is Dove? Sound good?”
The dragon snickered and nodded its head. “Byrd,” he chirped.
“All right, Byrd. What say you and I blow this popsicle stand and go find something to eat?” Kara suggested. “I don’t know about you, but I could really use a good steak about now.”
Byrd nodded again and moved back so Kara could get up.
Pushing up from the floor, Kara straightened out her suit and looked down at her new patient. His wings hung low under the weight of his situation. Letting out a deep sigh, Kara shifted over and rubbed her fingers over Byrd’s shoulders.
The little dragon leaned into her side, accepting her touch.
She scratched a little harder as they turned towards the door.
Laurence eyed the quiet dragon but opened the door leading to the hall where the rest of the men were waiting.
Byrd growled softly until Kara patted him on the back.
“These men are your friends,” she reminded him.
He quieted down but watched the men warily as she guided him out of the room.
Daniel stood against the far wall with a smile on his face. “That was surprisingly easy. So when can I have my man back?”
Kara laughed. He had no idea the scale of the task they had in front of them. And it was going to be hell if facing down a feral dragon with a broken shoe was the easy part.
***
The ebb and flow of a heated conversation was the first thing Noah recognized as he floated on the edge of awareness. Memories toyed with his brain, but he couldn’t quite grasp them. Something significant had happened, but he couldn’t recall what it had been. He didn’t really hurt, just felt a little disconnected from his body. Like that time when he’d been playing with a volatile spell and had ended up in the hospital for a week. The out-of-body experience that had caused was very similar to how he felt now, but this was the other way around. Instead of being trapped outside his body looking down, he was stuck inside looking out with someone else in control.
He listened to the conversation, not really understanding what the voices were saying. From the timber, he could tell it was a male and a female talking passionately about something. But what eluded him.
As they went on, Noah slowly caught the gist of their argument. The girl wanted to do something, and the guy was refusing. The male’s voice was familiar, and Noah raised his head to look at the man. The world looked weird. Colors were overly bright, and the edges of everything were too sharp. He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the man. It took Noah a moment to identify him. Daniel . Noah looked over at the animated woman arguing with him. She was a mess. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders in damp tendrils, and her well-cut suit was smudged with dirt and soaked beyond repair. Noah stared at the pair, wondering why they were arguing.
“She wants us to go with her.”
Noah looked around for the source of the new voice but couldn’t find anyone else. He tried to call out to ask, but nothing came out. “ Who?” he asked in his head.
A soft snicker washed over him. “ We are one.”
Noah paused as he recognized the voice. “ Dragon?”
The dragon rumbled in response.
Noah felt the unusual sensation vibrate up from his own chest. The argument between Daniel and the woman paused in response to the sound.
“How about we ask him?” she snapped at Daniel.
Daniel looked at the woman, considering her request. “Sure.” He turned his attention to Noah. “Byrd, if I let you go with Miss Rose, will you behave and work to get my man back to me?”
Noah wanted to answer him, to tell Daniel he was there, but the dragon took control.
“Yes, we be good,” it chirped.
Daniel considered him. “And Noah?”
“We find him,” Byrd answered.
Noah wanted to scream. He pushed
After a moment of indecision, Kara smiled at him. “Why don’t we call you Byrd, since Raven’s last name was Nightingale and Noah’s last name is Dove? Sound good?”
The dragon snickered and nodded its head. “Byrd,” he chirped.
“All right, Byrd. What say you and I blow this popsicle stand and go find something to eat?” Kara suggested. “I don’t know about you, but I could really use a good steak about now.”
Byrd nodded again and moved back so Kara could get up.
Pushing up from the floor, Kara straightened out her suit and looked down at her new patient. His wings hung low under the weight of his situation. Letting out a deep sigh, Kara shifted over and rubbed her fingers over Byrd’s shoulders.
The little dragon leaned into her side, accepting her touch.
She scratched a little harder as they turned towards the door.
Laurence eyed the quiet dragon but opened the door leading to the hall where the rest of the men were waiting.
Byrd growled softly until Kara patted him on the back.
“These men are your friends,” she reminded him.
He quieted down but watched the men warily as she guided him out of the room.
Daniel stood against the far wall with a smile on his face. “That was surprisingly easy. So when can I have my man back?”
Kara laughed. He had no idea the scale of the task they had in front of them. And it was going to be hell if facing down a feral dragon with a broken shoe was the easy part.
***
The ebb and flow of a heated conversation was the first thing Noah recognized as he floated on the edge of awareness. Memories toyed with his brain, but he couldn’t quite grasp them. Something significant had happened, but he couldn’t recall what it had been. He didn’t really hurt, just felt a little disconnected from his body. Like that time when he’d been playing with a volatile spell and had ended up in the hospital for a week. The out-of-body experience that had caused was very similar to how he felt now, but this was the other way around. Instead of being trapped outside his body looking down, he was stuck inside looking out with someone else in control.
He listened to the conversation, not really understanding what the voices were saying. From the timber, he could tell it was a male and a female talking passionately about something. But what eluded him.
As they went on, Noah slowly caught the gist of their argument. The girl wanted to do something, and the guy was refusing. The male’s voice was familiar, and Noah raised his head to look at the man. The world looked weird. Colors were overly bright, and the edges of everything were too sharp. He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the man. It took Noah a moment to identify him. Daniel . Noah looked over at the animated woman arguing with him. She was a mess. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders in damp tendrils, and her well-cut suit was smudged with dirt and soaked beyond repair. Noah stared at the pair, wondering why they were arguing.
“She wants us to go with her.”
Noah looked around for the source of the new voice but couldn’t find anyone else. He tried to call out to ask, but nothing came out. “ Who?” he asked in his head.
A soft snicker washed over him. “ We are one.”
Noah paused as he recognized the voice. “ Dragon?”
The dragon rumbled in response.
Noah felt the unusual sensation vibrate up from his own chest. The argument between Daniel and the woman paused in response to the sound.
“How about we ask him?” she snapped at Daniel.
Daniel looked at the woman, considering her request. “Sure.” He turned his attention to Noah. “Byrd, if I let you go with Miss Rose, will you behave and work to get my man back to me?”
Noah wanted to answer him, to tell Daniel he was there, but the dragon took control.
“Yes, we be good,” it chirped.
Daniel considered him. “And Noah?”
“We find him,” Byrd answered.
Noah wanted to scream. He pushed
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