The Mates of Dragons

I Do Not Say Her Name

"Xerxes, wait." she said, going after him. "There's another dragon? Is she really dying?" She asked seriously concerned. This pain was in her chest, this fear she didn't know if it was her own or his. Was she up in that cave they always went to? That was why they were so protective of it wasn't it?

"Leave it be. I didn't mean to say that." He'd never told anyone that, never. Demetri didn't even know that much. It had just come out, needed to confide the pain of that statement to someone and now he felt like he betrayed Zani. He had, after all, what did he really know of Kendra? Xerxes was even more mad at himself for dropping his guard. That Kendra kept getting these responses from him.

"But if she is in trouble, I'd like to help." He was confused at the sincerity in her voice, but he wished he could take back what he let slip. Damn her and her ability, it clearly made you let your guard down.

"You can't help!" He snapped at her, a growl to his voice. Now he wanted her away from him. Fuck, what was Zani going to do once he realized that Xerxes spoke of her?

"Can't, or don't you want another to try? Xerxes I really would like to help you if I can." Kendra couldn't explain it, this felt like a very important thing to her. Like she had to help or something very important would be stripped from the world, from her. He turned and looked at her, his gaze very bright with the anger he clearly felt.

"No, she is not a thing or a toy. She's a very real being that is giving up on living. Zani would be crushed should something happen to her and I won't allow anyone or thing near enough to hurt her or him that way. I'll kill anything that even comes close." Kendra actually stepped back with the venom in his words. At the severe energy that swirled around him.

"I don't want to cause harm. But clearly you need help, what is wrong with her?" He ran a hand down his face.

"I've said too much. I should strip your memory of it." but that was a lot of magic to strip a mind and he wasn't as adapt at it as Demetri was. He could do serious damage, but wasn't that worth it to protect Zani and his mate? Why did that feel so wrong to do it to Kendra when no one else he'd have given a thought to. Xerxes was feeling so confused at the moment. This dance with her was growing more complicated.

"Don't you dare, I wouldn't tell anyone." She said. "She's in that cave isn't she? Can't you move her? I can't get them to stop, maybe I could stall them to help you." He looked at her, why would she do that? He couldn't hope for that, that she would really mean it. She didn't even know where her loyalty lay at the moment. Though looking at her he wanted so bad to believe her, that she could help.

"She can't be moved." He said simply.

"Is she sick, why is she stuck there?" She was closer to him again and touching him. Zani was occupied at the moment hunting and hadn't realized Xerxes was keeping his thoughts from him. Zani might come straight back here and do something dramatic if he thought Kendra posed the smallest threat and part of Xerxes reacted badly to that thought.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her along into a deserted building and made a motion with his hand. It cut off the outside world from hearing them or seeing them. He held her arm rather tight and looked straight at her.

"If you pose even a minuscule threat Zani will kill you and I wouldn't stop him." Xerxes warned. "Humans took it all from us, you know." She had figured something like that.

"I never said that you should love them, that they were truly trustable. Just some." He shook his head. "I'm giving you the chance." He paused for a second at her words, but shook his head.

"None of them ever will be. When I was six, they killed my mother and she had never hurt a human in her life. They killed my father three days later," Kendra remembered the burning town and the small child on the cliff from before when she touched him. "Zani's parents were the dragons who were with mine."