Air Touched - A Dragon Tribe Origin

Chapter Forty-Six - Ijn

When Jae left in the early hours of the morning, three dragons flew in the sky. Ijn did not think it a coincidence. She'd gotten up three hours before he'd said he was going to leave just so she could be awake and ready to catch a glimpse. One dragon, she had expected one dragon to go at the same time as him. But three? That was incredible. She wouldn't have thought they'd travel in a group.

Fascinating creatures. Her research of conspiracy theories hadn't yielded any new results. A family emergency resulted in Alex abandoning her request for help. She understood. With Min heading over there soon, she'd have another person to contact. And Min would do it. Guilt was already eating away at her sister. Ijn could ask her to do anything, and she wouldn't dare refuse. That's the way it should have been.

If she talked to Jae about the dragons, though, perhaps he would share all of their secrets with her on his own. Didn't he have a duty to her to be honest and true? They were going to be partners in life. Every part they tried to hide from the world would be exposed to one another. That's what real partnership entailed. Total full disclosure and vulnerability. She couldn't wait.

When he got home, the business with Min would be settled. She'd mention the dragons then. Best to not overwhelm him when he was away on important royal business. Oh how she missed him. All day she kept her eyes glued to her phone in anticipation. Her mother insisted he'd only promised to call to be a gentleman. Royal family or not, the long distance bill was not money he should be spending.

But she was wrong. Jae did call Ijn late in the evening.

"I thought maybe you'd changed your mind and decided to wait," she said.

A yawn could be heard on the other end. "Sort of did. We got here just before dawn local time. I tried to nap for a little while, which didn't work of course since it was afternoon back home. Dad thought it was hilarious since I can sleep as much as I want. Doesn't get that my bed is a totally different story than a hotel."

"The comforts of home."

"Yeah, something like that." His voice was quieter than usual, and his words a little slurred. He must have been exhausted. "We were busy for most of the morning, then lunch, and then some more official business. I snuck in another nap, and I guess it's close to dinner time now. Or something. Not sure how hungry I am. Chances are, as soon as I get adjusted, we'll be leaving, and this trip is just going to mess up my internal clock."

She pouted sympathetically. While she'd never gone far for any vacation, she understood the agony of having her routine ruined. "When you get back, we'll take it easy. However long you need to recover, I'll let you have."

"You're too kind, but I don't know if I can go that long without seeing you."

"Perhaps I could help you sleep, then. Hold you, cuddle you, comfort you. Whatever it takes," she offered.

He laughed. "If I had food in me, I think I'd barf at how sappy that is."

"Oh."

"But it's a good thing," he added quickly. "Like, it's good that you don't have an issue with spending time with me and watching me sleep like a stalker."

She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Ijn laughed anyway. "I'm willing to if it will make you happy. Perhaps I'll draw you while you sleep. Would that be less crazy?"

"No, but I'll let you get away with being a little weird. Don't run too wild with it, though." If they'd been together, he'd have winked, she was sure of it. "In all seriousness, I'm glad you're okay with spending time with me but not actually doing anything. I know I'm Mister Adventure, let's go out and have fun, most of the time. Our dates when it's just us enjoying each other's company are surprisingly relaxing."