Black as Blood (Part Two)

Daemon Almost Bites the Dust

Not that Arianna noticed. Her whole attention was immediately swept away by those burning eyes. Something about him made everyone else fade to grey, the crowds clamor and rushed movements lost to her senses. For a second he just stood there as still as a stork. Peijakas, he’s beautiful, she thought unashamedly. Her heart jumped to her throat as he walked towards her, his movements fluid as water. Time seemed to slow down.

Then he was smiling down at her and she opened her mouth to say something amazing but all that came out was a small, “Hi.”

And suddenly his arms were around her and she felt herself being lifted up into a warm hug. “Hey, Jaydon,” she breathed, letting herself melt into his embrace. Jaydon’s hugs were like nothing else she had ever experienced. She felt safe. She felt like she could just forget the world and sink into him, his dragon hearts beating slowly, strongly in his chest. His gentle warmth that just pulled her in, like the whole palace could explode and she wouldn’t even notice.

“I knew you’d come back!” he said happily, holding her close like he was never going to let her go again. “I knew you would come back.” And then came the purr, deep in his chest, a sweet murmur that Arianna alone could hear. The happy tone seemed to reverberate through her whole body and for some reason it felt like the most beautiful melody she had ever heard in her life.

Finally, after what seemed to be and hour, they separated and found Arianna looking up into Jaydon’s eyes, forehead to forehead. His long eyelashes that the Princess had always been jealous of flickered as his gaze intensified. “Arianna- I missed you so much. We missed you. Ralem missed you so much that it hurt right here,” Jaydon put a hand over his twin dragon hearts as his purr grew louder.

She smiled, “I missed you too, silly dragon.” Her voice lowered to a whisper, “More than you know.” He heard and laughed lightly. She took a reluctant step away from him. “Look at you, dressed up and handsome! Did you do this yourself?” she beamed, looking him over and brushing off his overcoat.

Jaydon looked down at himself as if noticing for the first time. “No. It was Ralem. Today must be the record in his life for time spent agonizing in front of the mirror.”

“Agonizing? Why?” she laughed.

Jaydon rolled his eyes even though a smile didn’t leave his face. “Because of you. He wanted to look absolutely perfect for you. It was kind of funny, really. Especially when he was trying to keep his hair down. He broke one of his brushes, he got so annoyed!” he sighed, “You know, he was going crazy when you were gone. I’m glad you’ve come back to stay.”

Arianna’s smile tightened. She did not want to say that she was not, in fact, back to stay. She quickly changed the subject, “Say, where is he?”

“I don’t know. I’ll tell him to come down. But come on, I got something special for you!” he cried, grabbing for her hand and towing her inside.

Ralem clenched the railings, his sharp raptor eyes picking through the crowd. He had hardly understood Jaydon’s mental message- the dragon seemed like he was about to die with excitement. Ralem was a mess of emotions. He was going weak legged at the thought of talking to her. I’ve fought all sorts of monsters and men, he thought, endured poison and stabbing. But I can’t bring myself to talk to a woman!

And-oh-my-Grisnatha!- there his dragon was with Arianna, talking by the dance floor. He was displaying the necklace he had bought for her, standing like the spitting image of Ralem himself. Ralem burned as Arianna’s face lit up and Jaydon gently took the necklace out of the box. Arianna flicked her exquisitely curly hair out of the way and he fastened the necklace around her neck. How human he looked right now- with his heartwarming smile and benign, sweet eyes. But this was enough to put tense Ralem on edge.