Hidden Wings

Chapter 15

Spry's small wings couldn't hold up the extra weight forever. Eventually he had to drift downward, still laughing, let his breathless rider slip off his back to the ground. The sun, having just reached its peak, gleamed off of pale blue scales as Queen Angelica made her way through the crowd of dragons toward her. Maria tucked strands of her scarlet hair behind her ears, trying to look brave and worthy.
The Queen stopped in front of Maria, her dazzling eyes never leaving the girl's face. Beyond her, Maria spotted Vycan, huddled at the edge of the crowd with his wings hunched and his eyes fixed, unfocused, at the tip of his tail lying across the ground before him. She found herself hoping his future would find him happy, accepted.
She brought her attention back to the dragon in front of her as the Queen began to speak. "It has been a pleasure to all of us, and an honor, to have you here, Maria." She began. "But I trust you want to return home, don't you?"
Maria let out an internal sigh of relief. "Yes, your Majesty. Thank you."
The Queen snapped her wings open and closed, and flicked her tail twice. Half a dozen fierce-looking dragons appeared at her side, including Whirlwind. "These dragons will escort you back to the place where you were found."
She looked up at Spryvern, who had been standing behind Maria, and had taken a tentative step forward as soon as the guards came forth. He hurriedly ducked his head, folding his wings and dropping into a bow.
"Rise," Angelica told him. He stood. "You may join the escort taking our guardian back to her home."
Spry bowed again, thanking her. Maria grinned at him. He glanced over at her, returning a faint smile.
Maria's eyes swept the crowd. There she saw Swift and Ember, the patrol dragons that had guided her on her journey. Her gaze shifted, and she saw Nymphadora there next to them, and beside her, Jade, the hermit of the hills. And there, having come closer to the Queen when the guards moved away, was Vycan. His golden eyes met with hers, and again she saw the kaleidoscope of emotion, as real as the sun, but no more understandable than the farthest star. His gaze held a question. Maria gave a tiny nod, and mouthed the words "Thank you". Deep inside of herself, she felt she would never see him again.
And then she was turning toward the guards, mounting Whirlwind's back, and the beating of a dozen wings was filling the air. The dragons rushed up toward the sky, and then they were gone, as if they had been swallowed up by the wind.