Dragon Blood

Fifty: Our Spot

Jonathan's fists clenched as his heart leaped into his throat. He was a knight, the head knight, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. At least, he didn't think he was, but as Skylar stepped back and prepared to shift the prospect was very enticing. They had everyone's attention now, after a quick announcement from Orion and Skylar about what was about to happen. The soldiers were curious and apprehensive, but surprisingly willing to give it a chance. The dragons had known about the plan all along, and they trusted their leaders. Jonathan doubted they were thrilled about their passengers, but this wouldn't impede them all that much in their flight, at least he didn't think. He didn't know anything about dragon flight, other than that they were fast and dangerous if they were allowed into the air.

Skylar gave him a meaningful look and he steeled himself to watch her shift into the beast once again. He'd missed when she'd done it to challenge Orion's father, and part of him was glad about that. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself from rushing in to protect her, and he likely would then be dead himself. He watched as the woman he loved closed her eyes and allowed her dragon to jump forward. It was a fast shift, almost fast enough for him to miss the small details of the shift, but he still saw the horns sprout from her head and the scales take over her beautiful skin. The sight of her bones reshaping themselves nearly caused him to be sick to his stomach, but he stayed strong.

He'd been with the clan for nearly a week, but he'd spent little time up close and personal with dragons. No time, actually. They all shifted nearly as soon as they landed, not spending much time in their dragon forms when they were in the village. He'd seen them flying in the distance and coming and going, but he was never close when they shifted.

Now, Skylar stood before him in the form of a sky-blue dragon that matched her eyes perfectly. He looked over her form in a way he hadn't been able to when he'd seen her in Draco's arena. She was sleek, not as bulky as he would have expected from a dragon. She stared down at him with reptilian eyes, the vertical pupil a bit unnerving, but he still recognized Skylar there. Her nostrils flared as she huffed out a hot breath, and her gaze left him to look at Orion. Jonathan looked over at the man he truly loathed, following the dragon's adoring gaze.

The man in question was bent over, gathering a large leather saddle into his arms, and he wasn't looking at the blue dragon. Jealousy and anger boiled hot in Jonathan as he watched Skylar's dragon lean forward to give the man's hip a gentle push, causing him to stumble slightly. A playful growl escaped her, and Orion chuckled, reaching around to give her snout a halfhearted shove away.

"Yes, I see you, love, hold on," Jonathan's rival said in a rumbling voice. Orion's Beta, Percy, helped adjust the saddle in Orion's arms, before he walked over to the blue dragon and tossed it on her back. She laid on her stomach to allow him easier access to the straps the hung around her. Jonathan watched with a frown as the man moved around his princess, fastening and tightening straps. He didn't miss the way Orion would allow his hands to gently brush the scales in small caresses as he moved around her, the easy way he touched the dragon. The thought that he was the same way with Skylar the human sent sparks of fury through Jonathan's body. The worst part was that the dragon seemed to love it. Each time his hands touched her scales, she let out a small hum from deep within her throat.

Orion grabbed the last strap and pulled it tight, buckling it into place across her chest and giving it a satisfactory pat. "That should do it."

He turned to Jonathan, obviously no more pleased to be working with him. He motioned toward the dragon and Jonathan forgot his animosity for a moment. Was he really about to climb onto this beast and trust it to fly with him? Of course, he knew this was Skylar, but it was still a dragon, and years of hatred weren't going to disappear at the flick of his fingers.