Bleeding Ink

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It had been longer than Cleo realized since she'd been in Dalcaine. Dessa's eighteenth birthday the week of the Summer Solstice, to be precise. Lyv was going to absolutely hate her for taking so long to come visit, but hopefully the five bottles of specially made wine, box of delicate chocolates, and a fierce hug for her cousin would make up for it.

She and Ollyn kept to the clouds as they crossed the rolling hills between the territories of Aarden and Ayveri. Even though the world of Laria and Cleo herself was known all throughout the three lands in this world, Cleo still liked to keep to herself. They still knew just whose daughter she was, what kind of magic thrummed through her, what was hidden behind her golden eyepatch

Until Ollyn decided he'd go rogue and dive, undoubtedly letting anyone who was in viewing distance know who was there.

The motion had Cleo flinging backward before her hands gripped the saddle and she was able to brace herself. Squinting against the wind, she searched for what had Ollyn changing directions...before finding another deep red dragon dozing on the ground below them and the female and male leaned up against her side.

Ollyn let out a roar of excitement, leveling out and lowering even more, which had the second dragon practically jumping up and roaring in response. Somehow, he was going faster then, making Cleo call out a warning that was lost on the wind. That or he was just ignoring her. She figured the latter.

It was Elys's knowing grin she saw first. Even though he was far from it, Cleo still lovingly called him kid, a nickname she'd gotten from Jai and Gideon. Elys hated it when she did, which made it all the better.

And then there was the stunningly beautiful female at his side, one who everyone always thought of as the perfect combination of her legendary mother and father. Dessa Jai had always been the light in everyone's eyes, including Cleo's. She'd made sure to come to Ayveri right around the time Lyv had been due, her large belly leading the way anytime she came into a room. In doing that, she was able to be there when Dessa made her grand entrance in the world, waiting right outside their room with everyone else in their family until the newborn cries filled the palace and snow began to drift outside.

Cleo made sure to be around as much as she possibly could, taking up the same mantle to Dessa as Kalla was to Cleo herself. When she was little, she'd even steal her away to Arloerin, though Lyv and Jai always knew. Elys was the one to give her away. She loved that female something fierce and yet still loved to embarrass her just as she did Elys.

They were both doomed now that they were in the same place at once. Oh, how she couldn't wait to embarrass them both. A thought that had Cleo laughing as Ollyn landed just a few dozen feet away.

Eria, Dessa's bloodrite bonded dragon, bound over without even looking where her tail swished. The dragon hummed happily as Cleo went in to scratched beneath her jaw in the place she was known to love before the dragon went off to say her hellos to Ollyn.

Dessa was smiling so wide as she ran forward. "Cleo!" she yelled in excitement.

Cleo jumped down from Ollyn, opening her arms just as her little cousin launched herself into them. "Hey, sweet girl," she said, then kissed the side of her head before pulling back and taking her face in her hands. "How've you been? Still causing a ruckus with Milena and the dragons?"

"Of course," Dessa grinned, sapphire eyes twinkling with mischief. "Momma still blames you for teaching me how to jump from one dragon to another mid-air."

"Something you then went on to teach Lenora..."

Both of them laughed, hugging each other tight again.