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But it doesn’t come. Frowning, I step over the door and enter the room to the eerie quiet.
Grunting, I head to the table where the dragon bone lies dormant but not dead. As soon as I place my hands on it, a faint trace of its life force pulses through my palms.
It’s quite exhilarating, and it’s something I would have taken a moment to appreciate if the human woman was here. But she’s gone, so I pick the bone up and fling it over my shoulder before heading back out.
The traces of the human’s scent are evident in the building, allowing me to get a sense of direction. She couldn’t have gotten far if the remnants of her smell paint the parking garage's air. The tire marks on the ground indicate her haste, but a quick flight is all it will take to find her.
The bone is easy to carry with the talons of my dragon paws. The early morning hours allow me to navigate the skies without needing to hide myself. Even though I don’t want to be seen by Delilah—who’d relocated to Sacramento before I returned to Aurora Island—I relish in the freedom of a free, unbridled flight.
My nostrils flare when the scent of the human becomes more evident. Gliding lower, I catch a whiff of her scent from the only car on the street.
Rolling my head on my shoulders, I soar down closer to the road ahead of the blue car. I’m about to land closer, snatch her through the front windscreen, and journey back to Aurora Island.
But then, the car suddenly swerves toward the left, heading for the forest on the side.
Great!
She saw me, and she panicked. Rolling my eyes, I shove the bone under one arm as my feet touch the ground. She’s come to a halt when she crashes her car into a tree, smoke permeating in thick clouds from the bonnet and shrouding the vehicle.
Begrudgingly pulling the door away, I fling the metal carcass over my shoulder before sticking my head into the car.
The woman gasps, horror draining the color from her creamy cheeks. Inwardly, even I’m startled when my eyes land on her.
Through the vision of my dragon eyes, I see her clearly for the first time. Unlike the photograph and the images provided by the Cube of Knowledge, the woman in front of me is a fine specimen of her kind.
Her emerald green eyes are large and penetrating, the swirls of green attesting to the endless bounty of Mother Nature. Almost hypnotized, I shake my head to push aside any intrusive thoughts that may deter my quest.
It’s only because her eyes are a stark resemblance to the mystical eyes of the only woman I would have considered as a mate. The woman in front of me, however, is a weak human without mystical gifts.
She only serves as a reminder of the things I had lost. With sheer reluctance, I slink my dragon arm beneath her full frame and lift her out of the wreck of her car.
“What the—What are you doing?!” she exclaims accusingly as I fling her over my shoulder.
With one arm imprisoning her to me, I toss the bone down and pick it up with webbed feet before propelling us into the air. This time, shielding us both with the cloak of invisibility. By now, the sun has risen to its fullest morning heights, and it isn’t safe to travel out in the open.
“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” the human demands, squirming on my shoulder as her fists pound on my back.
All I do is grunt through bared teeth, lifting us higher above the clouds with a flap of my wings. My arm tightens over her curved frame as she attempts to wrestle against my strength.
A string of profanities escapes her lips, shocking me. This won’t be easy.
At least I won’t have to deal with this for the rest of my existence, I think with relief. As we enter the island, she becomes subdued, probably soaking in the marvelous view of the mountain and the greenery spread out with color. I can only imagine that as someone who studies geology, she’ll likely bide her time with the island’s views and stay out of my way.
It’s the least I can get as recompense for my troubles. I circle around the castle and glide down to the floor where the balconies of my quarters stick out. Just wanting all of this to be over, there’s a sense of relief that washes over me when I drop her to her feet on the stone floor.
“What the hell?!” she yelps when she steadies her feet, glaring at me from the balcony.
I huff a heated breath out to silence her before flying toward my own balcony and landing on my feet. I lug the bone over my shoulder, shifting simultaneously and ignoring her protests from the opposite balcony.
“Phew!” I sigh in relief as I roll my eyes and toss the bone on the rug. My reluctance to have a human as a mate is only doused because of the greater threat of our existence being revealed. Luckily, I’ve retrieved the bone, though deep down, I have a feeling that this isn’t the only remnant of one of our kind.
Staring at the bone, I run a hand through my hair as I contemplate my next move. I don’t believe the human will be foolish enough to escape the balcony, but I can’t have her running around the castle, either. Which is why I’ve kept the bedroom locked.
Still, I need to find out where she’d found the bone, explain to her why she’s here, and let her leave as soon as she’s fulfilled her purpose.
Throwing myself on my bed, I permit my eyes to close for a moment. When the shouting outside subsides, I can allow rest to wash over me. The human must have finally gone inside the bedroom, and I’ll have to shield her balcony so the others don’t discover her.
Just until I’ve figured out how to explain the situation to my family.
