Three decades had passed, but the wonderment remained.
Pulling out his phone, Ryker snapped a picture. He sent it to Brynleigh, along with the caption,Look who showed up.
Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated several times in a row.
Brynleigh
Oh, my gods!
*dragon emoji*
They look even bigger in real life.
A grin pulled at Ryker’s lips.
Other than their leader, who was as black as the night, the dragons were a lesson in the colors of the rainbow. Their scales ranged from the palest of yellows to the deepest of blues. They flew as one, and as a unit, they let out a deafening roar that could undoubtedly be heard for miles.
The dragons certainly were dramatic.
Ryker
I felt the same way the first time I saw a dragon.
*fire emoji* If you see Therian…
She didn’t finish the sentence, but Rykerknew what she was asking. Therian Firebreath had also participated in the Choosing. He was married to Hallie, a Fortune Elf and one of Brynleigh’s closest friends. Even though Brynleigh hadn’t said anything about it, she had to be missing Hallie.
I promise, I’ll try to talk to him.
The dragons were even closer now, and Ryker could make out the sharp points of their talons.
Slipping his phone into his pocket, he took several large steps back. The others did the same, pressing themselves against trees and buildings in an effort to clear the center of the field.
The massive creatures landed one by one, causing tiny tremors like small earthquakes to rumble across the field.
When the tenth dragon, a smaller navy one, landed at the back, the black dragon leader smacked a foot on the ground. The dragons echoed the signal, thumping their tails three times. Then, iridescent white light erupted from all ten at once.
One moment, fire-breathing creatures of death stood before Ryker. The next, naked men and women had taken their place. Several soldiers ran forward, each bearing a bundle of clothes. Within minutes, the dragon shifters were dressed.
Someone called Ryker’s name. He turned as Therian Firebreath strode towards him. The shifter’s long legs ate the distance between them in seconds.
Despite everything else that had happened recently, Ryker smiled. He’d grown close to the dragon shifter over the course of the Choosing.
“Good to see you, Waterborn,” the dragon shifter said.
“Likewise.” Ryker gave Therian a one-armed hug. “Although I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”
Very few people in the Republic truly understood what participating in the Choosing was like. Something about being put under the societal microscope changed a person.
“Same.” Therian shook out his blond hair as someone calledhis name in the distance. He lifted a hand, signaling he’d be right over, before turning back to Ryker. “I’m glad I caught you. Hallie’s been so worried about Brynleigh. We were sorry to hear she got sick so soon after the wedding.”
Ryker’s mouth dried. “Yes, she was… indisposed.” Not exactly a lie, but the words still tasted like dirt. “But she’s feeling better now. I’m looking after her.”
He would never stop looking after her.
The other night, when Brynleigh had gone on a job from Jelisette after Ryker had specifically asked her to stay in the apartment, he worried about her all night long. He hadn’t slept until she texted him that she was safe and back at the apartment.
Although Ryker’s body was in Sandhaven, his heart was back in Golden City.