Dragon Tamer

Chapter 24

Plum came into view an hour after the sun peeked over the mountains. We managed to fly much faster now that Camden's enormous weight didn't slow Zellar down; not a single creature dared to interrupt our flight all night. I peered up at the dragon flying above us, worried how people would take his transformation. It was unheard of, foreign, for someone to turn into a dragon. Would people outcast him out of fear, even if he was one of the most beautiful dragons I'd ever seen? He didn't have the same rugged exterior other dragons had, his scales were in neat, silky lines, not haggard. The leather of his wings seemed softer, not as hard and crackly as Zellar's.

We landed in my backyard. My family rushed out to greet me, ignoring the extra dragon I'd brought back. Dad plucked me out of the saddle before I could think about dismounting and pulled me into a tight hug. 

"You're okay," he breathed, more so telling himself than asking me if I was all right, because if he hadn't been so relieved to see me, he would have seen all the bruises and scrapes and torn open shirt.

"Where's Camden?" Kaden asked, peering up at the empty saddle.

Giles eyed the new dragon cautiously. "I think she found a substitute."

Wriggling out of Dad's arms, I gave my brother a push then turned to Casper who had the closest build to Cam. "Can you go grab a pair of pants? Don't look at me like that, just do it."

He stuck his tongue out at me then came back with some pants.

Following Cam's request to stay away from him, I only took a few steps before leaving the pants on the ground some feet away from him. In a swift motion of flexing muscles and bending bones, he stood on two feet as Prince Camden Acker. Naked.

"Kali," Dad barked, "turn around. Don't look at the man's junk."

"I'm not looking." Except I was. I tried not to, but it wasn't my fault he was interesting to look at.

To appease my father, I turned around to face my gaping brothers. Giles was the first to react, throwing his hands in the air. "Well, that's just the coolest shit I've ever seen."

Casper furrowed his brow at the prince. "How?"

Camden shrugged, coming to my side. I shifted away from him, doing my part to keep a good distance, though he could at least make it a little easier and not stand so close. "I'll explain it while Kali gets looked at by a healer. We ran into dragon scavengers over there. . . . She saved my life." He offered the sort of smile that would have melted my heart if his eyes didn't look so sad.

Why did he look so sad? What did he care for a few scratches?

"I'm fine," I said, jerking my eyes away. "I'll get looked at later."

"Now works for me," Dad rebuked, giving me a hard look.

"Amelia's inside," Giles added with a smile. "Come on. If you're really fine, it won't take long."

Grumbling, I followed them into the house. A smile sprang on Amelia's lips when she saw me. She took me upstairs while Camden told my brothers what happened. She blathered on about how happy she was to see me, how brave she thought I was to take Camden to the dragon lands by myself. She said that Amber had told everyone I'd completely lost it, afraid for the man I was hopelessly in love with, and I went and got him killed.

Well, she wasn't wrong about one thing: I was hopelessly in love with the wrong man. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to be a prince who lived on the other side of the continent? Why did he have to end up having a part of the creature I held so dearly to my heart? Couldn't he just be a nobody villager like me? Be someone who might possibly return the feelings I had?