Dragon Tamer

Chapter 24

I hadn't realised I'd fallen asleep while Amelia healed me until she shook me awake gently. She smiled at me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  "Dinner's ready."

"Dinner?" Had I slept all day? The moon peering into my window suggested I had.

Groggily, I followed her downstairs. Everyone but Kaden was at the table; he was in the kitchen making the final touches on dinner. I sat between Tallinn and Casper, on the opposite end of the table from Camden; he'd cleaned up while I was sleeping, his hair shiny, a speck of silver glistening in the thick strands that hadn't been there before.

Must be part of his transformation. It definitely made him inhumanly handsome, more mystical and exotic. His clothes barely fit him, clinging on to him with everything they had as his new bulging muscles threatened to tear them apart. The features on his face seemed sharper, somehow, though he still looked the same to me.

"How are you feeling, Kal?" Harry asked, tapping my foot under the table with a cheeky grin. Dear gods, had he caught me staring?

Embarrassed, I kept my head down while Kaden brought out the food. Couldn't a girl check out her apprentice's new hot body without judgment? "I'm fine. Feeling lazy for sleeping all day. Why didn't anyone wake me?"

Dad smiled sympathetically. "We tried to, but you seemed like you really needed the rest. After what Camden told us, I'm surprised you didn't sleep longer."

"Do you feel rested enough to leave tomorrow?" Giles asked, munching on his potatoes.

"Tomorrow? Leave for what?"

"Camden's going home, of course," he said simply. "You have to drop him off so they don't think he ran away from you."

"Oh." After how the prince had acted when we left Acker Castle, it was likely they'd think he ran away as soon as he had the chance. Still, that didn't stop the overwhelming disappointment filling my chest.

You knew this would happen. It's time for you to say goodbye to him and get on with your life. He'll move on and forget about you.

"Yeah, I guess we can leave tomorrow," I responded thickly.

I didn't have the heart to look at anyone. The scar on my hand that bound me to my oath to guide Camden was gone without a trace. My part had been fulfilled. Now it was time for the prince to leave and fulfill his end of the oath: protect the people of his kingdom. 

My brothers and Camden talked about all the possibilities of the prince's new abilities and how he was going to use them while he fought with his brothers. They all seemed excited for him to leave, explore the world with fresh eyes. All I could do was nod and agree numbly. I should be excited for him too; I was the first woman to guide a prince through the Rite of Passage and he was the first in his family to transform rather than Bond with a dragon (Camden had declared himself a "shifter;" he thought it sounded much cooler than "transformer," which Giles had called him.) Camden was going to do great things, save many lives, and enjoy all kinds of adventures with his brothers, while I went back to training the dragonlings. It was one of the most important jobs in the village--training the future generation of dragons--but after everything I'd done with Camden it paled in comparison.

At some point I couldn't stand the thoughts in my head and I excused myself from dinner, saying I was still tired from our trip. They let me go easily enough, their booming laughter loud enough to hear from my bedroom. I didn't get the chance to dwell too much on anything; as soon as my head hit the pillow, I passed out.

~~~

We woke up early, just as the sun began to cast its light over Plum. I grabbed a fresh loaf of bread from Sammy's cart, broke it in half and tossed the other piece to Camden.