had the energy to go again.”
Kalai’s amusement turned into laughter and he bumped Tauran’s shoulder. “Skies, Tau. You’re a beast.”
Tauran gazed at him sidelong. “A titan?” He waggled his eyebrows, just to see that pretty blush return to Kalai’s cheeks.
Kalai snorted, hiding his face against Tauran’s shoulder. “Tau!”
Tauran laughed, turning sideways so he could pull Kalai flush. “Am I lying?” He winked, but his cocky act dissolved when Kalai caught his lips in a kiss, claiming Tauran’s mouth with his tongue.
* * *
They slept again, tangled up in each other. In the afternoon, the dragons stirred, so they rose and dressed slowly, eating the rest of the rations they brought from the guard grounds.
As the sun began to sink, there was a knock at the door. When Kalai opened, Catria entered, looking tired, but smiling.
“I’ve recruited the Ground Guard to clean up the streets tomorrow,” she said, sitting with them at the desk as they finished their evening meal. “Emilian is catching up on sleep. Skies know he’s been through the ringer for years on end. I told him to get as much rest as he needed.”
“Good call,” Tauran said, wiping bread crumbs on his trousers before Kalai could hand him a napkin. “How’s your father?”
Catria smiled, softly. “I sent him to see Doctor Erica at your suggestion. They’re working on a plan.”
Tauran returned her smile. “Do you need help at the grounds?”
“You can put the Sky Guard back in order. Whatever’s left of it.” She took a glass of water from Kalai with quiet thanks. “Every rider in it besides you and me were still recruits only months ago. By old rules, they should still be recruits, if it hadn’t been for Falka pushing their graduation forward. All the assistants and specialists are running around like headless chickens. They could use some guidance. A leader. Or two.” She looked at Kalai and smiled.
Tauran was about to protest, but hesitated. Kalai had mentioned it before, during lazy hours spent in bed. Tauran knew he was right. They were the only people around with any experience. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Catria said, hopping off the surface of the desk. “Everyone in charge of the guard now are rebels. How did we get here?”
Tauran only shook his head. He had no clue. It seemed only weeks ago that it had all been hopeless. Perhaps, once the guard was back on its feet, they could send word to Andreus and Hali. Let them know they were welcome in Valreus.
They joined Catria by the stairs. Tauran paused, his attention shifting to the walking stick beside the door. Such an innocuous, simple item he had once tried so hard to avoid. He reached for it, sliding his fingers along the handle before gripping tight. He tested it, letting it take some of his weight. “All right,” he said, meeting Kalai’s eyes, which shone with pride. “Let’s go.”
The streets were dark and quiet, but countless lamps lit up the guard grounds when they approached. Despite the late hour, it buzzed with activity. A whistle made them all look up. Jinhai hung over the edge of the lowest balcony, waving excitedly. They waved back. Jinhai had opted to stay in the tower with the wild dragons, who had young ones too small to make the journey back to Sharoani so soon. Yet again, Jinhai’s help had proved invaluable.
Catria left them to head for the tower, her newfound excitement for the wild dragons filling Tauran with a quiet happiness.
The moment they stepped inside the grounds, Jasper bounded toward them, skidding to a stop in front of Tauran. He saluted, then awkwardly lowered his hand, seemingly unsure of the correct way of address.
“What is it, Jasper?” Tauran asked, smiling to put the youth at ease.
“Sir! There’s something you’ve got to see! Over here!” He waved, jogging away already before he finished talking.
Tauran exchanged a curious glance with Kalai, who raised a brow. They followed Jasper at a slower pace. Letting the cane take the weight off his left leg, the pain, for once, wasn’t so bad. A few people glanced his way, but Tauran found he hardly cared. When he smiled at them, they smiled back.
An entire group of dragons were gathered in the training court. All the former recruits stood around the edges, some holding brooms and buckets, although no one was working. The dragons in the court held their attention. Some bounded and played, others lay curled up, grooming each other. At