The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  His head jerks back to face her, his eyes narrowing at her. Finally, his mind reaches out and touches hers. She flinches away from it, but can’t escape his commanding presence. “Believe me, I don’t want this any more than you. But we are trying to be considerate of you. Unless you’d rather I carry you in my claws once more?” Shuddering at the thought, she shakes her head. “As I suspected. Now, we’re taking you to our leader for him to decide what to do with you. It would be best for you to be as well-behaved as possible,” he smirks before opening his back to her once more.

  Shivering from fear, Alyssa forces her legs to approach the heap of red scales before her. Stepping carefully up his leg, she vaults over his back, settling into the spot between his spikes. Her heart nearly stops as she feels him sway as he gathers his feet beneath him once more and stands. Ambling toward the door with one dragon before them and one after them, Alyssa feels like she can taste blood in her mouth. So this is how it ends. A dragon judgment; a decree to punish me for all I’ve done to them. Taking in a deep breath of the frigid mountain air as they exit the cave, she calms her stuttering heart. Whatever happens will happen. I will be brave and firm until the very end.

  Gasping as the red dragon crouches and raises his wings, Alyssa grasps tightly to the spike before her as he leaps into the air, steadying herself so she doesn’t fall off. His powerful wingbeats are faster than the other two dragons’, causing them to struggle to keep up with his speed. She pants against the air rushing past her, wicking away her warmth and her breath. The dragon’s wings pause for a fraction of a second, and suddenly she feels more comfortable. The scales beneath her no longer scratch against her legs, and the wind seems to part before it reaches her. Relaxing slightly, she feels the beginning glow of gratitude pushing past her initial fear of dragon magic. “Thank you,” she dares to say, reaching her mind out for his. He just snorts in reply, but she hopes that her words were enough to convey her gratitude and to make up for her breaking their rule of not talking to each other with their minds- which she wasn’t sure was still in force or not since he had spoken to her just a few minutes ago.

  After flying for about an hour, she notices a large mountain that seemed to be their destination. Squinting, she’s initially confused about all the light reflecting from it until realization hits her, causing her chest to tighten. Oh, Dravyn, that’s a lot of dragons… Realizing that this must be the dragon’s base, she shivers again, despite the warmth from the dragon’s scales and his magic protecting her from the elements.

  As they get closer, her eyes are drawn to a particularly huge clump of scales, gleaming gold against the white snow. Her heart flutters as she realizes that this dragon is bigger than her three guards combined. By the Great Eye… that has to be the biggest dragon ever! He could kill me just by not moving carefully enough. Gulping, she feels the urge to jump from the dragon’s back and chance breaking a multitude of bones against the mountain range below them rather than face that golden volcano of rage. Unfortunately, she can’t make herself do it, and suddenly it’s too late.

  They were touching down. In the midst of hundreds of dragons.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Merchants

  Holding the door open for Nathan, I glance at this hair once more. It brought out his eyes perfectly, and he looked stunningly handsome. I was impressed that just a few streaks of subtle color applied to his hair was able to refresh his looks so much. Not that he was getting bland at all, it just… felt like I was seeing him for the first time. And he was seriously good looking.

  Nathan glances at me as he passes, and I blush. Groaning at myself, I force it to fade away. I hadn’t blushed around Nathan since I’d first met him. This was going to be a long day already.

  “Alright, so what’s the plan?” Nathan asks as I step out into the street behind him, the wind throwing my newly colored and softened hair behind me. Shivering, I tug my jacket a little closer to myself.

  “Just wander around, I guess?” I slowly suggest.

  Chuckling, he nods in response. “Alright. Then where do you suggest we begin? Start here and circle around? Start at one end of Davenport and head towards the other?”

  “Uh… that second one sounds a little easier,” I venture. With another alarmingly handsome smile, he nods and takes my hand, leading me to the end of the city where we had first arrived. Taking deep breaths, I focus my mind on anything but his hand in mine. I don’t need to get sidetracked by my best friend. That’s all he was. My friend. …And that’s all he could be, thanks to Angela. Wishing for anything else was a major waste of time and effort… not to mention painful for everyone involved. However attractive Nathan may be, he was out of reach for me. I just had to keep that at the forefront of my mind so I don’t get distracted. I’m here to find my brother. That’s all.

  My cheeks feel victoriously cool when we reach the end of the city and I can’t help the flash of pride at myself for being able to keep my emotions in check.

  “Alright. Just back and forth through the streets, then?” Nathan asks.

  I nod. “We just need to make sure to talk to anyone who looks anything remotely like Rex could, or anyone our age in case they know him.”

  Blowing out a puff of air that quickly disappears in the brisk air, he nods decisively. “With both of us being more introverted, that might be a little rough for us,” he chuckles. “But absolutely. We’ll just pretend that we’re already friends with everyone and like we definitely belong, right?”

  “Sounds great,” I smile. He really understood me like no one else ever had- even my family. Either of them.

  We walk silently side by side down the narrow streets, not touching, but still close enough to feel each other’s warmth. I had always pictured my visit to Quagon being in the summer. The sun, bright and hot, and the cool water a refreshing relief from the heat of the air. Instead, it was cold outside and likely intensely frigid in the water. I shudder to think of it, although I know that tomorrow we’re going to get our breathing devices upgraded. That one had needed to wait since we needed an appointment, but we were lucky to get in so soon. Apparently, Hannah and Chester had connections. Lucky for us. Wrapping my arms around myself, I can’t help but look forward to the upgrades. I know they only really work underwater, but it’s still something.

  Nathan and I approach a group of three old men at the end of the street. He shuffles even closer to me, and I bask in his protective warmth, still casting a wary eye at the men as they chat. They then burst into laughter as we draw closer. I shiver. I hated being so distrusting of people, but the Dragon Hunters had done a number on me over the last couple of years, and I just instinctively couldn’t trust anyone anymore. These old, tanned guys don’t look all that threatening, but they could easily be spies for Patrick- or Hunter now, I guess. “Good day,” one of them smiles, tilting his hat towards us kindly.

  “G-good day to you as well,” I manage, smiling in return at the old man. After the other two smile cordially at us as well, they turn back to their conversation about crops and fertilizers. Letting out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, Nathan and I continue around the corner and start down the next street. There seem to be gradually more people each street that we turn onto, which unnerves me at first, but finally, my shoulders slowly let out their tension and fall from around my ears. There’s safety in numbers. Especially when the King was apparently constantly on the hunt for outsiders to Quagon.

  I nearly jump as Nathan’s fingers gently touch mine, causing them to then brush against my leg. “Sorry,” he murmurs. “I just don’t want to lose you once we get into the crowd. It might help keep you from getting kidnapped, too… which I know shouldn’t happen, but it’s happened before, so…”

  Giving him a gentle smile, I relax and slip my hand into his once more. “Thank you. I think it would be best to not hold hands when talking to the guys our age though,” I wink. “That could make them more closed off. So there’s no need to pretend that we’re…” My voice dw
indles off, afraid to even suggest that we could look like we’re a couple. I clear my throat. “Anyways, but it’s nice to have you with me for now, at least.”

  “I’m glad I can be of help,” he replies with a kind smile. I ignore the way my heart skips a beat as we turn and continue down the road, stepping cautiously past tired moms watching their toddlers run around the houses and Dads sharing drinks with their neighbors. After a couple more streets, I start to wonder if there are really any kids our age here at all. I guess that would make it easier to rule Quagon out for Rex’s location, but it would be unfortunate to discover that in a day after all the work we went through to blend in with the people here.

  The next street, though, we encounter someone vaguely familiar. “Hey!” I call, unsure of his name. The strong shoulders tense at my voice and my hand clenches Nathan’s as the man slowly turns towards us. I just hope that he’ll recognize us- and not hate us. His bright blue eyes take us in as he slowly walks toward us. Confusion flickers over his face as he recognizes us. He’s wearing green, similar to the outfits we wore for the Games.

  “Crystal and Nathan,” he slowly greets, his lips finally curling up into a smile. “Now what is the winning team from the Zilferian Games doing wandering the streets of Quagon?” He chuckles and I pull my hand out of Nathan’s to accept his hug. “You probably don’t remember me. I’m Drake, I was on the green team with Star Hansen. I was in the hospital for most of the time after that second challenge,” he recalls with an awkward laugh, running his hand through his hair nervously. “Hey, so about what happened in that maze… I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t want to hurt you guys, Vladimir was just… so intense, I guess. It felt dangerous to do anything other than what he said.”

  “It’s alright, I sure understand that,” I chuckle, smiling at him and putting a hand on his arm. It’s hard beneath my fingers. He must spend a lot of time swimming.

  “Yeah, I heard all the awful stuff he did to you… glad you made it out in one piece,” he smiles, only looking at me.

  “Yeah, more or less,” I chuckle.

  “So, what are you guys doing here on Quagon? More crap the Zilferians are putting you through?”

  “Sort of,” Nathan replies. “We’re here to look for the King and Queen’s lost son, Rex.”

  “You know that’s probably not his name though, right? Crystal being named the same thing was a one in a million chance,” Drake replies, lifting his eyebrow at us.

  “That’s why we’re not asking if anyone knows a Rex our age,” I chuckle. “We have to go about it old-fashioned. Walking the streets and just looking for him.”

  “Well, there isn’t a huge amount of people our age on Quagon, honestly,” Drake confides, staring into my eyes with an odd look on his face that I can’t quite place. It clears as he continues. “So it shouldn’t be too hard to narrow it down. I’m game to help you guys if you want.”

  “I don’t-”

  “That would be awesome!” I interrupt. “We’re trying to blend in, but obviously there’s only so much we can do to fake being from here. It’s a relief to have a friend to help us out!” I continue with a glance to Nathan, telling him with my gaze that we are going to accept his offer. He frowns in response, but doesn’t argue.

  “Well I doubt I’m your only Quagon friend,” he chuckles, reaching out to touch my hair, letting it fall softly as he slowly pulls back. “You both look like true Quagonians! And your hair is truly stunning, might I add,” he continues with a sly wink. I smile back at him. He was a lot like Jake was with his flirting when I first met him. Drake, however, was much more smooth about it, which I appreciated.

  “Thanks!” I beam. “I was worried about it, but it turned out really nice.”

  “I’d say so!” Drake replies, straightening with a bright smile. “Well, I’m on my way to go hang out with some friends. Have you gotten your devices upgraded yet so you don’t freeze joining us beneath the waves?”

  “Tomorrow,” Nathan grunts.

  “He means we have an appointment to get them upgraded tomorrow,” I explain, bristling a little inside at Nathan’s sudden attitude.

  “Alright, that works out great! I’ll ask if it’s alright to bring you, and tomorrow you can join us. I’m sure they’ll say yes anyway, but just in case, are you alright to meet me here and have me take you over to them?”

  “Sounds perfect,” I smile gratefully.

  He smiles in return. “Fantastic! After lunch, then?”

  “Sure,” I reply.

  “Great! It was great to see you again, Crystal,” he adds before turning and jogging away from us. I watch him go, impressed that everyone here seemed to be in such great shape. That’s when I finally notice the small fins at the back of his ankles a couple of inches long and a blue-green color. I guess that explains why I never noticed anything off about him on Zilferia. Or the other person who was from here… Kat, I think? They looked pretty normal at first glance, and I guess I never really looked closer than that initial glance at each meeting.

  Nathan huffs as we begin walking again. “Who does that guy think he is?” he mutters. Rolling my eyes, I don’t respond and continue to lead him down the street. My silence doesn’t deter him, though, and after a pause, he continues, although more hesitantly at my lack of response. “I mean, all that crap he did during the Games… he nearly killed us- twice! And now he has the gall to flirt with you and act like we’re all friends?”

  “Who says we can’t be friends?” I finally bite back, spinning to face him. “You know as well as I how those Games affected us all. No one was in their right mind- everything was so overwhelmingly new, we were easy to sway with pressure from the right people. You and I got lucky. Drake obviously didn’t. Vlad told them how to survive, but he twisted it to cause us harm. Because he was a Dragon Hunter in disguise, remember?”

  Nathan blanches, staring at me. “Of… of course I do.”

  “Then what do you have against him? He’s just like you or me. You really don’t need to hate him,” I reprimand.

  He flinches, turning away from me. He walks faster, leaving me a little behind. Sighing, I turn and follow him down the street, giving him some space to blow off steam.

  <<>>

  She can’t be serious. How is she honestly defending him right now? He seriously thinks he deserves a girl like her? He doesn’t even deserve the time she takes to talk to him. The nerve he has to flirt with her when just a year or two ago he nearly killed us… And she’s defending him! Feeling the fire go out of him, his shoulders slump and dejection settles over him. What’s the point? There’s no point in defending her and trying to steer her clear of losers. First of all, she can handle herself. Second of all… it’s honestly not my job. She’s my best friend, sure, practically my sister, really… but I still need to stop batting guys away from her. I can’t do that to her, and leave her single while I selfishly try to have both her and Angela in my life. It’s just not fair to any of us. Sighing, he straightens back up and turns to face her again. His breath catches at the sight of her hair catching the light and he has to shake the image from his mind. It only took two seconds for her to derail his thoughts of letting her go. Growling at himself, he forces feelings out of his heart. He would not be selfish. Not with her.

  “I’m sorry,” he finally says, letting the words out in a rush. “You’re right, as always. You’ve always had the bigger heart,” he manages, feeling a pang in his own heart at the words.

  She gives him a soft smile. “Thank you, Nathan, but you are far more caring than you give yourself credit for. And I appreciate you trying to protect me, but he’s not one that I need protecting from, okay?”

  He just replies with a curt nod, turning down the street with her once again. This time, the number of people milling about had increased exponentially. “Holy cow. I guess we found one of the main streets,” Crystal comments, eyes wide as she takes in the brightly colored swarm before them. Taking a deep breath, she forces a smile onto
her face. “Well, let’s go!” Taking Nathan’s hand, she pulls him along behind her for a few moments before dropping it, leaving him feeling rather alone, despite the people teeming around them.

  “Crystal, up there. It looks like something’s going on,” he calls, indicating an intersection ahead of them. Shouting seems to come from the area. Glancing back at him, she nods and plunges her way in, parting the sea of people as Nathan follows in her wake, trying not to stare at all the exotic looking people around them. Everyone seemed to be covered in tattoos, some of creatures, but many meant to make the person look more like the creature they favored. Hairdos were wild and brightly colored, and everyone seemed to be trying to one-up each other with how extreme they were dressing up their bodies. Many people walked around without much clothing on, showing off as much of their painted skins as possible. Shuddering, he focuses his eyes on Crystal’s gleaming hair as she begins to slow and finally stop, only her head moving to take in the scene around them. Shouts ring through the air, everyone calling for their attention. Booths line the street on each side, stuffed with… well, all sorts of things. Some have creatures, food, or objects. Some advertise a skill that a person had- mending, cleaning, that sort of thing.

  “This is a little overwhelming,” Nathan murmurs, fighting the urge to cover his ears and tone down the noise crashing over him.

  “Agreed,” Crystal murmurs in response, eyes buzzing over the crowd. “I don’t really see many people our age here… I guess we’ll just… stroll through the street and look at the vendors and booths?”

  “Sounds like as good a plan as any,” Nathan replies. “At the very least, it will help us blend in.” Nodding in response, she watches as Nathan hesitantly takes the lead.