by Jade Lee
She wouldn't have believed it possible if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. The Copper released a narrow jet of fire, pinpointed on its target. The blast engulfed Rashad and Kiril, and left her virtually untouched.
This time it was Natiya who screamed, Natiya who tried to rush forward. "Kiril!"
But it was too late. Rashad was a smoking, blistered and charred mass; though somehow he was still breathing, his every inhalation a wheezing and continuous silent scream. But Kiril? She didn't see him. Where was—
There! Alive. Bald and blistered, but alive. And much better off than Rashad. Natiya wept with relief even as she dropped to her knees beside him and the Emperor. She tried to speak, but her throat closed around the words. The shock and horror still rippled through her mind, clouding her emotions and silencing her. Even the Queen was dumbfounded. And the surrounding soldiers. So Natiya simply sat there, reaching for and finding Kiril's hand while the two of them looked at the Emperor.
As they did nothing, the Copper moved. He rolled off the Queen, extending his head so that his forehead connected with the Emperor's once more. And at last Natiya understood.
"There is no other choice," she said softly. "Not if you want to live, Rashad. You must switch bodies with the Copper. Otherwise—"
"No, Natiya!" Kiril snapped, his voice tight with pain or fear. "Let him die!" He began to struggle to his feet, but he was pinned under the Emperor's body. "You can't let him become a dragon. Think what damage—"
"He's not evil," Natiya interrupted. "He doesn't want to hurt people, do you, Rashad? And even if he did"—her gaze lifted to indicate the score of dragons one by one landing in the trees, on the ground around them—"they wouldn't let him. That's not what this is about."
She heard Kiril gasp in horror as the stately creatures surrounded them, landing haphazardly here and there, all eyes trained on the Emperor and the Copper. But she didn't have time to soothe his fears; and, in truth, she thought he was beginning to understand. It was Rashad who needed help, and it was to him she spoke.
"This is about moving on. About not being stuck or afraid."
She saw anger flash in the Emperor's eyes at her comment, but there was little time for more, for the Copper pressed his head to Rashad's. The wyrm's glittering brown eyes closed, and Natiya knew he simply waited. Rashad had to willingly choose to complete the process—to take dragon form—and Natiya marveled at the length of time it seemed to take for the Emperor to make the decision. Especially since his other choice was death.
"You will be in control of your own mind again," she urged. "No more fighting someone else's thoughts, no more hiding even within your own mind. You can be who you are without fear, without anger or dissension. Surely that is better than dying. Release your fears and become whole again."
Whether because of her words or his pain, Rashad finally made his decision. She watched his eyes close, and his breath eased out with a final bitter wheeze. And then the magic began.
Natiya saw the transfer more than felt it. The Queen's sight gave her a view of the power, growing and pulsing around both man and creature. And it was in that first enveloping of energy that Rashad's human body healed. But then the power tightened. It drew together, growing smaller, harder and much, much brighter. She was seeing their souls, or so she guessed, and she marveled at how completely the spirit saturated one's every cell. But both lights were tightening, drawing into themselves, pulling together at that one point where the foreheads touched.
It began slowly, the shrinking barely measurable. But then it grew stronger and faster, the power bright enough that she saw it with her human eyes as well as the dragon's. Then, with a crash she felt more than saw, the two lights seemed to explode against one another. The power was so strong it knocked her to the ground, blinding both her human and dragon sight. She heard Kiril grunt with pain, while behind her the soldiers toppled, their weapons dropping with a loud clatter onto the ground.
And when her vision cleared, she saw the man she'd once called Dag Racho blink shimmering copper eyes. He was the Copper now, in human form. Twisting quickly, she saw the dragon roll to the ground, clearly stunned, his darker, more humanlike eyes blinking in dazed confusion.
Natiya struggled to her feet, intending to say something to Rashad, though she didn't know what. Meanwhile, Kiril sighed as the Emperor's body at last rolled off of him, and Kiril began awkwardly gaining his feet.
The now-human Copper seemed to be adjusting to his new body quickly, stretching and moving with more and more control. Rashad, on the other hand, moved weakly and in a chaotic fashion, one moment twitching his wing, the next moment twisting his head while shifting his tail. It would be a difficult road for Rashad, learning the basics all over again.
Natiya turned back to the Copper, seeing a focused purpose in the way he practiced his balance, shifting his human weight from one foot to the other. He was even rolling his shoulders, learning the finer differences of arm and spine.
He was smart, she suddenly realized. Smarter, surely, than she initially gave him credit for. He had a hundred years of experience, plus whatever knowledge was shared among dragons. And he had an agenda. He had to. Everything about this incident indicated a plan. He'd awaited an opportunity—which she and Kiril had provided. All so he could take human form.
But why?
She shifted, turning her attention back to Rashad. Would he know? And would he tell?
She stepped forward, gently resting her hand on the dragon's neck. He smiled at her, or at least she wanted to believe he did: he bared his teeth. She directed her question to the Queen, whom she hoped would ask Rashad.
Why does the Copper want to be human ? What are his plans?
The Queen acknowledged the questions, and Natiya knew the Queen had turned to ask Rashad; she could see the energy shift. Rashad was able to turn his dragon head toward the smaller dragon beside him.
But that was all he could do, because a sword suddenly sprouted from the vulnerable soft flesh beneath his jaw. Natiya barely registered the movement out of the corner of her eye, and then she saw that Kiril's sword was embedded straight through the lower flesh and up into Rashad's brain. He shuddered, his massive body twitching the tiniest bit before his head crashed to the ground. Dead.
Natiya spun around, unbelieving and angry. But one look at Kiril and she saw it hadn't been him who'd thrown the sword. He was as stunned as she, though mixed emotions warred in his expression. It had been the Copper—in Rashad's old body—who had delivered the fatal blow. How he had managed to coordinate himself enough to throw the blade so well was beyond her, but he had. And now he was stumbling, trying to regain his balance after so powerful a throw.
"Why?" she demanded, the sound more a gasp than a word.
Kiril had made it to the Copper's side, grabbing hold of the man's arm to both balance and restrain him. And so the former dragon was able to focus on speech, carefully forming each word.
"Heeee could not beee a drrrragonnn."
Natiya took a step forward, unreasoning anger flowing through her. "Why not?"
The Copper shook his head. "Tooooo laaate." And then, despite Kiril's hold on his arm, the Copper crumpled, dropping to the ground with a thud.
Natiya turned to her own dragon, at last fully extricated from beneath the dragon Rashad.
Do you understand this? she demanded.
The Queen shook her head—a surprisingly human gesture that conveyed the same horror and confusion that reverberated through Natiya.
And then another shock rolled through Natiya's system, this one expected but no less powerful. The Queen waddled forward, her body slow because of her recent fight, and because she moved to avoid the body of Rashad the dragon.
I am ready, she said to Natiya. We can complete the process now.
Chapter 21
"What are you doing?"
Kiril's voice cut through Natiya's thoughts, freezing her in place before she reached the Queen's outstretched forehead.
&
nbsp; "Natiya! Stop!" She could hear the panic in Kiril's voice, and she smiled, startled to realize she found humor in the situation. He was feeling panic? She was the one about to become a dragon. And yet, even as she smiled, she felt her eyes tear. She didn't even want to look at him, to see what she was leaving behind; but he made her. He reached out and pulled her face to his.
"What are you doing?" he repeated, his expression fierce.
"What I promised." How she kept her voice level, she hadn't a clue. But she did, swallowing down her dread as she tried to force herself to turn back to the Queen. Instead, she found herself kissing Kiril, her lips, his mouth, their entire bodies abruptly crushed together as if joined.
But in time, they had to separate; they had to pull back and look into each other's eyes.
"I promised I would go when this was done. I promised—"
"I don't give a damn about your promise," he interrupted, his grip firm on her arms. "You love me!" It wasn't a statement so much as a command.
"You think I'm evil."
He ground his teeth. She could hear it, and yet he'd never seemed sweeter to her. "You're not evil. Natiya, I trust you."
Never had those words touched her more, and yet she knew Kiril was suspicious by nature. "I can't live with you constantly watching me, wondering if I'm suddenly going to start killing people or destroying the good that you desire. Besides," she began, as she forced herself to pull away from him, "the Queen's much smarter than I am. She'll be a good ally for you."
"A dragon ally?" he snapped, clearly horrified, and she looked away, her other offer dying on her lips. Except, when she looked away, her gaze landed on the carcass of the Copper. And then on the dragons around them, all waiting patiently throughout the clearing. What would it be like to be with them? Would she remain herself, or would her personality change?
"I'll make sure they leave," she said, unwilling to think about the questions and doubts that swirled through her. "I don't know how much influence I'll have, but I'll keep them away. You'll have enough problems without..." Without me making things worse, she almost said. She had been unprepared and unthinking throughout her entire life. She wasn't the asset he needed.
"Is this what you want? Natiya!" When she didn't answer, he pulled her face back to his. "Is this what you want?"
She stared at him, not knowing what to say. "I promised—"
"To Frith with your promise!" he snapped. "What do you want?"
She swallowed her tears, confusion making her voice clipped. "You don't want dragons in Ragona anymore. Changing is the only way—"
"And what if I'm wrong? What if—"
"But you've never been wrong!" she exclaimed. "Don't you see? Everything you said—that I was unprepared, naive, too stupid to think beyond the obvious—all of that is true. Everything I've done from the very beginning has been wrong. It led to this."
He shook his head, his grip tightening as he spoke. "You haven't been wrong. Just not completely right." He grimaced. "D'greth, Natiya, why do you think I didn't kill you during the hatching? Why do you think I've been chasing you around like a lost puppy? Why do you think I've given up everything I have, everything I know, just to follow you?"
She bit her lip, the enormity of what he had done crashing in on her. Everything he'd risked—his life, his future, his entire rebellion—on her. When she'd been completely unprepared for any of it.
"I believe in you, Natiya. I don't know how, but you see things, you know things that none of us have figured out."
"I've been guessing—"
"And you've succeeded. Natiya, don't you see? From the first moment I saw you dancing, I knew you were different. I knew you had the answers." She could feel his body tense as he tried to explain. The words weren't coming easily to him, but she saw truth in the fierceness of his expression. "That's why I took you to the caves. And that's why I risked everything to get you out of the Emperor's mountain. And that's why I've been helping. Against all logic, against all reason, you"—he swallowed—"you find the answers when no one else does. And you don't stop until you have them."
"But I don't know what I'm doing."
He shrugged. "Neither do any of us. But you succeed. I don't know how, but you do."
"But I can't—"
"I love you, Natiya," he interrupted. And when she stared at him in shock, he repeated it again. "I love you. I always have. You"—he frowned as he fought for the words—"you inspire me. You can't leave me now." He reached up and touched her face. "I need you."
She felt her heart squeeze tight in her chest, his words flowing over her in the most wonderful and painful of ways. He loved her. And yet... "It doesn't make sense. Kiril, you're the one who told me to think, to reason out the consequences." She stepped forward, at last giving voice to her offer. "If I change, if I become a dragon, I can help. I can stay with you for a while. If you want—"
He smiled, though she knew the effort cost him. "Is that what I've taught you? To look for logic?"
"It's not a bad thing."
He laughed, though the sound was brittle in the thin mountain air. "I was wrong," he said. Then she watched him visibly steel himself before he turned to the Queen, who regarded him calmly, her golden eyes glittering in the torchlight.
"I don't trust you," he told her. "I think you have an agenda that none of us understand." Then he glanced back at Natiya. "But if I have learned anything these last weeks, it's that everything I thought I knew is wrong. Or not entirely correct."
I do not understand his fears. My presence here was to help the Copper.
"And?" Natiya prompted the dragon. "There is more."
The Queen dipped her head in a nod. We search for The Human.
Natiya blinked. "The Human? The Human what?"
The Human who will be a bridge between us and you. Rashad was not that man.
She frowned, trying to understand. "A person who can be both dragon and human? But why?"
Do you not wish to evolve?
Kiril shifted uncertainly between dragon and Natiya. "What? What is she saying?"
"That they are searching for a way to bridge human and dragon. That they look for a way to better both species."
His eyes narrowed as he looked from her back to the Queen. "Is that possible?"
Of course.
"She says yes," Natiya translated.
Kiril shook his head, clearly struggling to understand. "Will she explain this to you? Can she answer my questions?"
Of course.
Natiya smiled. "She will answer whatever you like. But dragon answers..." She shook her head. "Sometimes they are confusing."
Kiril sighed. "Of course they are." He turned to face Natiya directly. "But I can't do it alone. I need you with me." He reached out, his hand trembling as it touched her cheek. "I love you. Please stay."
She hesitated, torn between what her heart wanted and what her head told her to do. "But I will still be bonded with the Queen."
"And I will still believe in you. I will still love you." He touched her chin, tilting her face up until she looked directly into his eyes. "Do you love me?" He spoke in a whisper, anxiety radiating from every line of his body.
She said the words without thought: "Of course I do! I have from the very beginning, but—"
He was kissing her. Even when she struggled against his mouth, trying to voice any of the hundreds of objections in her thoughts, he kept her silent. And soon, she had no more thought but him in her arms, his body with hers. Their love protecting them both.
Except, it couldn't. It hadn't. Love hadn't protected anyone, ever.
She pulled away. "Kiril," she whispered. "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to keep working. We're going to build a kingdom. And we're going to find a way to protect ourselves against all those neighboring countries that Racho allied against us."
"But how?"
He grinned. "Didn't you have plans for the justice system? Didn't you talk about restructuring the laws?"
"We can do it now. You still control the Queen, don't you?"
She glanced over her shoulder, startled to see that one by one, the other dragons had started to fly away, lifting into the air, heading back to their home, wherever that was. And yet the Queen remained, her golden eyes calm as she looked at Natiya and Kiril, answering the question before Natiya could ask.
I still have much to learn in the human world.
Natiya turned back to Kiril. "We cooperate. And yes, she is willing to remain here with us." With us. The words echoed in her thoughts. Could this really be happening? Could she suddenly—abruptly—have everything she'd ever wanted? A man who believed in her? The power to change her world?
"I have ideas too, Natiya. And allies. Sabina, for one. And—''
"Pentold and Uncle Rened."
He nodded, his expression lightening. "So the financiers are on our side." He turned, looking toward the soldiers that surrounded them. "And I think the military could be persuaded, especially since we still have the biggest weapon at our disposal." He gestured at the Queen.
To their left, Natiya watched the leader of the Emperor's guard nod in slow approval. Yes, he would support them. And with him, the rest of the military.
"What of the Coral?"
"Gone," the man said. "She flew as far and as fast as she could. We don't know where."
"We can do it, Natiya," Kiril pressed. "But only if we do it together."
"I think," she began slowly, her thoughts falling piece by piece into a beautiful order. "All this time I've been asking the wrong question. I've been asking everyone what they want from me. I should have been asking myself what I want."
"And what is that?"
She grinned. "I want justice. I want happiness. I want a chance to help Ragona by finishing what I started. But mostly," she said as she wrapped her arms around him, "I want you."
He planted a large, loud, wet kiss on her lips. "Then there's nothing that can stop us."
The End