If Aster was planning on leaving, did that mean Maya was, too? My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. Losing her to the dragons had been hard enough, but to say goodbye forever?
Seeing the turmoil on my face, Maya shook her head and stood, gesturing for me to follow her. As we left the two dragons and the eggs behind, I kept glancing over my shoulder at the egg that had pulsed. “Tell me the truth, Maya,” I whispered after we’d left the cavernous room behind us. I stopped her before she could rejoin Nicolas and Trey at the campfire. “Are you planning on leaving with Aster?”
She fiddled with her braid, avoiding my stare. “It’s not… It’s not something that would happen right now. It would be in a few years—when the hatchlings are a little older.”
“When were you planning on telling us?” Me. When was she planning on telling me?
“Look, I don’t even know if Aster would let me go with her,” Maya said. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to upset you and Mom and Dad unnecessarily.”
“Too late,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against the rocky mountain.
She sighed loudly. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything! I know you’re already jealous Aster bonded with me instead of you, and this would only make you feel worse—”
“I’m not jealous!” A lie, and a bad one at that. Scowling, I said, “Fine, maybe I am, but I can live with you having a dragon while I don’t. But I can’t live with you leaving and never coming back.”
Maya’s mouth dropped. “We’d come back! This is Aster’s home, Neri. Aristo and Senia are here. She’s not just going to take her babies and flee.” Her voice dipped lower. “Besides, it’s safe here. Out there… Who knows what’s out there?”
“Then why leave in the first place?” I asked, even though part of me wanted to explore the world as well. But I wasn’t a dragon that needed to keep my existence a secret. While I could come and go as I pleased, Aster and her three children couldn’t. “It’ll be dangerous. And they might target you, too.”
“Like I said, it might not even happen,” Maya said. “So there’s no point in worrying about it at the moment. All right? Right now all I care about is seeing those eggs hatch.”
My mind drifted back to the eggs, the one that pulsed especially. “I felt something when I touched that egg. I’m not crazy.”
“I don’t think you are,” my sister responded. “Maybe… Maybe this is what the eggs needed. For you to come here.”
I stared at her, her words making my stomach flip-flop. “What are you saying?”
“Maybe you and the hatchling inside of that egg…” Maya trailed off and shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that, Neri. I bonded with one; it would make sense if you did, too.”
I glanced back inside the cave. Was that why I’d felt something when I’d touched it? Was it actually a pull to the egg?
To my dragon?
“But what if it doesn’t hatch?” I whispered. What if the dragon I was meant to bond with never had a chance at life?
“It will,” Maya said fiercely as she pulled me into a hug. “You’ll see. Now that you’re here, the eggs will hatch. And I won’t send you back down the mountain, back down to Mom and Dad, until they do. I promise.” She let me go and stepped back, her eyes searching my face.
I gave her a nod and a small smile. “All right.”
“There you go. There’s the smile I was looking for. I’m so glad you’re here. It’s going to be something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.” Grabbing my hands in hers, Maya gave them a squeeze. “I’m so happy that I’ll get to share this moment with my sister.”
Leading me away from the cave, Maya said, “Come on. It’s been a long day, and I’m sure you and Trey are starving. Let’s go to the cave I’ve been staying in and get you something to eat. Then we’ll sleep, and things will look better in the morning.”
I wondered if, come tomorrow, the thought of me bonding with a hatchling would be something I’d laugh at. My sister was the one meant for this; I was just lucky enough to witness it.
Still… If that dragon was mine, you’d hear no complaints from me.
Chapter Seven
Maya’s home away from home was a cave adjacent to Aster’s. While it wasn’t nearly as big as the dragon’s, Maya had done a good job of brightening up the place with things from home. A pile of her clothes took up one corner along with some books and a stuffed horse she’d had since she was a child. The floor was littered with thick furs to help stave off the cold.
Trey and I placed our packs by the door and collapsed on the furs. It wasn’t until I was sitting there, rubbing the grit from my eyes as Trey yawned, that I realized how exhausted I was. We hadn’t even climbed the entire mountain; would we have made it to Maya in one night? Not that I’d admit it out loud, but my plan had been stupid
Or maybe it hadn’t been. We were here, weren’t we? And Maya said I could stay until the dragons hatched. This was exactly what I’d wanted!
Maya eyed me warily as she handed me some dried meat. “Why are you grinning like that, weirdo?”
“Because I’m happy!” I said around a mouthful of meat. “You said we can stay!”
At my words, Trey perked up. “Really?”
She sat next to me with a sigh. “About that…” When I started to protest, Maya held up a hand. “Let me finish! I haven’t changed my mind, but we need to tell Mom and Dad where you are. Your parents too, Trey. They’re going to be so worried!”
Trey and I deflated at that.
“When you don’t show up tonight, they’ll probably realize where you went.” Maya’s eyes took on a faraway look, as if she were picturing Trey and me climbing the mountain. “They’ll be beside themselves wondering if you went and got yourselves killed.”
“I think they have more faith in us than that!” I protested.
My sister lifted her brows. “Because the two of you have so much experience climbing mountains, right?”
Huffing, I went back to eating instead of answering her.
“What can we do?” Trey was nervously shredding his dried meat into little pieces, letting the crumbs fall into his lap. I was about to yell at him to stop wasting his food and let me eat it instead when Maya reached over and placed a hand over his, stilling his movements.
“I’ll write them a note and have one of the dragons deliver it. They won’t be pleased, being used as a messenger, but we don’t have any other choice.” Maya shot me a look as she spoke to my best friend. “Don’t worry, Trey. I’ll fix Neri’s mess. As usual.”
I scowled at her as she got up and went over to her pack, pulling out some paper and a pencil. “What do you mean, ‘as usual’?”
“Eat your food and go to sleep,” Maya said, ignoring my question. “We’ll talk more in the morning.” She left the cave without another word and I swallowed hard, the meat forming a lump that nearly lodged itself in my throat. Coughing, I took a long drink from my flask before burying my face in my hands.
Maya was right, of course. We should have left a note for our parents at the very least. Why did I never stop to think before acting? “What are we doing here, Trey?”
He scooted over so he was sitting next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer so my head rested against his chest. He was still wearing his coat—we both were—but I imagined I could hear the steady pulse of his heartbeat. “You know why, Neri. To see the hatchlings and your sister.”
“The hatchlings might not even hatch, and I have no idea if my sister even wants me here,” I said, ticking off the points on my fingers. “Sometimes it seems like she does, and then she goes back to being furious with me.”
“I think she’s more worried than furious,” Trey said. “We could have fallen off the mountain, you know.”
I fixed him with a glare. “Why didn’t you say that before?”
“Why bother? It’s not like you would have listened to me.” Trey ducked before I
could hit him. “Besides, I wanted to come here too, so I’m just as much to blame as you are. In fact, out of the two of us, I should be the one Maya doesn’t want here. You, she definitely does.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” I mumbled, sleep wearing me down. “Besides, she knows wherever I go, you do, too. I couldn’t get rid of you even if I wanted to.”
He poked me in the side and I squealed, jerking away. “Brat.”
“Jerk,” I shot back, flicking him on the nose. As Trey rubbed his nose and I massaged my side, our eyes met and we both started laughing. Then I surprised Trey by hugging him fiercely. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” After patting me on the back, Trey pulled away. “And I mean it, Neri. Maya’s glad you’re here, too. Did you see her when we first got here?”
“She was crying,” I said. “Because she’d been fighting with Nic.” I stared at my lap. “All this time, I resented him for taking her away from us, but I don’t want to see her upset. Between her troubles with Nic and the hatchlings… I want to help, but what can I do, Trey?”
“You’re here. That’s enough.”
“But what if it’s not? What if I’m going to lose her?” Trey gave me a curious stare, so I told him about Aster’s plan to leave with the babies. “Maya said she’ll come back, but what if she loves the world out there too much to come back here?”
My best friend fell silent as he pulled his knees up to chest and wrapped his arms around his long legs. When he finally spoke, it was to say, “Don’t be mad, but—”
I groaned.
“But,” he said, talking over the noises I was making, “you know your sister has her own life to live, right?” Trey’s voice softened. “Even if she leaves, she’ll still be your sister.”
“But I’ll miss her. And so will my parents!”
“I will, too,” Trey added. “We all will. But we can’t hold her back, Neri. That would be unfair and selfish.”
I rubbed at my burning eyes with the back of my hand. “I know. I know I’m being horrible, but I can’t stop myself.”
“Because you love her.” Trey smiled. “That’s how I know you’ll let her go in the end. Because you love her too much to hold her back and stop her from doing what she wants to do.”
I stared at him. “Who are you and what did you do with my considerably less wiser friend?”
Instead of responding, he shoved me over and I collapsed into the pile of furs as I dissolved into laughter.
Not too long after that, we settled down on the hard cave floor, wrapping furs around us and using our packs as pillows. It wasn’t very comfortable, but I was so tired, I knew I would have no trouble falling asleep. Already Trey’s breaths were evening out and I laid there, listening to him as I stared at the ceiling, mulling over my exchanges with Maya. Tomorrow, I resolved, I would listen to her. Whatever she wanted me to do, I would do it without a complaint. I wanted my sister to know I was here for her; whatever she was going through, I would support her.
It was going to be all right. I was here, the dragons would hatch, my parents would forgive me, and I’d have my sister by my side once more.
Everything is going to work out, I thought as I turned over, shut my eyes, and fell asleep.
***
The next morning I awoke to the smell of cooking meat. As my stomach grumbled loudly, I turned over to discover I was alone in the cave. Trey better not being eating all the food! I sat up, my body still weary from yesterday’s climb, and undid my braid, letting my wavy hair flow over my shoulders. After buttoning up my coat, I emerged from the cave, covering my eyes against the strong summer sunlight.
The sky was already a deep blue, telling me I’d slept a lot longer than I’d meant to. Trey and Maya were hunched in front of the campfire, ripping pieces of meat off long skewers and tossing them into their mouths with greasy fingers. I shuffled over to them and sat down next to Trey. The fire was warm and I shrugged out of my coat, depositing it in an untidy lump next to me.
“Hey, look who finally decided to join the land of the living,” Trey said, grinning. When I snatched the skewer out of his hands and devoured the rest of the meat, his smile dissolved. “Neri!”
“I’m hungry,” I said around my mouthful of meat.
Maya shook her head. “Neri, ugh, that’s gross. At least swallow before speaking. You’re going to choke!” She handed me another skewer and I greedily accepted it. “My note was delivered to Mom and Dad, so they know you’re alive at least. We’ll see if they send a letter back demanding that you come home immediately.”
“They’re not going to bother,” I declared while Trey nodded.
“Why are you so sure?”
I pointed to the flickering flames. “Because they know where it’ll end up.”
Maya sighed and shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips, letting me know she wasn’t angry. After I finished my breakfast, I put down my skewer and scooted closer to her, resting my hands on my knees. “So, what’s the plan for today?” Before she could answer, I continued, “What have you been doing up here?”
“Exploring, a little” Maya answered. “With Nic. Sometimes Senia comes with us, but she doesn’t like to leave Aster for too long. And Aster won’t leave the nest.” Maya’s expression darkened. “If I’m being entirely honest, I don’t like leaving Aster either, but Nic insists, and I don’t like fighting with him.”
An awkward silence settled over us, which I broke by saying, “I never imagined I’d see the two of you arguing.”
Maya laughed humorously. “Despite what you might think, we’re not perfect.”
“He’s an idiot for fighting with you, Maya. And for wanting to give up on the eggs.”
“No, I can see why he does.” Maya’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “It’s like he said: What do Nic and I know about the eggs? About dragons? We may have been the rare ones to bond with dragons, but that doesn’t make us experts. If the dragons say the eggs aren’t going to hatch…”
“But I felt something!” I pointed out.
“Really?” Trey leaned forward in excitement. “What did you feel?” He swatted me on the arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
“I was distracted,” I said. Worrying about my sister leaving me, I told him silently with a single gaze. Understanding dawned on his face and he nodded. “I don’t know what I felt. Movement, maybe? Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.” To Maya I said, “I hope I didn’t give Aster false hope.”
“Actually, she seemed happier this morning.” Maya glanced at the dragon’s cave. “The happiest I’ve seen her in a long time, in fact.” Placing her hands over mine, she gave my fingers a squeeze. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. You scared me. If something had happened to you…” Pain flickered across her face, but she shook her head and smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re here. Both of you.”
“Really?” Trey asked, placing a hand over his heart.
“No,” Maya said, smirking. “I just added you as an afterthought because I didn’t want you to feel bad.”
“Not you too, Maya! I get enough abuse from your sister!” Trey slumped over with a wounded look on his face and my sister and I laughed, the joyful sound echoing across the mountains.
Chapter Eight
“Let’s go exploring,” Maya proposed as she stood and held out a hand to help me up. “What do you want to see?”
I exchanged an excited look with Trey. “Dragons!” we said in unison.
First we stopped in to see Aster and the eggs. Senia was sitting by her sister’s side and she gave us a nod in greeting when we approached the nest. This time Trey touched the eggs first, but he shook his head and said, “I don’t feel anything.”
“That just confirms that you aren’t as special as me,” I said, which earned me a laugh from everyone. Staring at the smaller egg, I felt drawn to it, but I resisted the temptation to touch it again. What if nothing happened this time? Aster would spiral in
to sadness once more. I couldn’t do that to her, not when she’d only just regained her smile.
“I’m going to show Neri and Trey around,” Maya told her dragon, one hand on Aster’s ruby red neck.
“Be careful,” Aster said. “Don’t go climbing. You might fall.”
“Oh, but don’t you know? These two are experts at climbing.” Maya shot us a sour look. “Senia found them halfway up the mountain yesterday.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “There’s a path! It’s not like we were scaling the side of the mountain with nothing but a rope!”
“How do you get around up here?” Trey asked. “The dragons can fly, but how about you, Maya?”
My sister smiled and pointed into the darkness behind Senia. “We use the tunnels.”
After saying goodbye to the dragons, we followed Maya into the shadows. She stopped to grab a torch, using some flint from her pocket to light it. As the flames flared into life, my mouth dropped open. There was a huge opening in front of us, tall and wide enough to fit a dragon, that I hadn’t even noticed was there.
“Whoa,” Trey said from behind me.
“Do all the caves have these?” I thought back to Maya’s cave, the one we’d spent the night in, but it had been much smaller and more confined. But maybe I’d missed a giant opening in the wall; I had been exhausted.
“Most, but not all,” Senia said as she stretched her head over my shoulder and gazed into the tunnel. The flames reflected off her scales, nearly blinding me.
“My cave doesn’t,” Maya said as if she’d read my thoughts. “These are the easiest way to get around when you have two legs but no wings.”
“Let’s go!” Trey was anxious to be moving, his body practically vibrating with energy. Laughing at his impatience, my sister took the lead, and Trey skipped after her. Before I followed, I glanced at Aster. She’d lowered her head to the ground, close to where the eggs were nestled against her body. There was a smile on her face as she gazed lovingly at the eggs and I felt something in my chest tug sharply, painfully.
Run and Touch the Sky Page 5