Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1)

by Maya Starling

  They walked in a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

  As they neared the cave, Olivia asked for a few moments of privacy. It took Kaden a moment before he realized what she meant. It was a good thing dragons couldn’t blush. After he made sure it was safe and no dangerous animals lurked nearby, Kaden retreated to the cave and got the fire going again. Although he tried not to listen, he couldn’t help but focus on every small sound. He was almost sure that she was going to come back – but, like the horse, Olivia was a living thing and not a possession. She had a strong mind and a will of her own. When he heard her approach, her footsteps light, quick and eager, a bubbling of hope and excitement, which he had not felt in centuries, rose in his chest.

  Once Olivia joined Kaden, he took her to his treasure chamber so she could retrieve whatever she thought she might need for a more comfortable stay in the front cave. He was not used to guests, and had never expected any, but luckily over the years he had stolen an impressively eclectic variety of items. It wasn’t as if he could actually use any of them, and by now, most of their previous owners would be long dead. It was a melancholy thought, but Olivia’s bright face in the torchlight, shining with curiosity as she rummaged through chests and boxes and loose piles of bric-a-brac, banished Kaden’s loneliness. She brought a warmth into the cold recesses of his inglorious past, bringing everything to life again, giving a purpose to these forgotten, dead objects in his reluctant collection.

  She didn’t take much. Just a padded chair, some extra blankets, a book, a piece of cloth she could use as a towel, a handful of candles, a brass lamp to set them in, and an old bone comb she found in one of the chests. She loved the design on it, a swirling pattern of carved ivy and roses, and she wondered how old it was and what history it had witnessed.

  After they had settled in for the night, Olivia didn’t tuck herself under the blankets on the mattress but again, and of her own choosing, snuggled up close to the dragon. For the warmth, was her explanation, and safety, she assured herself.

  The events of the day had exhausted both of them, and before long, they were sound asleep.

  As the dawn crept over the horizon the next morning, gently coaxing the world into wakefulness, Olivia stirred.

  Kaden had been awake for some time but hadn’t dared move in case it would rouse her. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself facing Kaden’s smooth scales. She yawned while pressing her forehead into him and inhaled the scent she had started to associate with her dragon, the faint odor of smoke mixed with the fragrance of the forest.

  My dragon.

  Hesitantly, Olivia reached her hand up and softly pressed her palm to Kaden’s scales. Even though she had touched them before and enjoyed their silky smoothness, this time it was somehow more intimate. Her fingers traced around one of the scales. Kaden shivered beneath her touch and it made her smile. Olivia continued gliding her fingers over his scaly draconic skin, marveling at its glistening blue color, its sleekness, and she fought back the urge to rub her face against it.

  She failed.

  Pressing her palm flat against the dragon’s now slightly taut muscle, Olivia leaned her forehead against his flank. As she closed her eyes, her nose brushed his scales, making slow circular patterns.

  Kaden sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and held it. He hadn’t felt anything this intimate and affectionate in a very long time. When he looked far enough back through the recesses of his memories, he came to the startling realization that he had actually never experienced anything like it, such a simple, gentle touch. Not even with Lucia.

  He shivered again when Olivia pressed her cheek against him while she ran her hand over his scales, caressing him as far as she could reach. His scales might have been strong but they were also sensitive to every little caress of Olivia’s wandering fingers and every brush of her warm breath.

  When her fingers found an especially sensitive spot on his lower ribs, Kaden brought his head around and gently nudged her. “That tickles.” He affected squirming and held back a chuckle.

  “Does it now?” Olivia teased while she ran her fingers over his ticklish spot one more time and giggled.

  “Oh, hush you... you little imp.” Kaden nudged her gently again.

  Olivia detached herself from the dragon. “Good morning, Kaden,” she said as she sat back on her heels. She covered her mouth as a deep yawn escaped her. Contentment whispered across her lips, eyes bright with wakefulness. She sighed in relief as she stood up, working out a cramp or two. Her muscles ached less, and her knee was only a bit sore.

  “Morning, Liv.” Kaden pushed up to his hands and feet, claws scraping against the rock- and dirt-covered floor. As he turned his head toward Olivia, he was almost blinded by her bright smile. It lit up the cave like thousands of fireflies. Her cheeks were flushed; she was probably still shy about her daring exploit.

  When Olivia raised her intertwined fingers above her head, wanting to stretch, Kaden turned away so she wouldn’t catch him staring at her again. Even though they flirted a bit, he assumed she felt at ease with him because he was a dragon and not a human. Kaden doubted she would relinquish the proper etiquette and behavior if he were a man.

  Using his tail he moved the leftover roasted chicken closer to the fire.

  “Hungry?” He glanced over his shoulder and saw Olivia drying her face next to the pot that still had some water in it.

  “Mmhmm,” Olivia responded as she picked up the comb and settled closer to the fire. “Must be a beautiful day outside, after the yesterday’s rain.”

  “We’ll go out after you’ve eaten.” He was rewarded with a grateful smile.

  True to his word, after Olivia had finished eating, Kaden grabbed a big water sack and some ropes he had found in the back and led her outside. The sun was still low on the horizon and the fog was slowly dispersing, creating the illusion that they were walking among the clouds.

  While Kaden led her to the clearing where they had watched the sun set, Olivia surveyed her surroundings. She could now see the trees she had caught whiffs of last night. They were spaced wide enough so that Kaden could walk between them with his wings tucked in by his sides.

  Since she had been a good study Olivia now recognized the pine, blue spruce, fir and birch trees. Beneath them hid dwarf honeysuckle bushes and an occasional milkweed.

  The forest floor, which was still muddy from the rain, was littered with pine needles and patches of grass in the spots where the sun reached it. Dotted here and there in bright patches of color were flowers in bloom including saffron, primrose, snowdrop and woodland cyclamen, scattered around in a wonderful harmonic mess of lilacs, yellows, whites and purples. The colorful carpet reminded Olivia of her mother. She sighed, pushing away the sadness and worry.

  Movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she saw a squirrel winding its way up a tree. Olivia thought she also spotted a rabbit darting away to its hiding place. From what she knew, she was sure there were some roes living in the forest and probably some badgers as well. The forest was teaming with life, in addition to the wolves and bears she had already witnessed. She welcomed the distractions.

  The caress of the spring breeze against her face tugged at her lips and brought her feet to a stop. Sunbeams reached out to her smiling face, warming her cheeks. She closed her eyes, faced the sun’s rays, and listened to the birds sweetly chirping away.

  Kaden heard Olivia’s steps falter so he stopped as well and turned to watch her. To study her. The content, peaceful smile brightened her soft features. Her hands were hanging loosely by her sides and her face was turned upwards, soaking up the sunshine. He wished for that peacefulness and that innocence. He had taken the simplest things for granted back then.

  The things he now missed the most.

  Observing her like that, he breathed in deeply as he tried to look at his surroundings and feel them as she perceived them. She made it easy for him to truly relax and enjoy the moment, to search f
or that peace deep within him.

  The dragon found it when he settled his gaze back on her. He watched her open her eyes and beam at him as she started walking again. There they both were, the girl who longed for the freedom of the dragon, and the dragon who longed to be a man.

  When they arrived at the clearing, the fog had dissipated. With not a cloud in sight, and the air crisp and clear, the view stretched endlessly onward. Olivia gazed at the forest below, an undulating sea of green that gave way to a lush valley. Her blue eyes widened in delight and a smile danced on her lips. She drew in a deep breath of fresh mountain air mixed with the scent of dew and conifer trees carried by a soft breeze.

  Olivia asked to rest for a while, because she couldn’t get enough of the view as the rising sun chased away the chill of the morning, its rays catching the sparkle of dewdrops on the grass. Afterward, she suggested they head off to get some fresh water from a nearby stream.

  Kaden lay down facing the view, and Olivia nestled in the crook between his neck and his shoulder. She pulled her knees up but leaned fully into Kaden, her head against him. The same easy conversation flowed as the day before, the chatting and flirty banter. Both were comfortable with this dynamic, aware of the odd kind of chemistry and not denying it. Olivia, for her part, had no idea what it was about Kaden that had drawn her in – she didn’t feel as if she were talking to an animal or to a savage, fire-breathing monster like the ones in the stories she had heard.

  She had loved horses as a young girl and had spent hours grooming her favorite mare, Starlite, and talking to her and pretending she could talk back, but this was so different. If she closed her eyes, Kaden was to her mind just as human as Sebastian. Except, she was sure, Kaden would not have agreed to anything without asking her first. She knew nothing more could develop from their bond, however. When she opened her eyes again, Kaden was not a man, he was a dragon. She sighed.

  Olivia slipped her feet out of her boots and wriggled her toes, loving the feel of the grass tickling them while the breeze gave her feet some respite from being all cooped up most of the time.

  Kaden watched with amusement as she tried to pluck out the stalks of grass with her toes. Olivia was intent on this activity, and her concentration on the grass – and away from him – gave him the courage to ask about something that had been on his mind.

  “Why did you run towards the mountains? You said you heard the stories and warnings but you still came here.” When they had been talking yesterday, she had told him about the rumors going around about a dragon living up in the foothills, guarding the forest. “Didn’t you believe those stories?”

  “Oh, I thought those were just fabricated stories, intended to keep the children from wandering the forest alone. And, at the time it made sense to run towards the woods and the mountains and not towards the city where they would most likely follow me. I was also not quite rational at that moment.” She shrugged her shoulders, brushing against the dragon’s scales. “Actually, I have a question of my own that I have been wanting to ask since yesterday,” Olivia said. Encouraged by Kaden’s nod she continued, “How many dragons are there?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never met another dragon.”

  Olivia’s head left his side as she leaned away so she could face him. She gaped for a few moments, blinking those big blue eyes at him. “You have never encountered another dragon? How is that possible?” She quirked her head to the side.

  “I... You see...” Kaden wished he could tell her the truth, the truth he couldn’t even think about. “I really don’t know if there are any out there besides me. I have heard rumors but I’m not sure if those were about me or some other dragon. The world is a really big place. If there are only a few of us, and if they are hiding away like me, I’m not really surprised I have never met them.”

  “What about your parents? Your mother? Did you really come from an egg?” Olivia fired off the questions.

  “Take a breath, Liv,” Kaden chuckled, “One question at the time. It has been such a long time, over a century, almost two… I think. So I don’t remember much.” The lie rolled of his tongue easily, and he was thankful Olivia wasn’t looking into his eyes but had settled back down against him. “Since I can remember my draconic existence, it has always been just me. And I think the presumption about the egg is correct.” At least those words were truth. He hated the lies. It felt as if he were marring their... friendship. But he had no other choice; he couldn’t speak what had really happened to him. The words lodged in his throat, twisting and morphing into the lies that came out. At least the way he had phrased it was less of a lie.

  “That is sad.” Olivia sighed. “I miss my parents.” She was absentmindedly caressing Kaden’s neck, right next to where her head was pressed against his gleaming scales.

  “You do know you could go back?” Kaden said despite his desire for her to stay. He wanted to encourage her to think that she should stay here, with him, forever, but that would be selfish. He had been that way too many times in the past.

  “No!” Olivia stiffened against him. “I could not do that. I have embarrassed them and disappointed so much. You should have seen the look on my father’s face. I am afraid they would not want me back.”

  “You don’t truly believe that.” Kaden frowned at her, and even though she couldn’t see his face, Olivia could imagine it quite clearly.

  “I… I … I am scared,” she conceded.

  “I think those are silly thoughts. After all you have told me about them, I believe they’re worried sick and scared for you and surely want you back.”

  “You are probably right. They really are the kindest people I have ever met.” Olivia sighed. “But I am not ready.”

  “You will have to go back sooner or later. Why keep them in agony any longer?”

  “It is not that I am not ready to face them.” Olivia scooted away from Kaden so she could face him as she sat back on her heels.

  Kaden lifted his head and stared at those blue irises filled with emotions he hadn’t seen since … He forced the thoughts of his past away and gave Olivia a slight nod to continue.

  “I am not ready to leave you yet.” After she got the words past her lips, Olivia stared into the dragon’s amber eyes for a few moments, finding surprise and gratitude in them. The intensity of his gaze startled her and she looked down at her hands in her lap, playing with her fingers.

  Kaden nudged her. It seemed he liked doing that, and he rested his head near her lap.

  “Thank you.”

  Olivia knew he was thanking her for not leaving him yet, alone again. It meant more to him than anything at that moment.

  “Come on.” The dragon shot up all of a sudden and waited for Olivia to do the same.

  “Yes?” Olivia rose to her feet as well and looked up at her dragon. She liked calling him that, even if only in her head.

  What she saw then left her speechless. Kaden rose to his feet, his hands leaving the ground as he spread his wings wide. Olivia had to shade her eyes from the sun as she looked up at him in wonder. The sunlight glistened off his scales, bringing out their color, the midnight blue accentuating his golden underside. His wings were spread out as far as he could extend them, and he gave them a few soft beats. The dragon’s movements drew Olivia’s attention to his muscles, rippling beneath the silky surface, especially where the shoulders of his arms met the shoulders of his wings. He was beautiful, he was elegant, he was –

  “Magnificent,” Olivia spoke out loud. “You are a magnificent dragon, Kaden.” She was still looking up at him, eyes wide with awe and amazement.

  Kaden’s gleeful chuckle echoed through the forest. The birds in the nearby branches shot out of the trees, flapping away in fright.

  “I’m honored you like what you see,” he said, followed by a cocky wink, “but wait till you see this.”

  The dragon beat his wings. Once, twice, gaining momentum as he always did so he could gather the wind beneath his wings to help him take off into the
air.

  Olivia shielded her eyes from the dust which had risen and she struggled to hold a steady footing against the gusts of wind. On the third and last beat of his wings, he lifted off the ground. The torrent of air blasted Olivia back. She stumbled, and losing her balance she fell on her backside with a squeak of surprise.

  She was glad Kaden had missed that. This is so embarrassing. Olivia scrambled back to her feet and then watched the dragon circle above her. He soared up high and then swooped down with great speed, spreading his wings so he could glide gracefully over her head. She just couldn’t help the silly smile that seemed to be stuck on her face. She didn’t even dare blink; she wanted to see it all. She spun around, following his movement, wondering what it would be like high up there, off the ground, where she would no longer be part of the world below, leaving her worries behind as she reached for the heavens above.

  When Kaden twirled one last time and neared Olivia again, slowing his flight, she took a couple of steps back and braced herself against another blast of air.

  The dragon beat his wings back and hovered over the ground a few moments before touching down. A silent return, as he tucked his wings against his sides again. Olivia expected the earth to tremble beneath her feet as the dragon landed, but it didn’t. How could something so… bigger than life itself be so quiet and graceful, his flight like a downy feather swirling through the air, gentle, carried by the breeze and then ever so softly gliding back to the earth. A tender caress of the sharp claws against the lush green grass.

  As the dragon padded towards a still mesmerized Olivia, he scooped up the rope he had brought with them, into his mouth. Reaching Olivia, he placed the rope at her feet and lowered himself before her.

  Olivia’s brow furrowed. “What am I to do with that?”

  “You will need it because I want to take you flying. I’ve seen the look in your eyes.” He continued before Olivia could argue, “You’re going to wrap that rope around your waist and tie it really tight, and the rest will go around my neck. It’s a safety precaution. I don’t want you to fall off once we’re up. I think you could get settled comfortably near my wings, a bit behind. The ridges of the scales should be a bit further apart there, so you can sit in between two. You can also hold onto them for support and balance. You will have to keep your knees tucked in tightly. You have ridden a horse before, so you should know how to hold on with your thighs.”