The Bond (Book 2)

by Adolfo Garza Jr.

  “I know what you mean,” he said as he sat next to her. “I was a nervous wreck trying to keep Anaya a secret in the beginning. That, and not everyone was happy about her at first.”

  “Oh?”

  “People often fear what they don’t know.”

  Anaya walked out into the sun and lay near Xochi. The difference in size was more dramatic than Renata would have thought. As much as Xochi had grown, she still had far to go.

  The buzzing of the crowd had grown when Anaya walked out, and now Renata heard more squeals and excited whispers as people saw the two dragons together. Xochi did look especially cute next to the older dragon, she had to admit.

  “How did you counter that fear? Everyone seems to love them both.”

  “We changed the unknown into the known. Lord Baronel invited everyone to come meet her. For nearly two weeks people came by each evening and asked any questions they wanted. Anaya was just as adorable as your Xochi. How could people not love her?”

  Aeron stretched out his legs, put his hands behind his head, and leaned back against the wall. “Of course, once I could ride her, it was good to get away every now and then, to be together without so many eyes watching us.”

  Renata turned to him. “How long did that take? And how did you do that without harming her muscles with your weight?”

  “Well, we’d already had her exercising her flight muscles by flying every day. All we did was put weights on her, increasing the amount every couple of days, so that, eventually, she got to where she could also handle my weight.”

  Renata was impressed. Why hadn’t she thought of that? It was much like Manisi fight training, where you added weight to your arms a little at a time to increase stamina. “I see. So, you made some kind of weight straps for her legs?”

  “Kind of. We made a large weighted strap, just a leather tarp, really, tied over her back. Later, when we needed her to carry two people, we just put weights in her saddlebags.”

  Renata nodded. Logical.

  “We could start weight training for Xochi. We’d probably want to take a little more time with her, seeing as she’s a bit younger, but we could certainly start, at least.”

  “I’d like that, and I’m sure she would too. She’s a little jealous of Muffin.”

  “Muffin?”

  “My horse.”

  “Oh!” He laughed.

  “It looks like Anaya has some competition.” Jessip walked over and sat to her right.

  “Competition?” Aeron glanced at him.

  “For the hearts of the Caer.”

  Aeron chuckled. “There’s no competition. Xochi is winning by a long shot. It’s hard to resist an adorable little dragon.”

  Anaya turned to him. Renata thought the dragon looked a little upset. His next comment confirmed her suspicion.

  “Oh come now, sweetheart,” Aeron said, “I love you as much as I always have, as I always will. But look at her. Isn’t she just too much?”

  Renata smiled at her bond-mate’s antics. The phrase Aeron had used was perfect. Xochi was too much. The smaller dragon had her wings lifted and was still turning in a circle looking around at all the people. A happy croon came from her, and every now and then she’d let out a cheerful little chirp at someone.

  You’re going to get dizzy spinning in a circle like that, sweetling.

  Dizzy?

  You’ll know what it means soon enough, if you don’t stop spinning.

  “How’d you like your first official day of dragonlinked training?” Jessip said. “You didn’t seem to have any trouble with the magic lesson.”

  She wasn’t going to hide anything anymore. Not from these people, at any rate. They were her friends. It was good to have some again. “It was fun. I’ve had a little training in magic before, so I was able to follow along.”

  “You have?” Aeron sat forward. “Where?”

  “We don’t want to pry, though,” Jessip said, eyes on him.

  “Where I come from,” she said, “there is a group of people, a sect of monks. They recruit from nearby villages, mine being one of them. I was . . . chosen as a recruit. Part of my later lessons involved magic training.”

  Both the boys stared at her. She could tell they had many questions, but they held back. Which was a relief. Though she’d vowed to tell them everything, doing so was more difficult than she’d first imagined. Some things were still painful to recall.

  “You did mention in class that your trip here took a month.” Willem stood in the large doorway, leaning on the frame. “I’d be interested in hearing more about where you’re from.”

  How long had he been there?

  “Whenever you’re ready, of course,” Jessip said.

  “Willem!” Aeron turned to him. “Could you make a weight belt for Xochi? I was telling Renata we could start her dragon on weight training so they could eventually fly together.” He turned to her. “You don’t know how amazing it is to fly with your dragon.” His eyes were as bright as his smile.

  Willem stared at Aeron. He looked worried. The blond boy cleared his expression when he saw her watching him. “Sure. I suppose we’ll be needing some for dragons as we get them, anyway.”

  + + + + +

  Lord Eldin sipped on brandy. The smooth drink generally helped to calm him, and he needed it at the moment. The letter he’d received from his head of employment had infuriated him.

  I’m having trouble hiring guards at the pay rate you’ve authorized. Also, many I’ve spoken with don’t seem to want to work part of the time. Considering that they will have to relocate to a town or village near a station, they’re looking for full-timer employment at higher rates.

  The rate the company was offering was only slightly lower than the rates offered by others! And he was not going to hire them as full-timers. Pay rates were higher for those. No, if they wanted more money, they needed to work more shifts or find additional employment.

  Some people were so ungrateful. It was ridiculous. They should be happy for the opportunity to work at all. The horse disease in the east was forcing some companies to close up shop, leaving many out on the streets. That’s why he’d sent his man there to find guards. Average wages were better than no wages at all, weren’t they?

  His upset was such that even enjoying dinner had been impossible. When he left the lobster unfinished, Lora asked if anything were wrong. He assuaged her concern, but he couldn’t even enjoy the desert. He’d had to choke down the chocolate cake before taking his leave to return to the office.

  The warmth of the brandy sliding down his throat felt good. Swirling the caramel-colored liquid in his glass was also relaxing. The elixir was working its magic. He felt like he could write his response, now. At least he’d had other news. News of a much better variety.

  Lord Paxton’s contact at the Investigation Craft Guild assured them that, with a little time, she could arrange for the guild to vote against Baronel. And the contact at the Animal Craft Guild confirmed that they would be voting against the man, as well.

  The registration of Baronel’s provisional company names was complete, Lord Eldin had learned. The final meeting for approval of both companies was to be in Delcimaar on the second of Nony, a little over five months from now. Thus, the date for his demonstration had, too, been set.

  He’d have it end with the arrival of the passenger train in Delcimaar the day before. The positive reaction from its complete success would carry him to the meeting the next day, where he’d get to watch as both of Baronel’s companies got declined.

  With a large smile, Lord Eldin put pen to paper and began writing.

  + + + + +

  Master Doronal stopped at the top of the stairs. It was windy out tonight and a bit cool. He buttoned his jacket.

  Master Canneth said, “It took less work than I would have thought to convince him.”

  “I’m not surprised,” he said, starting down the steps from The Residence. “Once Millinith returns, we’ll have a lot of work to do in order
to be ready in time. Having all of us in on the plan will make it easier. Lord Baronel understands that.”

  “I just wish we had more dragons.” Master Canneth had a slight frown on his face.

  “Indeed. At the very least, a male for Anaya. There is still enough time before the meeting for her to produce young and have them old enough to travel to Delcimaar.”

  “Even though we have Nenet’s egg . . .” Master Canneth shrugged.

  Master Doronal frowned. “I know. We can’t assume that it will be male.” He hoped it was, but he wasn’t going to presume anything.

  “Cheddar’s research hasn’t yielded anything useful, as of yet.” Master Canneth glanced at him. “We’re going to have to press the girl.”

  The braziers at the base of the stairs threw wild shadows across the flagstones that the street lamps did not completely dispel. He stared at them, unseeing. “I know.”

  “She has been revealing details of her home, slowly, but we need to determine from where she got Xochi and whether there are more dragons we can make use of there.”

  “Yes,” he said. “However, based on what we’ve learned from Anaya, the egg should hatch soon. I’d like to give Renata that time to reveal her past to us of her own accord. Though she seems willing to share everything, there is something in the past that she is trying to come to terms with, I think.”

  Master Canneth nodded. “Well, as long as the egg hatches within a week or two, we can give her until then. Bear in mind that her trip took around a month—”

  “On horseback,” he said, raising a finger.

  “Aye, on horseback. In any case, we are running out of time. We need four dragons in case the requirement carries over.” Master Canneth rubbed his chin. “We may want to have Aeron try House Yaot again. If he and Anaya take Renata and Xochi with them, perhaps the Queen will see that their words were true.”

  Master Doronal grunted. He really didn’t want to have to send them back. From what Aeron described, it was not safe to do so. Still, they now had three possible ways to get dragons.

  Which would it be? Nenet’s egg? Xochi’s home? Or would he be forced to send Aeron and Anaya back to the dragon warren?

  Chapter 17

  Therday, Tershy 22, 1874.

  Late Morning.

  On much of the way back to Caer Baronel, Millinith’s thoughts had returned to Lady Erindia’s odd queries. The only explanation that made any sense was that Master Doronal’s mother suspected he was in a relationship with Millinith. And not one of Magic Craft mentor to protege. Millinith was still flustered by the idea, even now. Her feet took her along the passages of the Magic Craft Hall as her mind continued to mull on it.

  A boy in a messenger uniform was leaving Master Doronal’s office when she arrived. Millinith nodded to him, and he ducked his head—a quick bow—before rushing off to his next delivery destination. She took a deep breath and walked in.

  He was at his desk, as usual, pouring over whatever missive had been delivered. The man never seemed to rest. Though, he didn’t seem the worse for wear. His salt-and-pepper hair was predominantly black, his shoulders did not slump, and his eyes were sharp and clear. Though one could argue that he was blind right now.

  She stood just inside the door, watching him. He rose and, still reading the sheet in his hand, walked over to one of his glass cabinets. With only a quick glance, he opened it and removed one of the oddments from within, returning to his desk after, nose still in the document.

  She shook her head. “Lucky for you, I am not up to no good. Someone could step beside you and you’d not notice.”

  Master Doronal’s head snapped up and he finally saw her. His gaze took her all in, and, unaccountably, he blushed. He locked gazes with her, and with mock anger—the humor in his eyes gave it away—he said, “Good gods, woman, you shouldn’t sneak up on a person like that.”

  That he’d used ‘woman’ instead of ‘girl’ pleased her more than she thought it should. Placing her hands on her hips, she said, “Well, if you took notice of things besides what was right in front of your nose, a person wouldn’t be able to sneak up on you.”

  “Mayhap.” He smiled and stood. It seemed as if he were going to step from behind the desk, but instead, he clasped his hands. “It is good that you are back. How did everything go?”

  She removed two envelopes from her satchel and slid them across the desk. “Here are the signed receipts for the application submissions. Your mother—” Lady Erindia’s questions and Millinith’s conclusions about them returned. She studied Master Doronal. What did she really think of him?

  Despite the flecks of silver in his hair, she suspected his age to be closer to thirty-five than forty—his face was unlined, the skin smooth. He couldn’t be that much older than her own twenty-one years. And he certainly had drive. He was involved in several different projects for Lord Baronel and the craft hall. He was attractive, too. In fact, a smile was working its way across his lips now, and an amused sparkle shone in his eyes. They were light brown, she now noticed.

  “My mother?” he prompted.

  “Is an interesting woman. She had, ah, someone submit the second application, as you said she would.” She sat in a leather chair. “Incidentally, I am ready for my mastery exam.”

  “Excellent.” Master Doronal returned to his own seat.

  It was curious, though, that he almost seemed to want to distance himself from his family. He’d certainly never mentioned them much at all. “Why don’t you use your surname?”

  He blushed again.

  That he was out of sorts once more, that she could so easily put him out of sorts again and again, gave her an odd sense of power. And it made her see him in a completely different light. He was human, and he was a man. Before, he’d just been ‘Master Doronal.’ She’d never really consciously thought of him as having a sex. Or . . . having sex.

  “I was worried you’d find out about that.”

  Her eyes widened. Had he somehow—No. No, he was responding to her question. “Oh?” Her voice almost sounded normal.

  “I always felt embarrassed when I used my surname. It just seemed so pompous. I stopped using it when I joined Magic Craft.”

  Had she subconsciously felt an attraction to him before? Because there was definitely something, now. “Well, your family, the few I met, didn’t seem full of themselves at all. They were decent enough people.”

  “Oh, for the most part, they are. I just didn’t like the ideas people got when I used the surname. People think of you differently, treat you differently.” His brows drew together.

  “Yes. I can definitely see that. I met your nephew, by the way. Kaiden.”

  “Kaiden!” His initial smile, big and bright, faded somewhat. “So, you met him, did you?”

  “I did. He’s the one who turned in the other application.”

  “He’s quite, ah, charming, isn’t he?”

  “Oh, he is. Your mother warned me about him. She said he was nearly as bad as you.”

  With a hearty laugh, he said, “I do miss my mother. Perhaps I should visit soon.” With a wolfish grin, he said, “Yes, I was once as bad as Kaiden.”

  The look suited him surprisingly well. Lady Erindia was right. “I don’t know that I’d call it ‘bad.’”

  The grin slipped from his face. “You like him, do you?”

  “Kaiden? He’s likable enough,” she said, watching her finger trace a seam in the leather of the armrest. “But he’s like a new weapon, fresh from the blacksmith. Bright and shiny, yes, but with a rough grip.”

  She looked up. “I think I prefer a weapon that has been used a bit. A weapon that fits more comfortably in the hand, so to speak.” Her words brought warmth to her cheeks and set her heart racing. Gods, what had gotten into her?

  His lips parted slightly and a slow flush crept up his cheeks. “I see.” Clearing his throat, he smiled and said, “Yes, well, I’m glad you enjoyed your stay. You said you were ready for your mastery exam?”

&nb
sp; Swallowing, she responded quickly. “I am. Though I have to admit to being confused as to why you want me to take it.”

  He drummed his fingers on the desk. “One reason is that I wanted you to finish what I interrupted when I put you on the investigation team. Once that is achieved, all the goals you set yourself in the craft will be complete.”

  He looked up at her, fingers stilled. “Did you visit Enora while you were there?”

  “I did.” She nodded.

  “How is she?”

  “She’s doing surprisingly well. She’s happy.”

  “Good.”

  “Having lunch with her was like closing a book on that part of my life.” Millinith’s brows lifted upon hearing her own words. Is that why she felt so free to pursue other interests?

  “I see. And so, perhaps you won’t mind opening a new book, then.”

  “W–What do you mean?” She looked at him, heart beating faster.

  “There was another reason I needed you to complete your mastery.”

  She stared at him, brows furrowed. Mastery? What did that have to do with anything?

  “Tell me, would you like more control over the nahual investigation?”

  Lady Erindia had posed the same question to her. “I suppose I would.”

  “You suppose?”

  “I would, yes.” She crossed her arms. “What’s going on? Your mother asked me the same thing.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I have a proposition for you.”

  + + + + +

  Aeron stepped to the side of the cobbled street to let a wagon pass. The driver tipped his hat as the vehicle clacked by. Aeron adjusted the large cloth bag hanging over his shoulder and continued on to his rooms. Though he no longer lived in the dorms, he still had to visit the Laundry to pick up nightwear, small clothes, and such, when he got low.

  Having Renata and Xochi around had lifted his spirits a great deal. He didn’t feel the same worry he had when others had joined them. One reason, no doubt, was Anaya’s excitement at having another dragon around. She wasn’t the lone dragon anymore. Aeron had never considered how his bond-mate might feel not having other dragons to be friends with. He had Willem—more than a mere friend—and Sharrah, and Cheddar, and Jessip. His mouth twisted. There had been Liara and Fillion, too, at one time. Still, he had friends. And now Anaya did, too. He smiled.