But how could she tell for sure? Maybe she should mentally call him a rude name, like filthy bastard, to see if he reacted. No, bad idea. If she made him angry, he might drop her. Oh, no! What if he understood all that?
She tightened her grip on his foreleg. Stop thinking about him!
Once again she sensed amusement. Dammit. There was no way she could stop herself from thinking. And she had to stay mentally alert if she was going to protect Eviana.
Your name is Gwennie?
He must have heard Eviana screaming her name. “My name is Gwennore and the little girl is Eviana.”
Gwennore.
A shiver ran along her skin. A dragon shouldn’t have such an appealing voice. She winced. Had he heard that?
She glanced toward his head. She’d been wrong, thinking all his scales were black. When the sun shone on him, his scales glistened an iridescent purple and green.
It reminded her of a black pearl she’d once found in an oyster shell. She’d thought it was so beautiful she’d kept it in her small treasure box, along with a few gifts her sisters had given her. Dear goddesses, would she ever see them again?
You will, she promised herself. For she had to make sure Eviana was returned to her parents. Would this dragon keep his word and help her? If he didn’t, how on Aerthlan would she manage to get Eviana home?
Anxiety threatened to consume her, so she tried to calm herself by mentally picturing her small treasure box and the gifts inside: an embroidered handkerchief from Luciana, a short story from Brigitta, a pretty shell from Maeve, and a small drawing of her from Sorcha.
The dragon’s talons suddenly tightened, jerking her back to the grim reality around her. She eyed the creature warily. Did she dare trust him?
Brigitta had told her sisters about her encounter with dragons, and she’d called them magnificent. She claimed that they had helped her husband take back his throne.
But what about all the children who had been kidnapped? Were some dragons bad and others good? Was this a good one? Gwennore had to hope so. Her and Eviana’s lives might depend on it. “Do you have a name?”
Yes.
She waited, but there was nothing more, only that same feeling of amusement she kept getting. Was he playing with her? Blast him. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll be forced to name you myself.”
Oh, I’m afraid.
“You should be. I could name you … Puff.”
He snorted, and more hot air escaped his nostrils.
“Was that a huff?” She smiled to herself. “Or a puff?”
I could drop you.
She squeezed his leg, pressing her face against the leathery skin. It was surprisingly soft.
But I won’t.
Oh, he was definitely playing with her. She was tempted to hit him. “Tell me, Puff. Why did you bother to save me if you won’t even introduce yourself to me?”
I took pity on the trees. Your fall would have torn off some branches.
She slapped his leg. “That’s not funny.”
Did you just hit me? After I saved you?
She winced. “It was a friendly pat. Did I mention how grateful I am that you rescued me? It would be a shame to harm any of the trees, don’t you think?”
A low grumbling sound reverberated through her mind. Was that a dragon chuckle? It had a very pleasant and soothing effect, even though she ought to be peeved that he found her so entertaining.
I could take you back to your friends, but I’m assuming you wish to remain with the little girl.
“That is correct. I must stay with Eviana.”
There was a moment of silence before he replied, She is not your child. Why did you risk your life for her?
“Her mother, Luciana, is like a sister to me.” Gwennore didn’t want to mention that Eviana was probably as close as she would ever have to a daughter of her own. But then an alarming thought struck her. If she hadn’t run away to avoid those two nasty earls, if she hadn’t taken Eviana with her, then the little girl wouldn’t be in so much danger right now.
Tears stung her eyes. “This is my fault.”
No. It is my brother who took her.
“I gave him the opportunity.” Dammit, she should have been stronger. She should have slapped those earls and stood up for herself. By acting like a victim, she’d allowed herself to become one. And poor Eviana was paying the price for it.
Guilt wrenched at her heart. How could she let strangers insult her and strip away her humanity? They didn’t know who she really was. But she should know her own worth. Her sisters knew her worth. Even Eviana knew.
She blinked away her tears. “I will not leave Eviana’s side. I will do whatever I must to protect her.”
There was a pause that stretched out for so long, she thought the dragon had forgotten about her. But then, a soft whisper wafted across her mind, so gentle she wasn’t sure she’d actually heard it.
Loyal and brave. The dragon’s forelegs curled around her like arms, drawing her close to his smooth gray chest.
“What are you doing?” She found her cheek pressed against the soft leather of his chest.
Keeping you warm. His voice was once again loud and clear. You were cold.
She did feel warmer and more … safe. With a glimmer of reassurance, she realized Eviana was being held like this, too, so she should be surviving the trip without freezing.
But how strange that a dragon not only had saved her life, but was concerned for her comfort. And how tempting it was to use her special power to find out more about him.
As one of the Embraced, Gwennore had been born with an ability that was close to a perfect fit for her. With her ever-rational and inquisitive mind, she liked to figure out problems and fix them. Using her gift, she could touch a person and then determine if they were healthy, and if not, she could see in her mind’s eye what the problem was.
But
