Gold Dragon (Heritage of Power #5)(3)
Can you ratchet your aura down a few notches? Rysha asked silently, trusting the dragon would be monitoring her thoughts. These are my superior officers, not our enemies. We’re not supposed to manipulate them.
The male suspects you of cheating, Storyteller. His mind is most surly.
It’ll be surlier if he later realizes he was manipulated. And he might be even more suspicious of me then.
“Who the hells is the Storyteller?” Therrik shook his head, as if to shake away the dragon’s influence.
“That’s her name for me, sir. Whenever there’s time, I share my knowledge of history with her. About Iskandia’s past, the advancement of human science and technology over the centuries, and the political climates in the various countries around the world, past and present.”
“And she likes that?”
“I try to make it entertaining. The other night, I made sock puppets and acted out our troops repelling the Second Cofah Invasion on the beach at Durogonia.”
Therrik’s expression screwed up into one of disbelief. Maybe she shouldn’t have admitted that.
Kaika thumped him on the arm. “When is Lilah plopping your little one out? You may want to ask her for tips. Babies probably like socks.”
He stared at her. “You’re a weird woman.”
“No arguments here, Colonel.” Kaika took the clipboard from the timekeeper who’d been watching the exchange neutrally, other than throwing a few concerned glances at Shulina Arya. “Sign off, will you, sir? I have a date tonight. I want time to wash off the mud spatters. And Rysha will want to celebrate with her strapping young gentleman after she lets him know she’s passed the exam.”
“Strapping…” Therrik’s brow furrowed.
Rysha couldn’t tell if he was confused or repulsed. Either way, her cheeks warmed.
“Technically, Captain Trip isn’t all that strapping,” Kaika said, “but I understand he can do amazing things with his magic. It’s like a tongue, but better.”
Rysha’s cheeks went from warm to molten lava. “Ma’am. I didn’t say that.”
“No, but Jaxi is a little gossip. Of course, I could have guessed from the way you’ve stuck to his side since we left the dragon’s lair. His personality isn’t that engaging unless he’s got his dragon scy-thing—aura turned on.”
“Scylori,” Rysha murmured.
“I assumed right away that interesting things were happening under the blankets.”
Rysha had no idea what to say.
Therrik, his mouth drooping open, appeared to share the feeling.
“You’re lucky,” Kaika went on. “My own experience sheet wrestling with a dragon left something to be desired. The magic was all for him. If a half-human dragonling is a more assiduous and thoughtful lover, then he’s a keeper.”
“Seven gods, Kaika. This is a workplace.” Therrik snatched the clipboard from her, scribbled his name on the bottom, and stalked away.
Kaika tucked the clipboard against her hip, nudged Rysha, and said, “You’re welcome.”
“For embarrassing me?”
“For distracting him. I know you didn’t cheat, but some men have a hard time accepting that women can pass the same tests they can. And it actually did look a little suspicious with your dragon watching you from atop the wall.”
“She’s not my dragon, ma’am,” Rysha said, aware of Shulina Arya still standing behind her. “She’s her own being. She’s simply being kind and watching out for my welfare.”
“So long as you two are ready to go into the sky and battle enemies at a moment’s notice.” Kaika looked toward the gray cloudy sky over the sea, making Rysha wonder if she’d heard intel that enemy dragons were on the way.
It had been quiet in the capital during the three weeks since Rysha, Kaika, and Trip had returned from Rakgorath, but reports kept coming in from other cities and small villages throughout Iskandia. Dozens of dragons were about, consuming livestock, burning buildings, and killing people who were caught out—or who risked running out to shoot at the invaders. Wolf Squadron had been sent off several times in pursuit, and Rysha had barely seen Trip since they’d returned. With so much chaos in the country, she couldn’t be upset that they still hadn’t found time for a romantic walk along the harbor beach, but she did lament it. They also hadn’t had a chance to try having sex in an actual bed.
We are most certainly ready to fly valiantly into battle and defeat our enemies. Shulina Arya stretched her wings, making an imposing figure in the muddy field.
“Not by regaling them with sock puppets, I hope.” Kaika signed the second instructor’s spot on the bottom of the form.
Not all dragons are as enthused by stories and entertainment as I am, Shulina Arya said. Many of them are stuffy, pretentious, and old. I’m young and vibrant and wish to enjoy life when I’m not engaged in ferocious battle to defend my new homeland.
“Glad to hear it.”
Rysha’s stomach flipped as she watched Kaika finalizing the form, and as the realization that she had done it crept into her. She grinned, forgetting her earlier embarrassment over tongues and magic. She envisioned striding through the army fort, wearing an elite troops pin on her fatigue jacket, and being assigned to special missions. Granted, she’d already gone on special missions, but that had been because of her academic knowledge, not her position in the elite troops, as only the second woman ever to pass the tests and officially be welcomed into the unit.