The horses neighed and reined back when the dragon craned its neck towards Emma. While Magnus took his horse a little back as Olya started shivering out of fear, Lazarus had to calm Titan to stay in place. With one hand he grabbed Emma's waist tightly as he controlled Titan.
The dragon's large triangular head came in front of Emma as its large arctic blue eyes stared at her. Emma was… mesmerized. With her breath lodged in her throat, she couldn't help but stare back in its beautiful blue eyes. After a moment of assessing the dragon, she whispered to Lazarus, "Can you put me down?"
"No," he growled. His heart thundered in his chest. He watched the dragon warily.
"Please," she requested, placing her palm over his forearm.
Her touch soothed him a little. He gave a hard stare to the dragon. And just as he did that the dragon started to flare its massive wings with a snort.
"Please Lazarus," she begged.
Lazarus clenched his jaw debating what he should do. When the dragon didn't budge and Emma insisted again, he jumped down from Titan and helped her come down as well. However, the moment she was down, he yanked her against his chest with left arm while his right arm went to the hilt of his sword.
The dragon snorted again and tucked its wings back. It craned its neck for Emma and she reached out for it. Under the silvery moonlight, its purple scales were glistening like emeralds. It was so beautiful that Emma felt surreal.
As she reached for the dragon, it stretched its neck further for her. Emma's palm was only a few inches away when she halted. But she gathered courage and placed her hand on its snout. The moment she did that, a blast of energy left her shocked. The place of contact burned bright red and Emma felt as if her mind channel had opened up. Something slithered inside with the speed of an asp.
"Emma…" the dragon's deep voice sounded in her mind.
Emma gasped. Her skin lined with goosebumps and her stomach twisted into knots.
"I am Nephie. Brantley Frazier is my mate's rider."
Emma let out a rough exhale. Brantley Frazier was the king of Aztec. She couldn't understand the connection. In her excitement and confusion, she said, "I am Emma!" How come she wasn't speaking through her mouth? Was this conversation taking place in her mind?
Nephie snorted which was like a chuckle. She said, "I know."
"B— but how do you know me?"
Nephie rubbed her snout against her hand gently. "A dragon recognizes his or her rider. Usually the dragon is born after the rider's birth, but in my case, it was different."
Surprise exploded in her tiny chest. "I— I am your rider?" her words came out with an incredulous expression.
Nephie snorted again. She shook her head slightly. "Your mother is my rider."
Emma's surprise turned into shock. "My mother?" All her life she had known that her mother had died, but this came as pure blow. "She is alive?"
"She is, but she can't come here. She is in the dragon realm of Yizinia. She is a dragon keeper."
"Gods above!" Emma rasped. Her mother was alive. "Can you… take me to her?" Her eyes became moist thinking that she had a chance to meet her mother. "What is her name? Does she look like me? Oh, do I look like her? Will you be my rider too?"
Nephie opened her mouth and let out a sound that Emma thought was like she was laughing. But the horses reined back again as they glared at the dragon.
"You ask too many questions, Emma," Nephie replied. "I will answer them all in time. Right now you need rest and I need a good feast." She stepped back, severing the connection between them and Emma suddenly felt at a loss.
"Nephie!" she called her. "Please stay!"
The dragon nodded once before flaring its wings. It turned back and then shot to the sky with powerful strokes of her wings.
"That dragon's name is Nephie?" Lazarus asked as his hands loosened around her.
"Yes," Emma replied.
Olya and Magnus jumped from their horse and rushed to her.
"Are you okay?" Olya asked as she picked up her hand with which she had touched the dragon. "And that was a beautiful dragon!"
Emma was stunned by what just happened with her. Her mind was so numb with all the information Nephie gave her that she swallowed thickly.
"Why are you crying, Emma?" Lazarus asked, not liking her tears at all. He wiped them and cupped her cheeks. "Tell me you are okay."
"I am… okay…" she said in a low voice filled with emotions.
Lazarus studied her. He picked her up in his arms and motioned Magnus to get the horses to the thicket. Soon Magnus built two tents and all that time Lazarus didn't let Emma step down. She had wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. Olya busied herself in warming the food while Magnus took the horses to a nearby brook.
Once he settled her in the tent, he made her lie on the furs and covered her. Stroking her hair back, he asked gently, "What did the dragon say?"
ƥαṇdα-ηθνε|·ƈθm "How do you know we communicated?" she asked.
"I know because you came to know her name. Dragons do not share their names or show themselves to the world unless the person whom they are bonded to is extremely important."
Emma blinked. "Nephie rider is my mother. She has come to meet her mate who is Brantley's dragon. I don't know why she has come, but I am so glad that she has met me. She has come from Yizinia."
Lazarus tilted his head and a moment later said, "Maybe she is on heats. It is natural to seek your mate when you are on heats. Yizinia is very far away though…"
"What are heats?" she asked him innocently.
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