Chapter 23: Chapter 23
The place where Gavin had been living for the last year was pretty remarkable to Nya. Carved out of the top of a mountain, the village looked normal to Nya, except for a few key points. First of all, there was absolutely no vegetation whatsoever. No grass, no plants, no bushes grew anywhere within the village. Nya wondered if any of the people here ever ate any vegetables. For that matter, she wondered what they ate at all.
The entire town was lit by a soft red glow that emanated from a ring of glowing embers around the top of the hollowed out area in the mountaintop. As Slate led Nya and Gavin toward what he referred to as his home, she couldn’t help but look up in awe at the entire scene around her. The houses were all built of rock, which made sense considering their location, but other than that, they resembled the villages she’d seen in her own kingdom. Even the building they were clearly headed to looked much like the castle her family lived in, though this one was smaller. Nya had a feeling that was not only due to the fact that the space inside of the mountain was limited but because Slate likely lived there by himself, along with whatever servants he had to meet his needs.
“How has it been here?” Nya asked Gavin, so glad that Slate had allowed him to come along with her to the castle instead of returning to his training.
“It’s been interesting,” Gavin said with a smile. “I never would’ve thought a place like this could exist, but now that I know it’s here, I feel honored to have the opportunity to serve the dragons in their quest.”
Nya smiled back at him, but she still didn’t quite understand why Gavin wanted to be there. Why did he feel any loyalty whatsoever to Slate or the other dragons who lived within this mountain top village. Whatever story Slate had told him, along with the other people he’d picked up from the various kingdoms, it must’ve been enough to convince Gavin that he should fight to help Slate and the others retrieve the Heart of Magic from the evil kingdom that had stolen it.
It didn’t take too long for them to travel to the castle. Slate led them at a good clip the whole time, as if he were in a rush. Nya tried to resist the urge to let her eyes wander down his body. From his broad shoulders to his narrow waist to his powerful hips, he was an impressive male form. Her eyes kept insisting on landing on his finely sculpted backside. Every time she caught herself staring at the leather covered area of his body, she quickly pulled her eyes away, but still, thoughts began to invade the back of her mind of what it would be like to touch him. Nya scolded herself. Not only was he the same soul she’d wanted to kill for well over a year, he wasn’t even the same breed as her! He was a dragon shifter, and she was a human. There was nothing wrong with a human marrying a dragon shifter or having relations with one, but it wasn’t in Nya’s plan for her future to become Mrs. Slate the Dragon.
The front of the castle was guarded, but not heavily. Nya could understand why. If there were any threats at all inside of the village, she couldn’t imagine they’d be a match for a man who could shift into a dragon. Anyone else who wanted to attack would have to contend with a steep climb up a treacherous mountain first, so there was no way anyone was going to be able to invade this particular stronghold.
They walked past the guards who saluted Slate and into his home. The castle was made of large stone rocks of dark gray. Inside, sparse artwork hung on the walls, which were lit by a few lantern sconces from time to time, but for the most part, the interior was dark, the gray stones the most prominent feature of the hall they passed through to a den with a similar make up.
A large fireplace sat in the corner near leather chairs and tables roughly hewn from unfinished timber. The ambiance was very male and very unpolished, but Nya wouldn’t have expected anything else. As Slate gestured for her to take a seat, she noticed the woven rug in shades of red and black she was standing on covered slate floors. Fitting, she thought.
Nya and Gavin took seats on a leather couch while Slate sat by the unlit fireplace, the massive mantel made of one large stone. A large sword hung above it, the blade gleaming in the lantern light. Slate smiled at both of them, though it was clear he was guarding something. “I’m glad the two of you have found each other again.”
“Thank you,” Nya said, patting Gavin’s knee. “Me, too.”
Gavin smiled at her. “I knew I’d see you again someday. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Nya said, shaking her head. She tried not to meet Slate’s steely gaze because she was trying not to blame him for the misunderstanding she’d been laboring under for her entire life, but it was hard. She’d grown to hate him because she thought it was his fault. Shifting that blame to focus on her father was something that would take time. “Your mother’s going to be so happy to hear you’re alive. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees you.”
Gavin’s dark eyebrows raised as he looked from Nya to Slate and then back at the princess. “Well, I am looking forward to seeing her again soon, too, but it will be a while. All of us will stay with the dragons until the Heart of Magic is returned.”
Nya’s face fell at the realization that Gavin wouldn’t be able to return to Frindom even to tell his mother that he was okay. “That’s too bad,” she said, shaking her head solemnly. “Well, I’m sure it won’t be the same to hear it secondhand, but I’ll be glad to let her know.”
“Let her know?” Gavin asked, confused. Again, he looked at Slate and then back at Nya, his head tipped to the side. “I don’t understand. Nya, how did you get here?”
“I tried to kill Slate, but instead he gave me a ride here to show me the truth of the situation, that you were all alive,” she said with a shrug, beginning to feel slightly puzzled herself. “Why?”
“You weren’t the donation?” Gavin asked. “I know it’s not Frindom’s turn, but you did take the place of another, right?”
“No, I just leapt on his back.” Nya looked at Slate for only a moment, seeing the expression on his face that said he was about to interject himself into their conversation.
“Leapt on his back and prevented him from accepting the donation from the other kingdom?” Gavin asked.
Nya half shrugged. “I suppose so. He still could’ve collected that fellow if he wanted to.”
“No, I couldn’t have,” Slate said, finally joining into their discussion. “The rules prevent me from taking more than one soul with me on each monthly flight.”
“Oh,” Nya said, not having realized that. Again, she didn’t quite understand what they were getting at. “Well, I suppose you’ll get another one next month.”
“I will,” Slate said, “but I still have to have my donation for this month.”
“Then… can’t you just go back and see if he’s still there?” she asked.
Slate smirked at her. “No, there’s no need. I already have my donation for this month.”
“What?” Nya asked, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes shifted again from the dragon lord to her friend, who looked concerned at her confusion, and then back again. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… I’ve accepted a donation from the kingdoms, one I will keep and train to be part of my forces until I have retrieved the Heart of Magic.”
“Who are you talking about?” Alarm burned through Nya’s bloodstream as she finally began to realize the reason for his intense look. “I’m the only one you brought back.”
“Exactly,” Slate said, a small smile forming on his perfect lips. “Princess Nya, you’re the donation.”