Light filtered through the golden leaves and white branches of a tree onto Cathan’s scales as he stood nearby on a cliff. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the heady smells of the forest below. He breathed in the smell of leaf mulch stirred by his clawed feet.
Cathan craned his long neck to observe the golden leaves of the Drachenwald tree, his green eyes glistening with a hint of matching gold. He snorted in satisfaction, lowering himself and tucking his front legs comfortably beneath his belly.
The forest was silent, just the way he liked it. No squirrels chattering as they collected their nuts, no birds twittering as they made their nests—they wouldn’t dare! All the creatures of the forest knew who he was: Cathan, last of the dragons, guardian of the Drachenwald tree.
Cathan lowered his head toward the ground. A yawn revealed twin rows of long, sharp teeth and a forked serpentine tongue as he settled in for his afternoon nap. He closed his eyes, heaving a sigh.
An unfamiliar scent floating on the air caught his attention. He raised his head and looked around the edge of the clearing below, searching for an intruder—they were close. Very close. A low growl rose in his throat. How had he missed them until now? His shoulders rose in anger as he stood and stalked away from the tree, down into the clearing.
Cathan followed the scent to the lake’s edge beneath his cliff, searching for the intruder. He stepped close to the water, his gaze sweeping the trees.
A twig snapped, and Cathan threw his body to his left, unfurling his wings. His ears pricked as he heard heavy breathing, and he lowered his head closer to one of the trees as he peered around it. The intruder gasped, flailing their arms as they fell. As they backed into a tree and pulled their legs to their chest, their hood fell to their shoulders.
A human girl.
Rage formed in the pit of his stomach. A human! Here, in his woods! He reared on his hind legs, extending his wings to their full length, and bellowed a thunderous roar that echoed through the valley and shook the ground beneath his feet.
How dare a human come here, near the last Drachenwald tree, after the others were destroyed? Did she not know the story? Cathan studied her face as she raised her hands over her ears, covering them with her palms beneath messy, curly brown hair. Two green eyes surrounded by a rounded face gazed up at him and Cathan snapped his jaw shut as his roar faded, then he lowered his head to look down at the girl.
Part of him wanted to strike out at her right then—humans had invaded his home, hunted down the other dragons, and destroyed the other Drachenwald trees, leaving only one behind. Though he had gotten used to his life of solitude, the ache in his heart for his fellow dragons had never faded.
As he watched the girl shaking like a leaf on the ground in front of him, the voice of Cathan’s empathy spoke out. She’s just a girl, he thought. She has nothing to do with the actions of other humans. She couldn’t be more than sixteen years old judging from her size and scent, and the other dragons had been gone for decades. Despite his feelings toward humans, killing her seemed distasteful.
Cathan huffed, baring his teeth, his nostrils flaring. “Who are you, and what are you doing in my forest?”
The girl raised her head, staring up at him with wide eyes. She started to speak, but could barely form the words as they caught in her throat.
Cathan bared his teeth again, growing impatient. “Tell me your name!” he growled.
“Niamh. Please, don’t eat me,” she begged, her voice shaking.
Cathan’s cold laughter echoed throughout the clearing. “Child, if I wanted to eat you, I’d have done it within seconds of seeing you. Now, what are you doing in my forest?”
“My sister has been taken by slavers. I need help finding them and getting her back,” she answered in a trembling voice. “I was following them and found my way here, but I tripped and hurt my ankle,”
Cathan raised his head. Did that mean there were others in the forest looming closer to the tree? “Come closer. I will not hurt you,” he said.
He waited for the girl to obey. The fear fell from her face, replaced by curiosity, as she leaned forward from the tree. “You really are a dragon, aren’t you?”
“My name is Cathan. I am the guardian of this forest, and you are trespassing,” he growled.
Niamh stared up at him in awe. “I’ve never seen a dragon before. I was always told they’d all been hunted down. Some said they weren’t real.”
Cathan lowered his head toward her. “I assure you, I am quite real. See for yourself.”
Niamh hesitantly raised her hand toward him. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before she finally touched the end of his snout near his nostrils, running her hand over his rough, warm scales.
Cathan closed his eyes, breathing in her scent as Niamh’s fingers touched him. His snout twitched, and her earthy human scent filled his nostrils as he tried to sniff out the scents of the slavers. There was something else, something faint but familiar. He shut his eyes tighter, trying to remember. He’d smelled something similar a long time ago, but recognition eluded him. Abandoning the effort, he lifted his lids and watched Niamh’s eyes fill with even more curiosity. They held an interesting mix of innocence and sorrow.
“I never expected to talk to a dragon,” Niamh said, lowering her hand.
Cathan watched the girl, contemplating his response as he pulled his head back. He didn’t want to stray too far from the tree, and who knew where these slavers were by now?
“Do you know where these slavers were going?” he asked.
“Toward Rhothia,” Niamh replied.
Cathan studied her skeptically as he considered her story. The city of Rhothia was much further outside the border of the forest than Cathan would have liked. Nearly a half day’s walk for a human. He didn’t like the idea of her kind being here, and the sooner they left, the better. He couldn’t risk leaving the tree unguarded for long, though.
It won’t happen again. Not under my watch, he thought, remembering the beautiful leaves of the other Drachenwald trees burning before shaking off the painful memory. He had to get Niamh as far away from the tree as he could.
Staying in this form would make the journey difficult, however. Riding was a special privilege reserved for those bonded to a dragon. Besides, it would be easier to pass through the trees and keep a closer eye on her if he wasn’t in this form.
Cathan huffed and rose from the ground. “I will help you. But first, I must take care of something. Stay here,” he said.
He entered the shallow lake and walked toward the cave behind the waterfall. As he entered the cave’s darkness, his shifting magic stirred within him, clawing at his insides. A long growl escaped him, echoing throughout the cave as it continued ripping at him. Bones crunched and flesh squelched as his body shifted. Wings shrank into his back and disappeared. His claws did the same, forming human hands and feet, and his limbs shortened into arms and legs.
He fumbled in the darkness as his eyes struggled to adjust, and he searched for the pile of human clothing made in the nation of Elisora he kept for when he shifted to this form—not that he shifted very often. He detested being in his human form.
Niamh’s jaw dropped as he approached after emerging from the cave. “You can shift into a human?”
Cathan glanced down at himself and considered what he looked like to her. He wore a long-sleeved tunic, simple pants and boots, and a cloak wrapped tight with the hood drawn down, revealing a short beard and sharp jaw, and a head of brown hair that was shorn close to his scalp.
“I assure you that dragons are capable of far more than simply burning down villages, or whatever your fellow humans would have told you,” Cathan answered with a shrug. “Now, come along. The sooner we find your sister, the sooner I can return home.” He jumped from the last rock onto the beach, then walked toward Niamh. “Can you put any weight on your foot?”
Niamh stood straight against the tree and placed her foot on the ground. She winced and shifted her weight off of it. “Some, but it’ll slow me down.”
Cathan sighed. This would take longer than he’d hoped. He searched for a sturdy branch, found one that satisfied him, then offered it to her. “Here, use this as a walking stick.” He grabbed the crook of Niamh’s arm, staring her hard in the eyes. “If we pass anyone, say nothing about who I am if they ask. Understood?” Cathan kept his voice low.
Niamh silently nodded, waiting for him to let her go. Cathan watched her for a moment before he turned back toward the Drachenwald tree. Its leaves contained protective magic that could prove useful on this journey. He considered returning to the tree to collect a few, then dismissed the notion with a confident shrug as he turned back.
They traveled until it became too dark to see and made camp for the night.
Early the next morning, Cathan watched as the clouds drifted along the morning sky, and yearned to be up there with them, gliding along with his wings spread wide as he searched for the intruders. He heaved a frustrated sigh, his body visibly shuddering. How long had it been since they’d left the Drachenwald tree? Not long by his calculation. I’ll never get used to being in this body, he thought.
“Are you alright?” Niamh asked nervously.
Cathan glanced over at Niamh and nodded as they walked up the crest of a hill. “I’m just eager to get back home.” His transformation magic stirred within him, but it felt off. “I think there’s a shortcut we can take through the woods over there that will lead toward Rhothia,” Cathan said, pointing toward the woods up ahead.
“Are you sure that’s the right way?” Niamh asked.
Cathan frowned. His senses weren’t as sharp in his human form as they were in his dragon one—his vision became blurry if he tried to see too far away, and he couldn’t hear the whir of a cricket’s wings from across the clearing like he could as a dragon. His sense of smell may as well have been non-existent. But he still had a good sense of direction. He glanced over at Niamh, trying to read her face.
“I’m sure. This will be faster,” Cathan replied.
Niamh limped ahead of him as they came to the wooded entrance, sitting down on a nearby log. Her breathing was heavy as she leaned forward, grasping her ankle. “I can’t walk anymore. My ankle’s getting worse.”
Cathan sighed in frustration. I should just leave her here, he thought, but they were still too close to the Drachenwald. He looked at Niamh as she sat on the log, watching as she rubbed at her ankle. How hard it must have been for humans to be unable to heal their injuries with magic. His empathy overcame his draconic instincts once more as he realized how weak she truly was, and he felt a strange sense of caring for the girl. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he knelt down in front of her. “Let me see,” he said.
Niamh raised the edge of her skirts, allowing him to examine her ankle. Cathan lifted her leg up, so it rested on his knee and he could examine it. “It’s a little swollen, but not too bad,” he said. He pulled a strip of his cloak off and carefully wrapped it around her ankle.
Niamh used the branch to stand, trying to maintain balance on one foot. “Thank you,” she said.
As they walked further, he opened and closed his fists anxiously. He was too far from home, and she was walking slow enough that he’d never make it back before sunrise the next day.
“Is there any chance we can stop? I’m getting tired,” Niamh pleaded from his side.
Cathan shook his head. “We have to keep going. I want to get as far as possible today.”
Silence lingered between them once more. Cathan noticed Niamh glancing up at him before quickly looking away.
“What is it?” he asked.
Niamh bit her lip. “Why do you not want humans in the forest?”
“Have you not heard the stories of what happened between the humans and dragons?” Cathan asked, surprised. Didn’t most humans know the story by now?
Niamh shrugged. “I know there used to be lots of dragons, but not what happened to them.”
Cathan took a deep breath as he began.“The humans and dragons had a pact to protect the Drachenwald trees. Some humans held magical connections to dragons, though it was rare. One such human existed and held a connection with a dragon. The human promised to train and become a guardian of the Drachenwald trees, keeping them protected from those who sought to use their magic for other means. Some humans hunted the dragons down to sell their parts at markets.” He breathed deeply, keeping his gaze forward as they walked. “The human and dragon shared everything, even emotions, which made the betrayal even more bitter when he betrayed his dragon and led a massacre to the forest. The humans destroyed all but one Drachenwald tree. One tree, and one dragon as its guardian, are all that remain.”
“How is it you survived?” Niamh asked, wincing.
Cathan glanced down at his side, feeling a phantom pain from the nearly fatal stab wound he’d endured all those years ago. “I almost didn’t,” he answered. “The rest of my kind were not so lucky . . .”
He trailed. “The humans had torn the power from the Drachenwald trees and turned against their partners.” He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, wishing he could claw them away permanently. Now the responsibility of protecting the tree had fallen to him, and although he’d accepted it willingly, it was a heavy burden to bear on his own. He felt the familiar urge to shed a tear, but ignored it.
“I’m sorry,” Niamh said. She wiped a tear away and looked down at her damp fingers in surprise.
“It was a long time ago,” Cathan replied. “I prefer not to dwell on it.”
“Why did you decide to help me?” Niamh asked.
Cathan kept his gaze straight ahead. “The sooner you’re out of the forest, the sooner I can get back home.” As he walked, he listened for the sound of her feet moving through the grass. “I can easily turn back, so you better keep up if you expect me to help you find your sister,” he called back to her.
Niamh appeared at his side a few moments later as she limped quickly to catch up.
“Have you ever been to Rhothia?” Niamh asked.
“Only once, many years ago,” Cathan answered after a moment.
Rhothia sat outside the capital of Valena as a merchant city. Many tradespeople from all over came to the city to sell their treasures—including the hunters that had murdered so many of his kind. Dragons were drawn to treasure, especially young ones, and Cathan had been no exception. His curiosity had allowed him to take advantage of his shifting magic and enter the city as though he were any other human.
He had wandered the streets, taking in the exotic wares from lands he had never traveled to himself. But his awe had turned to horror, then rage, when he caught sight of a dragon skull, on a merchant’s table with a handful of dragon scales, glistening in the scorching sun. His stomach churned, unable to keep himself from imagining what those dragons must have endured for humans to have their expensive trinkets.
Cathan shook the memory away and looked to Niamh, who stared up at him with confusion. He cleared his throat, looking away. “I went there once to explore the city. Let’s just say I didn’t like what I saw.”
Niamh nodded. “I was born in Rhothia. I remember wandering the markets and seeing . . .”
“Seeing what?” Cathan asked.
Niamh paused and looked up at him, sorrow in her voice. “The magical creatures some of the merchants had in cages.”
As Cathan held eye contact with Niamh, a warm prickling filled his stomach as his magic stirred—not the way it did when he was about to transform, but when his magic reacted to danger. He scowled, tilting his head to one side as he tried to make sense of it.
“We should keep going,” Niamh said, pulling her gaze away. “You need to get back to your tree, after all.”
A few hours later, Cathan followed the path in the forest, stepping over a large branch jutting up from the forest floor. The path ended in a clearing with leaves covering the ground, and he walked further in.
Something stirred on the ground. Before Cathan could react, a net flew up around him, knocking him off his feet as it rose swiftly into the air. Cathan snarled and thrashed at the ropes, his draconian instincts surging to the fore. His eyes dilating, his tongue darted out of his mouth and he bit at the net with his dull human teeth. His clawless fingers tore at the ropes, and his shoulder blades twitched with the urge to take flight.
Above, six humans sat up in the trees, three on each side of the clearing as they held the ropes and pulled the net further into the air.
Damn humans, he thought angrily. I should have known better.
If only he were in his dragon form—he’d rip them apart and burn them to a crisp in a matter of seconds! He pulled on his shifting magic, hoping he could transform and free himself, but the magic was weak.
Come on, he begged inwardly. Don’t fail me now!
He tried again, continuing to thrash and snarl as he attempted to free himself, but it was no use. The powerful magic he’d always known within him was too weak for a full transformation. He was too far from the tree.
Consider yourselves lucky, he thought.
A man with a dark beard peppered with grey approached the net, coming up to Cathan’s chest. He peered up at him, and Cathan gave him a hard glare as he held onto the net.
“What do you want?” Cathan demanded, his voice rumbling.
The man grinned. “Rumor in Rhothia has it that the townspeople have seen the shadow of a dragon flying over this forest, but no one was brave enough to find out if it was true. From what I know of dragonlore, some have shapeshifting abilities.” He paused, tossing his head back in Niamh’s direction. “Your little friend here confirmed who you were.”
Cathan looked behind the man to where Niamh struggled beneath another net as two men clutched her arms tight. The human standing in front of Cathan’s net turned toward Niamh and approached, pulling the net off of her and keeping his back turned, making it harder for Cathan to hear what he said to her.
The man turned away. “Cut him down and tie him up. We’ll make camp here for the night before we head to Rhothia.”
The net holding Cathan fell from the air and onto the ground with Cathan in it, knocking the air out of him as he landed on his stomach. Hands grabbed at his arms from both sides and yanked him up as Niamh, free from her net, walked toward him. He met her gaze.
“You don’t have a sister, do you?” Niamh didn’t answer. “Tell me, how does it feel to betray a dragon?” He held eye contact with the human girl, searching her eyes as a ghostly twinge of guilt tugged at his gut.
“I had no choice.” Her voice was soft as she turned away.
Cathan pulled against the thick, glittering chains wrapped tight around his chest as he sat against the trunk of a tree while the humans set camp, but it was no use. Sweat drenched his forehead, and he hung his head low, growling in frustration. He couldn’t shift, and he didn’t have enough strength to rip through the chains holding him against the tree.
He closed his eyes, fighting to control his breathing. He would never escape from these humans if he wasted what remained of his strength. Strands of hair fell into his face, and he shook them away to see where Niamh sat with her companions around a campfire.
“Go bring him some water. We can’t have him dying on us before we reach Rhothia,” one of the male humans said, cuffing Niamh on the head.
Cathan raised an eyebrow as she turned toward him with a scowl, making eye contact. Niamh stood in front of him a few moments later. She knelt down and held a cup toward him. “I’m sorry they’ve been so cruel to you,” Niamh said, keeping her voice low. “Gavriel takes too much pleasure in tormenting others.”
Cathan glanced skeptically at the cup, but nodded and allowed Niamh to raise it to his lips. “Thank you,” Cathan said as he pulled back. “Is Gavriel the leader?” She nodded. “Tell me, how much are they paying you to help them?”
Niamh gazed up at him, a hint of defiance in her eyes, but Cathan could see the truth in them. He watched as she absently rubbed at the iron cuff on her left wrist, and Cathan understood even more. He’d seen such iron cuffs before, many years ago when he’d visited Rhothia, on the wrist of the merchant with the dragon skull on display. She needed help as much as he did.
“You don’t have to do this, ” Cathan said, keeping his voice soft. He watched the other humans sitting several feet away from them as they talked. “I know you’re a good person, and we can help each other.”
Niamh stayed silent.
“If you help me escape from here, we can go to the Drachenwald tree, and I will make sure these men can never find you.” He paused, letting that information sink in before continuing. “I am the tree’s guardian. My shifting magic is tied to the tree’s. But the longer I stay here, in this form, the more vulnerable the tree is. I need to get back to it. Will you help me?”
“Niamh! Come back over here!”
Niamh raised her eyes to him and stood, then walked away silently. Cathan watched as Niamh lay down on her bedroll, her shoulders hunched. Cathan could tell she was having a hard time getting comfortable as she constantly shifted her body. He hoped she would roll over so they could continue their wordless conversation, but she never did.
Cathan was woken early the next morning. Gavriel stood nearby and watched as his men restrained Cathan with the chains that had held him to the tree all night. Once he was secure, Gavriel pulled him forward with a sharp tug. Cathan struggled against it, but Gavriel just laughed. “That chain binds you with magic. You’ll only escape it when I release you from it, and you’ll stay human until I say so.” He fondled a heavy gold key on a thong around his neck.
“Where are you taking me?” Cathan asked.
“To the marketplace in Rhothia,” Gavriel answered.
“Good luck with that,” Cathan scoffed as he watched Gavriel’s reaction.
Gavriel raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
Cathan looked instinctively in the direction of the Drachenwald, barely able to sense its power. He needed to be closer to break free, but the thought of these humans taking one step nearer terrified him. Niamh gasped.
Gavriel turned toward Niamh, who stood nearby. “Do you know why?”
Niamh looked away, not meeting his eyes. Gavriel grabbed her by the arm, shaking her. She bit her lip and gave Cathan an agonized look. “The tree,” she whispered.
Gavriel raised his fist, and she cowered with familiar fear. “What tree?” he asked.
Cathan’s eyes widened, and he snarled at Niamh. “Say nothing.”
Gavriel laughed. “She knows who she belongs to.”
Niamh bowed her head and pointed in the tree’s direction. “It has great power.”
Gaviel’s mouth widened in a vicious smile. “Great power, you say?” He turned toward one of his lackeys. “Break camp. We have a new destination.”
Cathan struggled against his chains with futile desperation.
After hours of traveling, Cathan sat up against the trunk of a tree that night, chains tied tight around his chest. He eyed Niamh suspiciously as she approached him.
Niamh knelt down next to him, holding a golden key in her hand as she fumbled with the chain’s lock. “We have little time. Gavriel is keeping watch and is stinking drunk,” Niamh whispered.
“Is that how you got the key?” Cathan asked.
Niamh nodded. “I took it off of him after he passed out. He’s not very good at keeping watch.”
“Clearly, but how do I know this isn’t another trap?”
“You don’t. You’ll just have to trust me. Hold the chains tight so they don’t fall when I unlock them. If we make too much noise Gavriel might wake up.”
Cathan nodded, watching as she twisted the key into the lock. “What changed your mind?”
The lock turned with a click and Niamh began to slowly remove the chains. “I’ve helped Gavriel hurt too many magical creatures already. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
“Why did the hunters have you with them?” Cathan inquired.
“I’m the bait,” Niamh answered. “They travel all over the country, collecting magical items and creatures to sell. Gavriel kidnapped me with this cuff and forced me to work with them, since I don’t look like a hunter. He uses me as a decoy to lure magical creatures—like you.” She raised her left wrist to show him the iron cuff.
“Are you sure you want to do this? There’s no going back.”
“I’m sure,” Niamh answered. “Are you able to transform yet?”
As the last loop of chain was quietly set on the ground, Cathan stood. His legs and arms felt cramped from sitting for so long, but he was free. His magic stirred within him, but returning to his true form took far more energy than shedding it. He turned toward Niamh and shook his head. “Not yet. We’re getting closer. Let’s go.”
Cathan pushed himself to walk as fast as he could, with Niamh barely trailing behind. As they came closer to the Drachenwald tree, he could feel his power growing. The morning sun had begun its rise over the treetops in the distance.
Soon, he thought. He could return to his true form and fulfill his promise — not just to protect the Drachenwald tree, but to protect Niamh as well.
He reached up toward the clasp of his cloak, pulling it open and letting it drop to the ground. He held his gaze steady, walking faster as his transformation magic stirred within him. Clothes tore from his body as he grew, his legs and arms changing shape. Claws replaced fingers and toes, and two wings grew out of his shoulder blades. His long neck stretched toward the sky, and his jaw opened to reveal twin rows of dagger-like teeth.
Cathan felt an echo of both tension and excitement. He lowered his head, pausing it only inches from Niamh’s face as he stared into her eyes.
“You’ve granted me my freedom. What would you ask of me in return?”
Niamh swallowed, the fear in her eyes fading into determination. “I want Gavriel to get what he deserves.”
“Something we have in common,” Cathan said. “What do you plan to do afterwards, when you’ve gained your freedom from these men?”
Niamh’s eyes widened as she considered the question and looked away. She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I have no family or home left to go to.”
Cathan nodded, looking out into the distance, to where he could imagine the golden treetop of the Drachenwald, glistening in the sunlight. He raised his head toward the sky and closed his eyes, breathing in. Soon, he could put everything that had happened behind him and go back to protecting the tree. Perhaps I won’t be doing it alone, though, he thought as he opened his eyes.
As Cathan came up the crest of the hill, a familiar woodsy scent entered his nostrils and he paused, baring his teeth as rage filled his belly. Gavriel led his caravan toward the bottom of the cliff, pointing toward the tree as he and his men shouted their cheers of victory.
“Stay here.” Cathan’s wings spread out next to him and he took off into the air, leaving Niamh behind on the hillside.
Cathan flew high above the caravan, watching as Gavriel’s lackeys stood paralyzed in fear. He searched for Gavriel, whose horse was already beginning the climb up the cliff toward the tree. Cathan’s roar echoed throughout the valley, and he dove toward the cliff, landing in front of Gavriel’s horse as he spread his wings out to their full length. Gavriel stared up at him in horror, his hand shaking as he raised his sword in a feeble attempt to protect himself.
Cathan growled, baring his teeth and lowering his head as close to Gavriel’s face as he could. “I told you I’d rip you limb from limb.” He opened his mouth, feeling the rage build up in his belly as foam slipped through his teeth and dripped onto his chin.
“Wait!” Gavriel exclaimed, dropping the sword as he held up one hand. “I can offer you riches or anything else you want! Look, I’ll prove it!” He reached slowly into a pouch he wore on his belt, pulling out a pile of dragon scales and dropping them to the ground.
Cathan reared back on his legs, shaking his head in a fiery rage. The ground beneath him shook as he roared, sending more of Gavriel’s men scattering away. Gavriel’s horse followed, leaving its owner behind. “This is your idea of a bribe? Throwing the scales of my brethren at my feet?” he scoffed. “You lost your life when you captured me.”
For a moment, Cathan forgot about Niamh, about the other men, focusing on Gavriel instead. It was because of greedy men like Gavriel that the other dragons had been killed, and now the results lay in front of him. It would be Gavriel’s last mistake.
Out of the corner of one eye, he saw Niamh approach, and he raised his head. His eyes flickered toward her, watching as she carefully approached Gavriel.
Gavriel turned toward Niamh. “You think this dragon will do a better job than me taking care of you? I put food in your belly. How can you trust him not to eat you?”
Niamh looked up at Cathan, who raised his chin in acknowledgement. As they made eye contact, he felt a sense of kinship coming from her.
“I trust him more than I ever trusted you,” she said after a moment, looking back at Gavriel. “You took me from the only home I ever knew and used me for your own personal gain.” She looked up at Cathan, who waited patiently for her signal as he sensed the rage radiating off of her, and she stared down at her former captor. “You may have put food in my belly, but you never took care of me,” she said as her breathing slowed.
“You’ll never get by on your own without me, girl,” Gavriel scoffed.
Niamh reached toward the chain hanging around Gavriel’s neck and yanked it off. She held the silver key in her palm before looking back at him. “I’m done doing your dirty work.”
Niamh raised her left wrist, clicking the key into the lock and holding it there for a moment before letting the iron cuff fall to the ground in front of Gavriel.
Gavriel stared down at the cuff before looking back between Niamh and Cathan, his eyes wide with fear.
Niamh turned away from Gavriel and looked up at Cathan, who nodded, waiting for her to move.
A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the valley.
After taking care of Gavriel’s lackeys, Cathan looked toward the cliff where the Drachenwald tree stood, closing his eyes as the tree’s magic wrapped itself around him, welcoming him back.
Cathan turned toward Niamh, who knelt on the ground several feet away. His magic stirred, and he sensed her confusion, relief, and uncertainty radiating off of her. Part of him wanted to ignore it and let her go her own way, but the magic was strong. It had been many years since the last dragon bonded with a human, but Cathan couldn’t deny the familiar feeling of a bond forming any longer.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he walked toward her.
Niamh looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve wanted to escape from Gavriel for so long, and I couldn’t . . . until now. You gave me that strength, Cathan.”
Cathan shook his head. “You’ve always had that strength within you. In time, you’ll learn to use it for things you can’t imagine,” he said.
Niamh frowned, wiping her tears away as she stood. “What do you mean?”
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
Cathan led her forward, pausing near the base of the tree, gazing on its golden leaves glistening in the beaming sun.
Niamh paused at his side, her mouth gaped open in awe.
“Did I not tell you the tree was magnificent?” Cathan asked.
“It’s the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen,” Niamh whispered in awe.
“Being a guardian of this tree is not something to take lightly,” he said. “A guardian is forever bound, not just with physically protecting it, but because of the magical connection a guardian has to the tree. It is a lifelong commitment.” He lowered his head in front of her. “You said before that you don’t have a place to call home. You can stay here and learn more about the tree. If it goes well, this may become a permanent home for you.”
Niamh’s green eyes widened, and she smiled up at him. “You’d really allow me to stay here?”
Cathan nodded. “For as long as you’d like.”
“I don’t know what to say . . . thank you, Cathan.”
“We have much to learn from each other, I think,” Cathan said, looking up at the tree. For the first time in many years, a weight had lifted from his shoulders. Finally, he would have someone to share his duties with, and he could take to the sky more often. He wouldn’t be alone anymore. He looked down at Niamh again, lowering his neck. “If you’re going to live here, you should see your new home from above.”
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