The Lost Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 3) by Dan Michaelson (good summer reads .txt) 📗

“I intended to keep checking on her, but it’s difficult when we go to the city,” he said.

“Why?”

“She’s moved quickly,” he said. He shook his head. “I think you’d be proud of her. She has progressed rapidly, and from what I can tell, she’s working with one of the most prominent weavers in the city.”

I breathed out slowly, thinking about everything my sister had been through, everything she had wanted during that time—an opportunity to learn, to do something more, to be something more. All of it had been a challenge though.

“And my mother?” I asked softly. “My brother?”

“You can go visit them yourself,” Joran said.

“I don’t know if I can,” I admitted. “It’s easier to have some separation.”

“It might be,” he said. “But it also might be important for them to have a chance to see you again. I know how much better I felt when I saw you during our visit. We might be practically brothers, but they are your family.”

I wasn’t entirely sure if that were true. My sister knew what happened, and knew where I had gone, but my mother would not have unless Alison shared with her. Even if she were to learn, I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to return to her. What happened before I left had troubled me. I didn’t know if I could return, or if I could be that same person. I didn’t know if I even wanted to.

My sister might understand what I had gone through and what had changed for me, but if I came across my mother and brother, I didn’t know if they would. I didn’t know if they would try to coax me into staying, and worse, if I’d have the fortitude to refuse them.

“What are you afraid of?” Joran asked.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” I said.

He chuckled. “There’s something bothering you. I can see it in your face. You forget I’ve known you a long time.”

“I suppose I’m a bit bothered,” I said. The rest of Joran’s family had left us alone, so it was just the two of us sitting and talking, almost as if we were thrust back into our younger days, living freely within the plains. Both of us had taken on increasing responsibility within our families, though mine had been far more abrupt than Joran’s. “When I left here before, my mother had been emotionally unstable,” I said. “I don’t really know how else to describe it. She wanted a break from my brother.”

“She got it,” he said.

I looked up, taking a bite of the bread and chewing. “What do you mean ‘she got it’?”

“Keira made a point of getting him locked in with a healer. He’s been staying with them. Your mother doesn’t have to do any of it.”

“What is she doing then?”

He shrugged. “Can’t say that I know. If you went into the city, I’m sure your sister would be more than happy to fill you in.”

I smiled tightly. “I’m sure she would.”

“But you don’t plan on going into the city.”

“I don’t think I should. Not yet.”

“Even though you came by dragon?”

“Well, about that . . .”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you didn’t come by dragon.” He glanced toward the kitchen and shook his head. “I saw them when I was there, so I know you have access to them. Plus, Sophie would be pretty disappointed to hear that you weren’t really here on dragon back.”

“I came by dragon,” I said. “So she has no reason to be disappointed.”

“That’s good,” Joran said. “If not, I hate to think what she might say to you.”

I chuckled. “You’re going to have to be careful with her.”

“You have no idea. My father has given up trying to corral her. She basically keeps him under control. I suspect you can understand that.”

“What about Tara?”

Joran looked toward the closed kitchen. “That’s a different matter, isn’t it? She has been a bit more somber since you left.”

“Don’t make this about me,” I said.

He shook his head. “I don’t think it has anything to do with you—at least, I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with you—but she’s been struggling.” He looked up. “She’s not going to be very happy if I say anything to you.”

“You can tell her one of the king’s dragon mages demanded you share.”

Joran watched me for a long moment. “Dragon mages?”

I smiled at him. When he had last seen me, I had not been able to reach for the dragon magic. I probably should have started with that. “I’m still learning, but . . .”

I looked around the inside of the home. Here wasn’t the place to demonstrate, but there was something I could show him.

I placed my hands together, focused for a moment, called on the power as it flowed through me, and sent a band of flame from one hand to the other as I pulled out of the cycle. I held on to it for a moment before pushing it back down, suppressing it again.

Joran’s breath caught, and he stared at me.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “Here you were worried that you’d only be a dragon rider.” He laughed, slapping his thigh. “I can’t believe Ashan Feranth is a dragon mage.”

“I’m still learning,” I said again.

The door to the kitchen was open, and I realized Tara had been there, watching. She stepped out slowly, looking from me to Joran, and hesitantly took a seat.

“I suppose you saw that,” Joran said.

Tara nodded, glancing to Joran. “I thought you said he was a dragon rider.”

“I’m that, too,” I said.

She just shook her head. “That’s more than a dragon rider,” she said. “That . . .”

“That’s a dragon mage,” Joran said, grinning. “All this time, and he’s been hiding it from us. Thankfully, he got dragged to the capital by some strange servant of the king; otherwise, he never would have learned.”

The comment about the servant sent my mind back to thinking about the Vard.

“I haven’t been hiding anything,” I