Page 13 of Full Moon
"Just whatever she wants me to see." I look down at Feray as she stands to walk over to Easton to get dressed.
My gaze turns to Diaval, and he nods. His hands frame my face, and his pupils become draconic slits. I swear his pupils pulse in time with my heartbeat— And I'm sucked into the vision.
From Feray's perspective, I see the interior of the cavern. I blink, adjusting to the dim light, its interior painted in muted, earthy hues. Everything looks slightly washed out, except for the living. When I look at anything alive, I can almost see the heat radiating from it, a vibrant aura that stands out in the gloom. It's as if Khal's thermal vision has become my own. During the fight against the spiders, Khal had her hang back, watching for attacks from behind. They move in perfect harmony, striking and retreating as needed. When the vampire spawn joins the fray, Khal's stone gaze turns the spiders to stone. But the spawn moves too quickly, darting around with unnerving speed, evading his petrifying stare. Then she feels it—a ripple through her body, an almost musical hum from the earth, vibrating up through her paws. She lets out a howl, and a cone of frost bursts forth, crystallizing the air. The spawn freezes mid-motion, encased in ice, giving Khal the crucial moment he needs. With swift, brutal efficiency, he rips the heads from their bodies. Suddenly, Easton arrives. His phoenix's voice rings in her head, clear and commanding. They leap out of the way as his phoenix unleashes a torrent of flames, reducing the spawn to ash. Needing to show Diaval what transpired, she picks up one of the severed heads with her jaws, the taste of cold, dead flesh sharp on her tongue. She carries it out of the cave.
I'm knocked out of the vision and look around, disoriented. My thoughts feel sluggish. I shake my head, trying to clear it. "I see what you mean. Let's not do that again."
"See? Torben gets it." Diaval motions to me with a flourish.
Feray raises a brow. She must have shifted back when I was trapped in the vision. "Teach me how to do it, you cantankerous old dragon, and I won't ask you to do it again." Feray crosses herarms over her chest. The anger behind her eyes makes me take a step back to get out of the line of fire.
"How many times do I have to explain it? It's a dragon thing. Not a wolf thing." Diaval raises his head, staring down at Feray—Then freezes. He raises a single finger and taps his ear. He scans the sky, and I can see scales rising as bone plates shift in his face.
"Get into the cave." His voice is so calm it's almost like he's asking for the milk at breakfast. Easton moves fast, grabbing Feray and sweeping her off her feet. I don't hesitate. I turn, grab our bags, and run into the cavern.
"What's happening?"
"Put me down, damn it!" Feray yells until Easton sets her down.
"Something's coming. I suspect it's winged, judging by the way Diaval is acting."
"It's a swarm of Dragazhars, otherwise known as deep bats. Khal, keep an eye on them while I shift," Diaval calls out.
"Got it!"
Diaval calmly steps into the cavern, shedding his tie and suit piece by piece, handing each item to Feray. "Keep our soft-skinned family safe, my eternal. I'm going to roast some bats." He hands her the last of his clothing before turning and running out of the cavern. He takes a leap off the huge rock out front, and his colossal skull dragon form comes into view. His roar shakes the mountain as he turns to go on the attack.
"He's got this, little wolf." I press a soft kiss to Feray's temple.
"I know he does. His dragon has been tense, and this is the perfect excuse to let him out." Feray's voice is calm as she folds Diaval's clothing and places it neatly on top of the backpacks.
Turning to face Easton, I catch the fiery intensity in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
Easton blinks twice, then shifts his gaze toward the mouth of the cavern before meeting my eyes again. "Yeah. Diaval was just reminding me of something." His hand slips into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, retrieving a small vial—Feray's birth control tonic. I watch as he moves to her side, offering her the vial with a nod. Feray takes it, staring at the liquid for a moment before swallowing it down. Out of habit, she opens her mouth to show him it's all gone, then resumes sifting through our bags.
Furrowing my brow, I tilt my head when Easton glances in my direction. "All good?"
Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah. She really doesn't like taking the tonic. Her wolf wants pups, and I had to remind her it's not safe yet." The usual arrogance in his tone is absent, replaced by a rare vulnerability. He's just as upset about the situation as she is.
"There's time for little ones once everything is settled and we have a safe place to return to," I say. Easton nods, his gaze drifting toward the cavern entrance where flashes of dragon fire illuminate the night sky.
Outside, Diaval's roar echoes across the mountains.
We wait in silence, our family huddled together in the dark.
Safe, for now.
