Page 29 of Beaux and Dragons

“You always liked to fling mud at me when you had emotions you could not say. I pondered that one for a long while and realized it must have meant that you liked me.”

“You smug little monster.”

“It would be presumptuous if you had rejected me at my declaration that day, but you didn’t.” He watched Ana as if to analyze every reaction tiptoeing from forehead to chin.

She could have flung mud at him just then, but he seemed so sincere and those childhood days were long gone. Instead, she cradled his cheek with her palm, the prickle of his beard returning from a shave.

When he placed his hand over hers, the touch felt scandalous, causing her to want to jerk away, but she didn’t.

“I love you,” he rasped. “I tried so hard not to, but I couldn’t pluck you out of my heart no matterhow hard I tried.”

“I love you too.” Trails of happy tears traced Ana’s cheeks though the doubt about how they could ever receive Padre’s blessing wiggled at the back of her mind.

Federico turned his face to kiss her palm and lowered her hand. “I have one more confession.”

Celestia’s firelight flickered and died, making the cave grow darker than it had been before. The storm had dissipated outside the mouth of the cave and now shone with the orange of sunset.

He continued, “I won the last Santolaria Race for you and only you.”

The full meaning of his statement rolled over her in waves, leaving behind possibilities she should have seen from the moment Federico came back in her life. He’d never stopped caring for her and neither had she, despite Padre having Maria write the dreadful letter and preventing them from speaking for the last three years.

Chapter twenty-one

First Love but Better

Several Days Later

“You don’t have to go through with this.” Federico adjusted Ana’s riding cape and mask before she mounted Celestia for the Santolaria Race. Her smooth skin brushed against his knuckles, and her bright eyes turned his heart to butter no matter how hard he tried to be unaffected by them.

“And miss the chance to once and for all see who is faster?” Ana squinted as the sun cut through the arena and adjusted her braid behind her back. “Never.”

“I suppose some people must learn the hard way.” Federico kissed her forehead before strapping his mask in place. Every impulse in him wanted to plead for her not to participate in such a dangerous race, but he wouldn’t. This was her dream. Instead, he climbed atop his yellow dragon, Chispas, watching the way Ana mounted Celestia with ease. Why had it taken him so long to see her mutual affection?

She turned away from him and waved out at the crowd where Lucia wore a wide-brimmed hat and a new dress she’d bought when he’d taken her shopping in Peris. Lucia lifted an elaborate China cup depicting a yellow dragon, commemorating his victory at last year’s Santolaria. It was amazing how Lucia’s nerves seemed to settle after taking her shopping.

Many more dragons lined up to the left and right of Federico and Ana, forming an entire two rows behind them. Blood pumped through his veins with every snort and growl. Though he’d done this before, Federico’s nerves still jumbled in his stomach and dared him to back down. He wouldn’t.

Today, he had a new mission.Protect Ana at all cost.

The starting gun blasted, launching Celestia into the air. A blur of competitors on their beasts surrounded Ana, but she wouldn’t be distracted. She pressed her boots into Celestia’s scales and leaned forward as her dragon cut around a corner to make the first turn.

Those around her seemed to fall behind, no longer smudges in her peripheral. Celestia excelled at turns like this with her lithe body and powerful wingspan. Then, Chispas swerved in front of them.

“Oh no you don’t!” Ana snapped her reins to hurry Celestia along. She couldn’t let Federico win, especially since he would somehow drop this into every dispute.

Celestia got the message and sped forward, grunting in strain. Federico dove in front of them, taking the lower path, and Celestia followed, but overhead a red dragon gained in speed.

Federico spun his head around to meet Ana’s eye. She nodded, settling a plan she wasn’t sure she quite understood. Either way, she’d act on instinct. If she didn’t win, Federico must be the victor.

Ana led Celestia upward, bumping the underside of the red dragon. Federico and Chispas sped ahead of them below.

But then claws grazed against her arm, cutting down into Celestia. Her dragon screeched in pain.

Ana’s blood thundered in her ears with a need to do something. “Attack!”

Celestia didn’t hesitate. The dragon rolled to a sideways flying position where Ana had to keep her mount or risk falling the hundred feet to the ground below. Fear knifed through her, but she wouldn’t let go.

Hard muscles coiled beneath her seat, and Celestia swung her enormous tail like a whip. The competitor was forced to dodge away or risk being swatted from the sky. Celestia readjusted into a racing position as Ana latched to Celestia’s neck.