Page 12 of Sapphire Seas

“S-sorry,” he stammered. “I heard Caspian and my dragon took over. I was making cocoa but I’m pretty sure at least one mug landed on the floor.”

“I’ll worry about that later,” I insisted. “Material things are replaceable.”

Even his hair felt like ice when I stroked it, he’d been that riled up.

“How many mugs of cocoa were you making?” Caspian asked as we got Kes settled on the bed.

“Three.”

“But we were still sleeping,” I said. “What made you think we’d be awake to drink it?”

“Just a hunch.”

“Uh-huh. We need to talk about where that hunch came from.”

Kes looked everywhere but at me, until I cupped his cheek and stroked it. He jerked away like I’d burned him, whipping his head to the side so his hair covered half his face. That’s when it dawned on me that the eyepatch he always wore must have fallen off during his shift. As much as it pained me, I doubted he’d have this conversation with us until he felt completely comfortable.

“Do you want me to find your patch?” I offered.

I felt Caspian inhale, then hold it, the same as I did while we waited to hear Kes’ answer.

A short, sharp shake of his head was what we received in lieu of words. In the silence that followed, I wrestled with whether I was pleased that he was choosing to trust us, or terrified that I’d lose control of my dragon when I saw what those bastards had done to him. My dragon was already simmering near the surface, our shared outrage rumbling along the connection between me and my brothers.

Mattias, report!

That was Ionus, always in general mode. I’d never appreciated it until our enemies had brought the fight to our doorstep. The rest of my brother’s voices followed, sounding louder than a herd of rampaging rhinos.

Of course they do, we’re dragons, not puny armored cows.

Stand down, brothers, please, everything is okay here, I explained. If I couldn’t get them to shift out of protector mode they’d come storming through here doing more damage than Kes already had. My mates and I need to work through a few things, that’s all.

Understood. You will let us know if you need us.

With Ionus, I never knew if it was a question or an order and doubted I ever would.

I will.

“Are we alone now?” Caspian asked.

“How did you know I was touching base with my brothers?” I asked.

“It’s hard to explain.”

“The energy around you changes,” Kes muttered.

He hadn’t moved any closer. For now, I’d consider it a triumph that he didn’t move further away from us.

“In what way?” I asked.

“Just, I dunno, it changes when all of you connect. I noticed it right after we first arrived here, but it’s never felt as strong as it did tonight. Nothing has ever felt as strong as the energy signatures I just picked up while you spoke to them,” Kes explained.

“Was that the first time you were able to read the energy signature of another dragon?” Caspian asked.

“No, it’s always been something that I could do, even when I was small. It gave me an unfair advantage when playing hide and seek but Upalo and Canyon never cared that I could always find them.”

“And other’s too, I suppose.”

Kes nodded. He still refused to look at us. His fingers dug into the sheets, gathering the fabric in bunches that he crushed in his fists. I was almost afraid to touch him again when his shoulders started quivering, fortunately, Caspian didn’t hold the same fear and caressed his arm.