Page 4 of Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings 1)
Returning one hand to his head, he crawled on his other hand and knees to the bars and tried to peer down the corridor. There were other cells. Some had their doors open, some closed. He couldn’t tell if anyone was in them or not. Part of Varek hoped that Merrill was here somewhere, but another part prayed that his friend wasn’t. Because if Merrill had managed to escape, then he would realize that something had happened and get the others to come looking for Varek.
He slumped against the metal bars and pressed his face to them, then closed his eyes and thought back to the Orkney Isles. He recalled arriving on the islands with Merrill. They had basked in the beauty that was the Orkneys before Merrill convinced him to go swimming. Merrill had the uncanny ability of finding caves beneath the water, and Varek had gone with him.
They had explored many hidden caves that humans had yet to find. Some had treasure in them. Others contained other artifacts the mortals would likely put in museums so others could pay to go and look at them. He and Merrill left things as they were.
Varek had been happy that Merrill had talked him into swimming. It wasn’t as nice as flying, but being in the water in their true form had been almost as exhilarating. The deep ocean allowed them to stretch their wings and glide through the currents as neatly as if they were air. Now, Varek understood why Merrill often sought out lochs and other waterways, especially when the need to shift and fly came upon them.
The days turned into weeks as the two of them explored island after island, always at night so no one saw them going into the water and shifting. Varek had swum with a pod of dolphins and whales. He’d even been tempted to continue swimming far out into the vast ocean where no one would ever see him and then launch from the water into the air. But with satellites, it would cause too much of a stir, which was why none of the dragons shifted where any mortals might see them.
It wasn’t long before he and Merrill found feminine company. The woman Varek had chosen was in her mid-forties with a sadness about her that told of past pain that had left deep scars. She had been lonely—as had he. Those nights together had been a respite both needed. She’d never spoken of her pain, but she didn’t need to. He’d seen it in too many women who’d spent years if not decades married to someone who abused them. Or cheated on them. Or simply didn’t love them as the women needed.
The woman on the isles ended things between them early. Varek would’ve continued seeing her until he and Merrill returned to Dreagan, but he didn’t try to stop her or question her. To his delight, when she left, her smile was brighter, and she didn’t look as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders anymore. It was then that Varek began walking around the isle. Merrill was otherwise engaged with his female companion, and Varek liked the time alone with his thoughts.
On one of those walks, he’d found something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. He knew he had been excited about it and wanted Merrill to see. He’d gone to get his friend and then rushed back.
And…that’s all he could remember. Varek wracked his brain for more but only managed to make his head hurt worse.
