Chapter One
Connie
I never thought I’d be looking straight into a dragon's eyes.
Dragons have a reputation for being pretty fierce, and they usually avoid fae. Even with all the wild stories humans come up with, most dragons stay clear of just about everything except their own kind. But this one was different. It was wounded, alone, and out in the open. Fierce was the last thing I’d call it.
It was pitiful.
I flew closer, noting my lavender wings beating at a rapid pace mirrored the pounding of my heart. Mother Tulipa had warned all of the seedlings to stay far away from any threat of danger, and a dragon was the greatest threat of all. While dragons stayed away from most people, they wouldn't hesitate to attack anyone they saw as a threat. And while most fae never realized their true potential, their grasp of the magic arts was certainly threatening.
I was in danger, but I couldn't stop myself from moving forward. Fae's were curious creatures. It was natural for me to want to nosy my way into this situation. At least, that's what I said to convince myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong.
“I’ll just stay far enough away that it can’t hurt me,” I told myself ad I peeked out from behind a tall piece of grass, “This isn’t risky at all.”
Looking into the distance, I noticed a small trail of blood leading to a flattened patch of grass several feet away. I surmised the dragon must have flown down already injured, and then stumbled to its current resting place.
I probably wouldn't have seen the beast at all, had I not flown high up into a tree looking for the least damaged leaf to bring to Mother Buttercup. Finding nothing up to her standards, I had looked down. And there I had spotted the resting place of a dragon.
But now my mind was far from collecting leaves.
I heard something like a slight whimper escape the creature’s mouth and any hesitation I had left me. I rushed forward, zipping from one blade of grass to another until I stood before the creature.
I was struck silent by its beauty, and that was something that rarely happened to a member of the Wildflower familia.
The dragons' scales were the darkest shade of red I'd ever seen before, even darker than the burgundy rose tattoos worn by the members of the Rosa familia. In the bright light of the morning sun, the scales shone like glittering stars. I was both mesmerized and blinded by their beauty, but eventually, the pain of staring at something so bright brought me back to my senses. I shielded my eyes, flittering haphazardly back and forth as I peeked through my fingers at the great beast.
The dragon was crouched down and curled inward with one paw extended straight out in front of it. Blood as bright as a red poppy covered its surface. It was clear to me that this was the injury that had downed the dragon.
I smiled a little, reminded of the human children I'd seen playing in the fields after their morning work was done. If one of the children had fallen and scraped an arm or a leg, they would run to their mothers, stick out their injured limb, and beg for a dressing.
This dragon very much resembled those human children.
As I looked up at the dragon, I noticed that its eyes were as red as its scales and that they were lined with thick, lengthy lashes. I didn't know much about the anatomy of dragons, but I had a strange feeling that this one was both young and female.
I gasped, realizing that the dragon was awake. Those eyes were trailing me now, scanning me for any sudden movement. Perhaps to it, I looked like an annoying pest, a fly that had come to plague it while they bled out from a claw injury, or perhaps I was a delicious morsel that was just a swipe out of reach.
Despite the risks, I couldn't stop moving closer. As I flew within a foot of those eyes, I noticed they were wet.
The beasts cry, I thought, my heart softening toward the dragon. All sense of fear I had was erased, and I slowed the beat of my wings.
"I'm going to help you," I said, shining my brightest smile her way, "I just need to check your paw. Is that okay?"
The dragon snarled in response, sending a whiff of smoke in my direction. I coughed and waved my hands in front of my face in a vain attempt to clear the air. The smoke was heavy, all-encompassing, and debilitating. I panicked, finding myself growing faint.
"Please...I just want to help..."
Be patient.
The words rang in my head, almost like they were thoughts of my own. But they weren't; that much was clear. The words sounded much more dignified and wiser than any that would have left my lips. The voice was firm but friendly. I immediately calmed down.
A moment later, the smoke cleared, and I was able to breathe again. I inhaled the fresh air and joyfully flew from side to side, my happiness overcoming any panic I had felt just moments before.
"You are speaking to me," I said, my brown eyes wide with excitement, "not trying to eat me."
Goodness no, fairies are hit-and-miss when it comes to taste. I won't make that mistake again. Although, you do look delectable..
I raised an eyebrow, unsure whether or not to take her words as truthful, as a compliment, or as a veiled threat. I flew down to the dragon's injured paw and asked the question that I'm sure this dragon had been asked many a time before by those unlucky enough to cross its path.
"I’m being serious. Are you going to eat me or would you rather have my help?"
