A Fifth Daughter [Book 1: The Dragon Rider]

So, I had a bit of a surprise waiting for me when I got home yesterday – actually I had more than one. After hanging on for dear life to Cai’s neck – yes, he enjoyed every bit of it with his chuckles – and riding The Vixen back to Legend, I ran into Mandy, Filly, and Eaton – all of whom were waiting for me at the depot in Stormchaser. After catching up – them super excited about me having a black dragon and Cai soaking up the praise like a solar-panel soaks up sunrays – I met Eaton’s fiancé, Astrid Mink, a short, beautiful brunette with bright greens eyes and a very happy smile to give a soft glow to her small face. And then the biggest surprise happened.

My mom, and three of my sisters, walked into my cabin late that night while Filly and I were still talking – the little grey egg cuddled up on the couch is a big and happy accomplishment for Filly and she continued to run her fingers over the shell, smiling fondly.

Of course Mom nearly gave both of us a heart attack with how she barged in.

So, surprise number three: Carma’s getting married… in Legend!

Yay!!!

No…

So, there’s the news. And now I get to recline and watch as Legend slowly fills up with everyone and their uncle for this wedding.

The media is having a hay-day with it: Vampire Crown Prince Carter King Marries Non-existent Burrows Girl! If only they knew that she’s the oldest grand-daughter of the queen. Actually, never mind. It’s a good think they don’t know that. I’m just fine with my five years of freedom right now I don’t need – nor want – paparazzi following my life.

Of course, every time I try to get by myself with Mom she finds something that involves work and no talking, so I haven’t been given any time to question her about anything.

Why is the wedding happening in Legend?

No idea.

Its fall break, I could go home for this wedding and be back just in time for school to start again. But no! For some odd reason we’re having the wedding in Legend at the Rosemont Castle.

This whole thing has ‘what the heck’ written all over it – along with the media’s news coverage.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Smoke, will you please get the door!” Mom yells from somewhere in the cabin.

I huff a response and stick my tongue out at Filly as she shoves me off the couch and at Mandy as she flips through TV channels, trying to find the “perfect” movie to watch: she’s stuck between Iron Man 3 and Underworld. And I think we’re heading towards Iron Man 3 because she feels insulted with how Underworld describes the Werewolves. Which has me going; really? It’s an Earth movie. How are they to know that Lycanthrope and Loup Garou are the same exact creatures as Werewolves? And how should they know that Werewolves don’t look like walking bears with the faces of squirrels?

Ha…ha… they don’t. And hopefully they never will.

“Coming!” I shout as whoever is on the other side of my door continues to impatiently bang it down. Seriously, I think the frame is quivering.

I move around everyone in my living room, tripping over material, people’s legs, and other odds and ends before getting to the door. There are eight other people in this cabin, five of which were closer to the door than I, so why am I answering whoever is trying to break down my door? And whose grand idea was it to have the wedding dress preparation happen in my cabin?

As soon as I open the door I realize the answer to the first question. It’s so simple that I wish I’d come up with it while I was pulling electrical cords from my feet.

Mom’s weird telepathy-mind-thing plus delivery man equals: my dress.

Of course Mom knew who it is, that’s why she made me get it. Otherwise I’d be on Cai and flying back to Dragon Island.

A dress? Really?

“You do know it’s not too late to leave?” Cai says as I sign the clipboard for the delivery man. I force a smile to hide the fact I’m not really paying attention.

The guy smiles back and hands me the long box.

“Thank you,” I force out as he walks away. “It’s not like the wedding is going to kill me.” I tell Cai. “I’ll just be increasingly uncomfortable the whole time.”

Cai doesn’t say anything back, but I feel his understanding – plus a little annoyance – course through me like it’s my own.

“Oh, good. Your dress arrived on time.” Mom walks into the living area, acting unknowing but very suspicious. “Now we can make sure everything fits, in case we have to send it back.”

“You can send it back anyways.” I mumble and when Mom glares I force a happy smile.

She’s not convinced and jerks her head toward the bathroom. “Try it on.”

My shoulders slump as I stare at the box I wish I could crumple. No, I do not want to try this on, but I guess I don’t get much of a choice, now do I?

And that’s how the typical day of a teenager goes – if I was a typical teenager that is.

I grumble a “Yes, ma’am,” and enter the bathroom.

The dress is black!

Like black everywhere.

There’s not an inch of it that isn’t black.

“They expect me to wear this?” I shove an image of the darn thing to Cai. We’ve been practicing our ways of communication the past two days. I learned how to pass a perfect picture to him this morning. He can also see through my eyes if I relax enough to let him fully into my head. Talking to Cai is like forming muscles you have but never use. You have to take baby steps and not stretch it too far or you risk ripping or knotting the muscle.

“Well, you can’t say it doesn’t suit you.” Cai comments.

“Yes, but I already have a black dragon, I already get scary looks around campus, do I really want to announce at a wedding that I’m the black Dragon Rider? Besides, did you see the other dresses, they’re all pink. I’ll stand out like a sore thumb.” Not that I don’t mind that mine isn’t pink, I just wish it wasn’t a dress… and that I wasn’t in this wedding… or that I wasn’t the freaking Maid of Honor.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you that.

Well, surprise! I’m the Maid of Honor!

“You do know the rules.”

“Yeah-yeah-yeah. ‘During special events all Riders are required to announce the color of their dragon in their attire, blah-blah-blah.’ Yeah, I know – I know. It’s just getting annoying.”

“At least you don’t have a pink dragon.”

I cringe and he chuckles his famous, annoying chuckle. I grumble a complaint and pull the darn thing up over my body and zip it up.

Great – it fits.

“Your level of sarcasm exceeds the event.” Cai tells me. “You look beautiful.”

I glare at the mirror and can feel the slight edge of a migraine lick the corners of my temples as Cai looks through my eyes. He chuckles again.

Okay, I guess I don’t look that bad. The dress flows down to my shins and then frills out to my ankles; I can feel it swish and sway as I move it about my hips. The sleeves are short and the neckline high, and my black hair doesn’t really go with it. Natural black, and material black really don’t work as well as everyone thinks. The dress does complement my eyes though; which are surprisingly starting to look more blue than violet.

I freeze.

What the heck!?

I pull myself up on the sink and look closely at my eyes. Someone might say that there is something beautiful about them; the gold flecks shine bright in the sunlight, and the violet darkens to the point of black. But there’s something different about them now. The gold diamonds are still there but instead of light purple around them, a blue hue has replaced it, and even as I watch it becomes lighter and brighter.

“Cai… what’s wrong with my eyes?”

He enters my head again and for a moment I see trees and a rabbit dashing into the shrubs before the scene changes to me being back in the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror.

“Ah…” Is all he says.

“Ah…? Ah…what Cai?”

“It’s simply your body changing to having a dragon. You read about it sometime this year for your class Dragon Studies. Remember?”

“I’m surprised you know.”

“Well, I have had three days of being inside your head; a lot can be learned in just a couple days, didn’t you know?”

“That’s about as creepy as my eyes changing colors.”

He shrugs and I swear my shoulders lift. “I had expected my eyes to change, but I guess whatever governs how everything works between a Rider and their dragon had something else in mind. Soon – once you fully accept me – the tattoo will begin to show on you palm.”

I glance at my right hand. Nope, nothing yet.

Gosh, the changes happening to my body are giving me a huge headache.

“Your mom is waiting for you outside the door… plus everyone else.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“You’re welcome. And seriously you should wear dresses more often. You look great.”

“Since it’s my dragon is giving me fashion ideas. I think I’ll pass.”

He just smiles and then the slight headache leaves as he does. I relax back onto my feet, my now blue eyes freaking me out, but still staring and moving like they’re my own.

“Smoke, did the dress eat you or something? Come on out!” Mandy’s the one calling and I’d say Mom told her to.

I grumble, fussing with the sleeves. I wish the dress had eaten me.

“Smoke?!” She calls again.

“I heard you.” I walking to the door, holding my breath as I open it and meet the eyes of everyone in the room.

Filly squeals like a little girl and jumps up and down on her toes. “I didn’t know you could dress up and look so much like a girl.”

“I am a girl, Fil.” I say, giving her a ‘duh’ look.

She waves me off. “I know, but you never act like one.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“Stop being stubborn,” Carma reprimands, smiling brightly. “You look gorgeous.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m going to a funeral?”

“Oh, Smoke, don’t be so dramatic.” Mom says, appraising me up and down.

My eyebrows shoot up. Don’t be dramatic! I’m the one being dramatic?! “I’m wearing a black dress to a wedding!” Can the situation get more dramatic than that?

“Your turn might not be too far away.” Mom comments.

“Thanks for the warning, now I just feel morbid.” I turn on my heel and close the bathroom door with a loud click behind me.

If I have to wear a black dress to my own wedding someone will be losing their head.

“Mandy told me about the dress.” Eaton says, leaning back against Cai and watching me firing arrows at a target, letting all my frustrations pour into every shot. I’ve been doing this a lot lately. Ever since Ro allowed me to start working with the bow I’ve been practicing, and sometimes it’s a good past-time to get angry and not hurt anything but my muscles.

I groan loudly and miss the target completely.

Eaton clears his throat, obviously trying to keep in his laughter. “She also said you looked like a girl, I’m not exactly sure how to picture that.”

I throw up a hand, batting his comments away. “I am a girl.”

Eaton shrugs, chuckling. “You may look like one, but you certainly don’t know how to act like one.”

I notch another arrow and pull it back roughly. “Oh, thank you so much for the compliment, I feel so loved.”

Eaton shakes his head, still quietly chuckling. “Don’t worry, we all love you.”

“You guys sure have a weird way of showing it.”

For a moment there’s silence except for when my arrow cuts through the air and finds a harsh home in the target’s red bullseye.

“You’ve seemed really stressed lately – at least since you got home from Dragon Island.” I pause momentarily on pulling my last arrow from the ground and glance warily at him. He’s staring at me, frowning lightly. “Did something happen?”

Cai looks at me, raising an eyebrow. He’s been arguing with me for a while about this, but I really don’t want to tell them. I don’t want them to think any different of me, or suddenly try to pressure me into accepting the roll of queen.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” I finally say. The pause was too long though, it was obvious enough for him to realize I might be lying. “I’m just getting used to having a dragon.”

Eaton nods slowly. “Are you doing okay? Like with all this?” He gestures around us, but I can guess what he really means.

I shrug. “I’ll adjust soon enough… hopefully.” I force a smile and turn back to the target, my frustrations once again loud and clear.

A blue dragon – nearly identical to Cai in every way but color and height – lands as soon as the arrow buries itself in the bullseye. Astrid slips out of the saddle easily and smiles at Eaton. He grins back.

I feel a twinge awkwardness flow through me, but ignore their greeting and make for the target to forge for my missiles.

Cai chuckles. “Never been in love before.”

I huff, shaking my head. “My only friends have always been my siblings. Even then, I’ve never been in the company of people “in love” before now.”

“It is a little uncomfortable.” Cai agrees. I turn to see him eyeing the boy leaning against his shoulder and the girl talking with her hands in front of him. “Seems like the title of a book.”

I frown. “What does?”

“The Deaf Girl and Her Werewolf, sounds like the title of a novel.”

I nearly poke my eye out with the force I use to pull an arrow free. I glance back at the two again. “What?!”

Cai frowns at me. “Huh… you didn’t know.” He shakes his head sadly. “Poor humans, no sense of smell at all. He smells like a dog and you guys haven’t even noticed.” He shrugs like it’s no biggie that one of my friends is a Werewolf and that he hasn’t told me. “Well, it’s not like you were going to tell him you’re the Crown Princess.”

I huff. That is true, but still. I just found out about that. I’ve known Eaton for over a month – granted that’s not a long time to completely trust someone, but still. A little faith would be nice.

“Hypocrite.” Cai scoffs. I roll my eyes, even though he’s right.

“Why don’t we leave for a little while?”

“Ooh…” he sits up, nearly knocking Eaton over. “Does that mean flying?” I ground my teeth, but don’t really have any choice and Cai knows it. His mental grin broadens. “Quick,” he says, coming to my side. “Get on before you change your mind. Although, you should know that, if you do, I’ll grab you anyways.”

I grumble a foul complaint, but clamber up on his back holding my bow and arrows tightly, my nerves jumping into hyper-drive. “Slowly, please.”

He chuckles, “I won’t drop you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as he takes off, holding onto the leather straps of his saddle. If he was a horse I’d be yanking on the reins, but he’s not a horse and doesn’t need reins, which means I just shut my eyes and think about what it’s like to stand on solid ground.