Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Scared to distract him, Lalani locked down her ability to think something to Khadar with fierce determination. She knew he needed to focus on whatever was happening. Singing the most frivolous songs in her head, she tried to keep her mind busy as she tidied her nursery, putting away the toys she’d played with before her nap.
When she needed to get out of that room, Lalani wandered through the house, trying to map it out in her head. She avoided looking out the windows when she saw smoke bellowing upward. About the third time through by herself, she was getting the hang of it and allowed herself to celebrate.
I’m proud of you, Princess.
Khadar? Are you here?
I just landed outside.
Lalani dashed through the hallway and out the front door. Khadar stood tall and strong. He didn’t appear injured. She ran to throw herself into his arms. Plastered against him, Lalani held on tightly.
“Mate? Are you okay?” His hands stroked over her body as he alternated which one supported her.
“You’re the one that was in danger. What happened? Are you hurt? I kept trying not to send you worried messages.”
“Princess, you are the most important person in my life…”
Lalani interrupted him. “I don’t want you to get hurt because I’m panicking. It was so scary.” She bit the side of her lips and winced slightly. She’d done that a lot while she tried to concentrate on a song.
“I’m so sorry. Let’s figure out how to make things better.”
Khadar kissed her forehead and carried her up the stairs to a cushioned seat in a secluded corner of the large porch. Holding her on his lap, he cupped her face. “Remember, dragon. I’m difficult to hurt.”
“You were in peril today. I don’t care how you try to sugarcoat it. There was something very bad out there. Tell me what it was.”
“We were investigating an invading force between Oldrik and Ardon’s mountains. There is no pass there, so they haven’t set up barricades. Ardon will take care of that now.”
“Only Ardon? Is something wrong with Oldrik?”
“He’s fine. There was a slight problem today and Oldrik got the worst of it. He recovered quickly.”
She studied his face. “You’re not telling me the whole truth.”
“There was a group who attacked us today. It was something new that we hadn’t dealt with before. We were a bit surprised but took care of the problem.”
“I saw the plumes of smoke.”
“The colored ones didn’t go up too far.” Khadar brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He didn’t meet her gaze.
Lalani reached up to cup his face and demanded, “Look at me. I didn’t see those. Just the black. What was the colored smoke for?”
“I’m trying not to upset you, Lalani. Let me tell you what happened.”
“Please!”
“A group set off a number of colored poofs of smoke. I could tell from the smell that it was evil and avoided running into it.”
“Oldrik got hit?” she guessed.
“He inhaled a small amount before Ardon knocked him into clean air.”
“Ardon’s okay?”
“He’s fine. And Oldrik is fine now.”
“But he wasn’t then,” Lalani stated.
“He was off-balanced but recovered.”
“Did they hurt anyone from Wyvern?” she asked, biting a spot on her lip again.
“Princess. You have to stop chewing on your lip. You’ve hurt yourself.”
“I only do that when I’m worried.”
“No citizen of Wyvern was hurt.”
She released his face to run her hands over his body. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Lalani.”
“It was so scary. I knew you were in danger.”
“Do we need to tamp down our mental connection? That way frightening things won’t bombard you,” he suggested.
Lalani shook her head violently. “No. I want to know. Can you just teach me how to keep from bothering you?” she asked. “That’s what I’m afraid of doing.”
“Singing was very smart. Anything that makes your brain work. Exercise, read, do a puzzle in your nursery.”
She nodded. “Okay, Daddy.”
Lalani rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Dragon.”
“I know. You’re a big, tough, indestructible dragon.”
“I’ve set the table for you,” Louise, the housekeeper, announced from the doorway.
“Come on, Princess. We’ll both feel better after eating.”
Lalani stayed close to her Daddy. Just being near him helped her relax. Sitting on his lap, she munched on a sandwich Khadar had created for her from all the delicious ingredients on the table. Somehow the ones he made were always more delicious than those she put together.
She froze when she heard Khadar humming one of the songs she’d sung while he was gone. “You could hear me. Thank goodness I didn’t…” Lalani clamped her teeth together to keep from finishing that sentence.
“Didn’t what, princess? Were you thinking of doing something naughty?”
Lalani shook her head. “No, I ran around the house trying to memorize where everything was.”
To distract him, she picked up a carrot stick from their communal plate and held it to his mouth. He took a bite with flaring nostrils.