The wind tugged at her hair. Above her, the sky stretched, darkening now to shades of blue as the sun continued its descent. Above them, there were clouds, which were now rapidly coming closer.

The sensation was exhilarating—but nothing could compare to the feeling of the powerful body of the dragon stretching in flight, giant wings holding them effortlessly aloft as they soared.

Naomi couldn’t stop laughing. She’d never been afraid of flying, even though she’d never had the money to travel much. But this—this didn’t compare to anything she’d ever known, not even the strange feeling of power and excitement when engines roared and a plane lifted off.

There was power here all right, but it was all Gregory.

Holding on to his neck, they soared together so that she felt weightless, fearless, one with the currents of air that held them aloft. Joy filled her.

It was exactly like the moment she’d seen in her mind, the night she’d been overwhelmed by the sudden urge to paint the dragon. But what she’d seen that night hadn’t been real. Or perhaps it had been real, perhaps she’d seen Gregory as he’d soared through the sky that night. Still, she hadn’t experienced it. She’d felt it tug at her like a dream, freedom and excitement stretching out its hands towards her—but she hadn’t been there with the dragon. She’d painted.

Now, she was flying. And this time it was all real. It wasn’t a dream. The wind was tugging on her hair, and she felt truly alive, with a dragon’s immeasurable power at her beck and call.

Far below them, she could see the coastline. The beach house where they’d found shelter was just a tiny speck. Before them, the ocean gleamed. It was lit by the last rays of a dying sun, and for a short, incredible moment it seemed as if the ocean had caught fire below her, waves of red and orange and brilliant yellow running towards the shore.

And then the sun sunk below the waves, and darkness surrounded them.

Look up, a familiar voice whispered in her mind.

Even as a dragon, Gregory’s voice was warm and deep, surrounding her like a blanket so that she felt completely safe on his back.

Dimly, she remembered that she should feel cold. By now they’d made it so high that the tips of Gregory’s wings were disturbing small clouds. But she wasn’t cold. She felt perfectly warm and comfortable. Beneath her hands, the dragon’s scales gave off a pleasant heat.

When she looked up, her eyes widened—and then Gregory beat his wings once, and suddenly they were diving right into the clouds above them.

For a heartbeat, everything was white. Naomi couldn’t stop laughing. Gregory’s body was reassuringly warm and firm beneath her. Intrigued, she opened her mouth wide, trying to catch a bit of cloud on her tongue.

What are you doing? Gregory asked, laughing in her mind.

“Trying to see what clouds taste like,” she called out, giggling at the way wisps of clouds trailed from the ridges and horns on Gregory’s neck as they continued to dive upwards.

And then, suddenly, the clouds were gone and everything was dark.

A heartbeat later, she whooped in joy. They’d broken through the cloud cover, and were now soaring above what looked like a plain of freshly fallen snow—only that the hills of snow were very fluffy and kept shifting as she watched. Most importantly, above them, the stars shone more brilliantly than Naomi had ever observed before. She could see the Milky Way stretch above them, so close that for a moment, she wondered if a dragon’s wings could carry her right into that gleaming band of stars...

“I think we lost your friend,” she said in sudden worry, craning her head.

A second later, one of the hills of fluffy, white clouds seemed to explode, and the griffin shot upwards, his eagle’s wings beating rapidly, trailing a long tail of wisps of cloud.

It takes more than a few clouds to defeat Jared, Gregory said. Now hold on tight.

There was one last surprise waiting for Naomi—and that surprise was the fact that apparently, they hadn’t even come close to a dragon’s top speed. But now, with the clouds spreading below them and the stars lighting their way above, Gregory doubled his speed, the griffin effortlessly keeping pace.

So far above the earth, everything was silent. Naomi settled back to watch the stars with quiet awe, warm and comfortable on the back of her storm dragon.

The flight lasted maybe for an hour, but Naomi felt like no time had passed at all as she began to notice Gregory beginning to descend. Before them, she now saw with sudden surprise something breaking through the surface of the moonlit clouds. A moment later, she realized that it was a mountain top.

How far had they traveled?

It’s not a real mountain, Gregory murmured in her mind.

At least, not a mountain you would know. The same magic that hides a dragon from human eyes cloaks this mountain. If a human encounters it and tries to make his way upward, he’ll get turned around and find himself back where he began. A car would find all roads closed. Planes avoid it because flight control sees dangerous currents of air in the area. But in truth... In truth, this is the seat of the council of elements.

Welcome, Naomi. Welcome to Sky Home!

***

Their steps echoed ominously as Naomi walked through what looked like a very large cave, Gregory and Jared by her side. They’d landed where the cave opened to the cool night air, hidden from all human sight by the cover of clouds that lapped on the rocky mountain side below them like an ocean of white.

The cavern was lit by flickering lights and torches. Naomi tried to hide her sudden apprehension.

On the dragon’s back, soaring through the air, it all had seemed like an incredible adventure. But now that she was walking deeper and deeper into a giant cave, she began to become aware of a strange feeling tingling along her spine.

The feeling didn’t so much say danger as be careful. The same way she’d been able to feel Gregory’s power when he shifted into a dragon, she could now feel the same sensation of something powerful and ancient brushing against her senses.

She might know nothing about dragons, but she knew that she was walking into the home of someone—or several someones—far more powerful than anything she could dream of.

As if he’d read her thoughts, Gregory took hold of her hand. Naomi took as deep breath as their fingers intertwined, giving him a grateful look.

I made the decision to come here. It was my decision. And I’d much rather know what’s going on than be bait again.

She straightened. It was the truth; she had a right to be here, since she was the one who’d been attacked. And she had no reason to be afraid, because Gregory was here with her.

Before her, a light seemed to spring up. As they kept walking, it was joined by further lights—until she realized that they were walking past two large plinths, one showing a crude symbol of what looked like mountain tops, the other showing a similar symbol, although this one looked like the waves of the ocean. The symbols seemed to be lit by a strange light.

As they continued forward, the light gradually grew brighter, until the symbols glowed in the darkness surrounding the plinths.

And then, as though she’d stepped out from the darkness into a room filled by light, the darkness drew back—and Naomi saw what had been waiting atop those plinths all this time.

Dragons.

Two large dragons, feral and intimidating, watching her quietly from eyes that glowed with the same inner fire she’d seen in Gregory’s gaze.

For one moment, terror filled her mind as she remembered the giant, claw-studded dragon’s paw that had burst through the window and grabbed her.

There’s nothing to be afraid of, she reminded herself as she continued to make her way past them with Gregory. Gregory wouldn’t let anything hurt me. And I have a right to be here. I’m the one who was attacked.

The dragon atop the plinth marked by the symbol of water closed his eyes, his giant jaw opening a little. It should have looked threatening—but for some reason, Naomi thought that the dragon was smiling.

“Gregory Drago,” a disembodied voice now boomed out of the darkness before them. “You have been summoned by the council of elements to be judged. Present yourself before us.”

Sudden dread filled Naomi’s heart. It came rushing over her out of nowhere, her heart pounding fiercely despite the reassuring warmth of Gregory by her side. She couldn’t say what had caused it—it seemed to have no obvious reason.

Apart from the fact that I’m all alone in a giant cave filled with dragons and who knows what other monsters. Maybe a Yeti. But damn it, I’m stronger than this! I choose to be here—with Gregory!

Determined, she took one step forward, and then another. It was a struggle, but she didn’t falter.

My mother didn’t raise me to be afraid of dragons, she thought, and then nearly began to giggle when she tried to imagine her mom’s reaction to a dragon as a son in law.

Well, it’s going to make Christmas more exciting, that’s for sure!

Her heart a little lighter, it was easier to continue forward. The gloomy cloud of darkness that had seemed to fill the cave before had gone. Instead, they were walking straight towards what looked like a large wall of bare rock. Shadows flitted across the surface.

Gently, Gregory’s thumb drew along her knuckles.

Courage, his voice said in her mind, sounding just as warm and confident as always. Remember, you have a right to be here. You are my mate.

Warmth seemed to flow into her where their skin touched, and for a moment she couldn’t tear her mind away from the memory of Gregory’s wet skin pressed against her, the incredible sensation of Gregory inside her. Then, flushing a little, hoping that the other dragons wouldn’t be able to read her mind, she tightened her fingers around Gregory’s.

I’m with you, she sent along the strange connection between them. Whatever’s going on, I’m with you.

Perhaps it was strange to feel so protective of someone who could turn into a giant dragon—but all the same, he was Naomi’s dragon, the same way she was his. She wouldn’t let anyone come between them either.

Even if she was rather inadequately equipped for a fight against another dragon.

“Feisty,” that same booming voice now laughed out of the darkness. “I like that. I would say that you have chosen well, Dragon of the Storm... But it is your recent behavior that is on trial today. And I rather question your decision to bring a human to the council, when you know the ancient laws that govern this place. No human has ever walked through these caves before.”

“She’s no ordinary human,” Gregory said, challenging the shadows before them with confidence. “She’s my mate. I know that you can sense it. You have no case to bring against her.”

The darkness laughed. “Perhaps. But we do have a case against you, Gregory Drago. A rather serious one. Dragon of the Storm, you are accused to have brought strife to human lands. A fight between dragons where humans can observe us. You have willfully endangered human lives. The burst of power was so large we felt it here in Sky Home—it was a power unlike anything you have ever wielded before. Gregory Drago, you are here to be judged for having broken the limit of power available to you. You have gained—and used—an alpha’s power. And you are not mated. You cannot control the power that has woken in you. You are a danger to dragons and humans alike. You cannot be allowed to leave again. And perhaps—perhaps you cannot be allowed to live.”

“No!” The word escaped Naomi without thought. “You don’t know what you’re saying. He wasn’t attacking anyone. He was defending me!”

One of the dragons behind her roared, but Naomi refused to be intimidated.

Gregory took a step forward, protectively placing himself between her and the shadows before them.

“She says the truth,” he said calmly. “You have no case against me. I came into my full power, that’s true—but it was because I’d found my mate. And because a fire dragon had kidnapped her.”

“A fire dragon?” The shadows before them flickered and grew larger.

The shadows don’t look like a dragon, Naomi thought, blinking at what looked almost like the head of a goat. Or... was that the tail of a snake?

“That is impossible,” the darkness continued. “No fire dragon has been seen for centuries. But we did sense your power, Gregory Drago. It was the power of the storm, which grew until it finally escaped all control.”

He is dangerous, a voice behind them said, speaking straight to Naomi’s mind.

When she turned, she saw that it was the dragon sitting atop the plinth marked with the symbol of the mountain who had leaned forward, staring at Gregory from suspicious eyes.

I say he has lost his mind. He’s trying to distract us all by bringing up that ridiculous story of a fire dragon. We all know the warning signs of the madness that can take us all. Why chance another catastrophe that could give our existence away to humans?

“I was there,” Naomi said fiercely, glaring at the dragon. “You can’t judge him for something you didn’t see. I saw. I was there. I’m the one who was kidnapped by the fire dragon, damn it! Are you telling me that I’m making all of this up?”

He has brought a human here, to Sky Home, the same dragon coldly continued. That, more than anything, shows his lapse of judgment. I say let us restrain him before he causes further destruction in his madness.

The sound of mighty wings beating the air made them all fall silent. When Naomi turned, she saw that the dragon on the other plinth had spread his wings, descending towards the ground of the cave. A second later, his form shimmered before her eyes, and human feet landed on the rock.

“The water element votes to give him a chance to prove himself.” The dragon spoke confidently, then flashed Naomi a smile that was nearly cocky. “You all heard him. He found his mate; he even brought her before us. I can’t sense any madness in him—and who of us hasn’t been itching for a fight for a while now? The council’s peace is all very well, but who wouldn’t lash out if some other dragon laid hands on our mate? Fire dragon or not, I say Gregory’s completely sane. Only you really should’ve shared the excitement with us, cousin.”

Gregory seemed unperturbed by the water dragon’s amusement.

“I’m serious,” Gregory said flatly. “Timothy. Damon. Set aside our differences for a moment. This is bigger than me. A fire dragon, when there has been no sight of one for centuries. That’s what we should all worry about.”

“You have no vote in a meeting called to judge your—”

“I’ll vote anyway,” Gregory said coldly, fury in his voice at the earth dragon’s challenge. “The element of air votes to investigate the dragon of fire, and where he vanished to.”

There was a moment of silence.

Naomi chose that moment to speak out. “I’ll vote as well. I don’t care that you dragons think I’m just a human. I’m the one who was attacked. I’m the one who was abducted! And while you just sit here like big, lazy cowards hiding in a cave, it was Gregory who went and fought the dragon. He nearly got himself killed trying to defend me! So I’ll vote as well, because this damn well concerns me too, and I vote that you go and look at that bloodthirsty fire dragon yourselves, because if there is one dragon here that’s mad, it’s that fire dragon.”

For a moment, the dragons stared at her in startled silence. Then the earth dragon reared up and spread his wings, descending from his plinth to join them on the ground. Naomi could see the by now familiar shimmer as the powerful body of the dragon turned into that of a human.

“Damon Drago,” the man who was the unfriendly earth dragon said, giving Naomi a polite bow, even though his eyes were still full of suspicion. “No offense, but you’re just a human, and you don’t understand—”

“Enough.” Once more the mysterious voice came booming out of the darkness before them.

Naomi shivered instinctively. She still couldn’t see who it was who was speaking. Every now and then, the flickering shadows on the rock before her almost seemed to form a picture—but she could never make out more than the form of a goat’s head, or a serpent’s tail, before the shadows shifted and scattered.

“I am the master of the council. I will have no quarreling here. Human, come forward.”

Naomi swallowed, her throat dry. She hated to admit it, but she was terrified. Furious with anger on Gregory’s behalf—but still terrified of these strange, powerful creatures that shouldn’t even exist.

What would Mom do? she asked herself as she took a tentative step forward.

Mom would... Mom would lecture them on hospitality. No guest in her house would ever go without being offered a seat and something to eat.

Her lips twitched a little at the thought of her mom—a small, curvy woman rightly famous for her formidable anger—giving one of those dragons a whack on the nose with a towel.

She would. She really would! Because unlike these dragons, she knows that manners are important.

Emboldened by the thought, Naomi continued forward on her own, until it felt like she‘d entered the shadows racing across the wall of the cave. Everything around her seemed to have dimmed. She couldn’t see very well in the gloom, and she could no longer hear the dragons behind her.

“I’m here,” she said boldly, hiding her fear.

I am here, and I am my mother’s daughter. “What do you want from me?”

Tell me, Naomi, the voice now whispered in her mind. Does Gregory tell the truth?

Naomi opened her mouth, indignant that no one seemed to believe their story when she had nearly died—but just then she was hit by an avalanche of images and emotions.

Fear. Loneliness. Fire. Sorrow. A power larger than anything she could imagine. Destruction that could wipe out an entire town in the blink of an eye.

Her heart was racing. It was difficult to breathe. She couldn’t understand what she was seeing—but even so the images didn’t stop coming, overwhelming her until the cave had completely vanished.

Gasping for air, she found herself standing before a precipice. Before her, an abyss loomed. Behind her, some dark and terrible power was gathering, the air sizzling with energy.

Whatever it was, it was coming closer, and closer, and closer...

It was coming for her. She realized it with sudden awareness. The monster of fire and darkness was coming for her—and there was power enough in her to meet it.

She would only have to turn and laugh in its face. Then she’d spread her arms, and they’d turn into wings. She’d shift, her body filled to bursting with power—and she’d spew it into her attacker’s face. She’d take him out with one gust of her dragon’s breath, the power within her so vast now that she’d take out everything around them—and why would that matter when her enemy had dared to come here, to threaten her at her height of power?

Slowly, like the sound of a distant melody, she became aware of something else.

There, behind her, near to where her enemy was rushing towards her even now, there was life.

There was a human settlement, scattered houses with small gardens and winding, paved streets. Children were playing in the grass. Families were gathering at the dinner table. Market stalls were closing.

And the power inside her had grown and grown until it formed a brilliant light inside her, as strong and as terrible as the immeasurable heat at the heart of the sun.

If she let go now, she’d take out her enemy—and the human settlement with it.

What will you do, Naomi? a familiar voice whispered inside her head. Quick, Naomi. There is no time...

Behind her, darkness was gathering. Before her, there was only the abyss—and at its bottom a terrible emptiness that frightened her like nothing else in her life ever had. Even her enemy behind her, with his sharp teeth and claws and his deadly fire was less dreadful than that terrible void before her.

What will you do? the voice asked again, and this time it was sorrowful.

Naomi clenched her jaw. She did not look back. It only took one step forward—and then she was falling.

She was falling into nothingness.

It was terrible, the void tearing at her, a dreadful wind howling in her ears—but even so, as everything grew dim around her, she was warmed by the certainty that back in the settlement, families were settling down for the night, unaware of the danger they’d been in.

The town was safe. They would continue to go on, unaware that dragons existed—unaware of their terrible power.

And she would cease to exist...

“Naomi!”

The sharp call pulled her back.

Shaking her head, she found herself face to face with Gregory, who was giving her a concerned look.

“Are you all right?” he said, his eyes gleaming silver once more. “Naomi—can you hear me?”

Still feeling dizzy, she gave him a small nod. Then the voice came booming out of the darkness once more.

“She has passed my test,” it declared. “The council judges you innocent, Gregory Drago. The beginnings of the mate bond have been woven. There is no madness in you.”