Yet she had.
Kendrick had shifted in front of them. They had all seen it. Shapeshifters existed. They knew nothing about them because elves had always thought they were a myth. Add to that the fact that Kendrick was also a dragon, and Esha’s mind had spun with excitement. It was the first time in her life she had forgotten her training and position. She had simply reacted.
That might be fine during battle, but it couldn’t happen again. Not in front of her squad. And definitely not with her sister.
She didn’t doubt that Savita would punish her more than sending Kendrick away in three days. The how would be left up to her sister’s discretion. Savita had the power to remove Esha as a Ranger. Permanently.
That thought left Esha cold. Being a Ranger was everything she had ever wanted. Could ever want. Esha shivered, even in the heat of the water. Whatever had overtaken her earlier couldn’t happen a second time. She wanted Kendrick and the Dragon Kings as allies. She also sought to catch the thing that killed so indiscriminately. There had to be a way for her to have both without being stripped of her title as Ranger. Surely, her sister wouldn’t do that to her. Would she?
Esha knew how vengeful Savita could be, though. She had seen it. No one else in the camp had. They believed Savita the serene, unruffled Reader she portrayed. Savita had a long memory, she never forgot anyone who wronged her, and she rarely forgave anything.
In many ways, Savita was like the Dark Elves in that regard. Esha had made the mistake of telling her sister that one time. It was the first—and last—time Esha had ever done that. Savita had struck viciously, using magic and her fists to pummel Esha. They had been young, but Esha had never forgotten it.
Savita was far from finished with her. Esha would have to watch every step she made and consider every word she said. Many in her squad joked that it must be nice that she and Savita watched each other’s backs, but that was far from the truth.
Savita cared about her position above all else. And she couldn’t have anyone thinking someone had challenged her. Yet Esha had forgotten that and spoke out of turn.
Because of Kendrick.
It all came back to him. Even now, knowing her position could be in jeopardy, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. If she were smart, she’d send another squad to work with him tomorrow.
But she wasn’t that smart.
Esha planned to be a part of history—even if Savita stripped her of her rank and position.
Chapter Nine
Kendrick stared out over the calm water. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to notify Constantine. He had hoped Esha would return so he could pose more questions, but she didn’t show. He was more upset by that than expected.
The world of the elves was fascinating, and he knew he had just scratched the surface of all there was to know. His inquisitiveness bordered on obsessive. Though Esha had made it sound as if elven magic weren’t as great as dragon, he had a feeling it was more than most on Zora. And if there were elves, what else resided on the planet that no one knew about?
Kendrick opened his mental link. “Con,” he called.
The King of Dragon Kings responded quickly. “I was just about to contact you.”
“Is everything all right?”
“We’ve had a visitor to Cairnkeep.”
The capital of the dragon land, a stunning place in the mountains, was where Eurwen and Brandr ruled. Something in Con’s voice gave Kendrick pause. “Anything urgent?”
“You could say that. Ceri told us about this morning.”
“Who is Ceri?”
“You mean you doona know the name of the Pink you’ve been talking to these past weeks?”
“So, that’s her name.” Kendrick chuckled. Then he sobered. “Did you say she came to you?”
“Aye. After she saw you tangle with the threat we’ve been tracking.”
Kendrick briefly closed his eyes, remorse and shame choking him. He’d forgotten the Pink had been there watching all of it.
“We were all getting ready to head your way. All of us. Because we feared you were injured—or worse.”
Kendrick felt like a jerk for waiting to check in. “Fuck, Con. I’m sorry. I’m fine. But I did tangle with that thing.”
“We knew that much,” Con snapped.
Kendrick ran a hand down his face and thought back to the day’s events. “I apologize. My intent was to gather as much intel as I could before telling you about them.”
“About who? My patience is running out. First Merrill, and now you do this?”
Kendrick grimaced. He took Con’s anger because he deserved it. But he would make it up to everyone. “The being I fought did to me what it did to the others. It struck me with magic. I didna have any physical injuries, but I sure felt its punch. It jerked me out of dragon form, and I couldna shift for some time after. I thought I was getting the advantage by using my other senses, but it soon got me entangled. In my haste to take it down, I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I thought about the dragons that had been killed and the Kings who had been injured, and I thought of Merrill.”
“We doona know if it’s responsible for Merrill or no’,” Con said in a neutral voice.
“I know.” Kendrick paused for a heartbeat. “I acted recklessly, and I know better. But that decision gained us something.”
Con sighed. “We’re all feeling the pressure of this. It’s making me question whether we should patrol alone.”
“I admit, my actions were questionable, but the end result isna.”
“Are you telling me you discovered how to beat it?”
“I wish. Nay, when I crossed the border, I discovered the people on the other side—or should I say the elves on the other side. That’s the them I mentioned earlier.”
“Elves?” Con asked, surprise coloring his words.
Kendrick chuckled. “I was just as shocked. They joined the skirmish when that thing had me pinned down. I’m no’ sure I would’ve gotten away had they no’ come upon me. I talked them into allowing me to stay so we could work together to hunt this thing. They’ve been after it for a while.”
“Do they know who you are?”
“They do. They hadna seen a dragon in some time—thought they were gone. No one ventures close to the border, and they thought shifters were a myth.”
Con made a sound in the back of his throat. “Just as we thought of elves.”
“Aye. It’s a tenuous venture for the moment. Their culture is verra complex. The group I’m with calls themselves the Asavori Rangers. They’re warriors and made up of different classes of elves.”
“Are they potential allies?”
“I think so. It’s going to take some trust building on both sides, however. This place is stunning. I want to stay and cultivate a relationship. The leader of this group of Rangers, Esha, seems open to the idea. Though her sister, Savita, a rune Reader, makes the decisions.”
Con grunted. “I gather she’s no’ keen on an alliance.”
“No’ really.”
“Can you win her over?”
“I’m going to try.”
“What of their magic? Is it powerful?”
Kendrick wrinkled his nose as he thought about it. “I’ve no’ seen it. Esha was surprised at mine. She said elves couldna match it.”