The Dragon's Treasure, Part 3 (For Love of Dragons) Read Online Free PDF

curious what he wants now? We’ve been gone almost three months and he’s just now sending a hawk out for me?”
    Caden shrugged. “Maybe the bird got lost. It’s a long way from Nuer to these mountains.”
    “You’re right. But his hawks are the best in the land. The man prides himself on his ability to find anything with those birds,” she said as she brushed a tuft of hair off his forehead.
    He quickly batted her hand away. “So then what’s going on?”
    “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
    There was a soft thud outside on the ledge. Isabelle smiled to her brother and pulled him off the bed by his hand, leading him outside to where the dragon waited.
    At the sight of the small onyx creature Isabelle's breath caught. “I know him,” she whispered softly to her brother.
    “What? How?” he asked quickly as Isabelle released his hand and walked up to the dragon.              
    “At least I think I do.” She came to stand next to the beast's shoulder, his fine black scales as smooth as a snake's and gleaming in the light of the evening sun. “Are you the one that helped me earlier?” she asked hopefully. To her amazement the dragon's fine head bobbed quickly in a yes. “So you can understand me!” Again he, at least she assumed it was a he, nodded.
    “I still don’t know about this,” Caden said, eyeing the dragon warily.
    Isabelle quickly pulled him into a tight hug and kissed both his cheeks. “I will be fine. Faolan would not have asked for an unsafe dragon to take me and Andrew won’t hurt me, no matter how angry he may be.”
    “When will you be back?” he said, his lips forming into a pout.
    “I’m not sure really. I wouldn’t think before morning. Why don’t you wait here in my rooms for me? There are a lot of books to look at and some fresh tea if you get thirsty,” she suggested.
    “Faolan won't mind?”
    She smiled brightly at him. “No, I think he’ll understand.”
    The boy nodded and shrugged out of his sister's embrace. “Have a safe trip , Izzy .”
    “Get some rest Caden, I will see you soon.”
    Isabelle led her brother back inside the room and kissed his cheeks once more before coming back to stand near the dragon.
    “I guess I should warn you,” she said softly to him. “I'm not good at riding horses so I don't suppose I'll be very good at riding you.”
    The dragon once again surprised her by kneeling down on the warm stone, bringing his head almost as low as her hip as he watched her. Isabelle nodded nervously and bit her lip. It was now or never really. And, she reminded herself, this dragon hadn't hurt her before. Without giving it another thought she slid only his smooth shoulders with a swish of her skirts. He was surprisingly warm and the smoothness of his scales felt almost like a thick silk below her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against him.
    “Alright, I'm ready. Please be careful,” she whispered to him. After one last smile at Caden she closed her eyes tightly as she felt the dragon's muscles tense just before he launched into the cool evening air.
    Isabelle only opened her eyes again once she felt the dragon's smooth muscles relax and heard a soft thud as he landed gently on the ground. She slowly looked around, blinking quickly in the darkness as she wondered how long it had taken them. It had been a three day journey for her and Caden but the dragon had flown that distance in what she had to guess was only a few hours, if not less. All she had felt while they flew was the wind against her back. Now she was regretting not having her eyes open. The wonders that she probably had missed made her heart ache.
    She numbly slipped off his shoulders, her legs feeling weak below her as she stepped onto the ground. She only just realized how cold her fingers were and began blowing on them quickly. The dragon's dark eyes watched her, staying beside her until she stepped away from him into the empty courtyard of