With a last nod, I let go of her arm and fell back to Braxton. He ran a hand over my hair and I knew he was proud of my moment of maturity. As long as he didn’t expect them too often.

We strode without pause through the center part of the sanctuary, weaving our way around buildings. Our group was quiet, watchful, each of us making sure the other didn’t screw with us behind our backs. I was thankful there were more people in this group I trusted than I didn’t.

It took us longer than usual to reach the desert area. There were lots of supernaturals milling around in various activities, getting in our way. It seemed we were going to cross out of this place by the same route which brought us in from the mountain. I hesitated, just barely, before stepping onto the red sand. The temperature immediately changed, heat flooding through all of us. We were reasonably rugged-up to prepare for the chill of outside, so sweaty butt crack was now in all of our immediate futures.

Awesome.

Braxton moved to my side, and Louis on the other. I didn’t question their actions. They were on the same wavelength as me. This was where the dragons and jinn liked to play ball, and both of them had already proven that they had some sort of interest in me, and now was not the time to battle with either.

We made it halfway through without incident. Braxton was the first to notice something amiss. I followed his line of sight and ground to a halt.

“What the actual hell is going on here?” I said, breathless as I tried to wrap my head around the sheer amazement of what I was seeing.

Orange actually gave me an answer of sorts. “They know we’re leaving the sanctuary, they’re acting as a guard. They are called to the four of the compass.”

A line of dragons, I shit you not, at least twenty, and not all of them from the desert zone. I could see the wash of blue and greens on some who bore a distinct resemblance to ocean serpents, and the smaller dragons of dark greens and earthy browns who I recognized as forest dwellers, and lastly, the most magnificent were the icy blue of the winter beasts.