Don't hate! I know it's been a while since I've updated, but it's also been a while since you reviewed!

Also, sorry it's kind of short, but I liked writing it, so ha! Deal with it. Love you guys! Enjoy.

Chapter 28

"Wow, you got so big! What have they been feeding you? Who has been feeding you? Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they? Wow, you've got some nice claws. Who gave you that saddle? Oh gosh, I didn't think I'd ever see you again! This is so cool! Hey, do you think we can go flying? My glider is fast, but I miss going at dragon speed. I bet you're even faster now that you so big. Wow, you're bigger than Augustus!" I shouted all at once. He licked my face with his massive snake like tongue, well that shut me up.

"Iris, that's gross!" I giggled, feeling like a child.

Hello, bender. Still rambunctious I see.

"C'mon, let's go fly." I air bent my way onto the saddle. Tied there, was a perfect scroll, with a perfect little bow. I glanced at my mother who had already mounted and was reading the letter.

Dear the other half of the Maddox family,

We accept. We have decided that since your end will come soon, we shall give you the joy of being with your dragons in your last days.

Sincerely, The Council of Ten

"Mother, they are mocking us." I said to her. But not even that could spoil the moment; I was reunited with my dragon.

"So? Let them mock. In the end, we will be the ones leading." She and Augustus took off into the night sky.

Iris and I followed, but we took our own course into the sky. I looked around, surrounded by the diamonds in the night sky. Iris had taken me off of the ground. He had taken me away from my second sense of feeling. Being up here, I didn't have to worry about feeling the leaves falling on the ground. I was in the air, momentarily taken away from my worries, and given a feeling of innocent peace.

"I feel like a little kid again." I told Iris.

Me too. He turned to give me an approving look. I didn't have to add that being up there with him made me happy for once. I had really missed that feeling.

"Iris?" I asked him

Yes?

"Do you remember when we were little, and we used to race against my friends and their dragons?" I could feel his longing amusement.

Do you remember their faces when we passed them up? If a dragon could snicker, Iris would have. I laughed, remembering my childhood friends.

"We only won because we cheated."

You were the one putting a little extra air under my wings. I grinned and hugged his neck, which fit the same in my arms the way it did when I was six years old.

"I really missed you." I whispered.

And I have missed you. I can see that I was not there to protect you for so long. I promise to help whenever I can.

"I'm a big girl now, Iris, I don't need help."

But you want it. Only a dragon would be able to see through me. Even after years of separation, he knew me better than I knew myself.

You've had a rough time when I was caged, didn't you? I can tell. You aren't nearly as spirited as you used to be. What happened to the young girl who would try to sneak me into the palace?

"She grew up, Iris. She was chased to the ends of the earth. She had to defend herself, or else she wouldn't be here now. She had to be strong, because no one was ever going to be strong for her. She had to be loyal to her mother, because that was the only constant thing in her life. That, and fear. A lot a fear, sometimes even pain."

You've had a sad life.

"No kidding." I snorted. After a few moments of silent flying, I asked, "Iris?"

Yes? He would have laughed, for I had said his name for a question many times.

"What did they do to you? You know, when you were caged?"

It was not bad. Augustus and I were placed together often. Dragons are sacred to your people; therefore, we were not harmed, but we were not treated well. Augustus and I had spent a lot of time together. He has shared his years of wisdom with me, teaching me to become stronger. Truthfully, I'm glad to get some time away from the oaf; he's a talker, like you.

"Hey," I smacked his vampire proof scales, "I'm not that bad. And I like Augustus."

You didn't have to spend eleven years with the guy.

"Eleven years? I thought it was ten?"

No, young bender, it was defiantly eleven. Trust me; I kept track of how long I stayed with Augustus. I smiled and hugged his neck again.

"So, I'm really seventeen? That means your eighteen, right? Hey, if you were a human you would be allowed into bars. Maybe we can find a witch and turn you into a human for the night. It might suck though, being weak, but you'll be able to fit through a door!" I stated cheerfully. Iris rolled his eyes.

You are way worse than Augustus. He told me that he felt something off about his rider. I told him I could feel something strange about you as well.

"What would that be?" I asked him, honestly curious. What had changed? Well, a lot of things had changed, but what had changed about me that had upset my dragon?

You're curious, I see. You know what they say about curiosity.

"That was a stupid cat. Now tell me." I asked.

You are different. Rougher, almost. You are defiantly not the playful child I remember. You're more defensive now, more cautious, and you have sharper edges.

"Sharper edges?"

The best way I can word it would be meaner, but it's not like that. It's more like…

"Evil?" I offered.

Oh no! Do you think I would have allowed you to become my rider if I sensed that? You are defiantly not evil, no matter how much you think so. You've just had a hard life. That's it, you've been toughened. A past like your own can only lead to so many outcomes; people like your father are born evil. Even then, it's not much evil. I do sense that he still cares for you and your mother, but he feels he must do this, for the sake of his country.

"So you have magical senses now?" I half snapped back. I shouldn't have done that, this was supposed to be a happy moment, not one ruined by my… "toughness."

"Sorry. But I don't believe my father still has feeling for us."

You still have feelings for him. You are incredibly loyal, even if you won't admit it to yourself.

"I don't have any feelings for that monster."

You are mad at him for betraying you. You still love him.

"I don't want to." I whispered. Sometimes, it took the wisdom of a dragon to pull me out of my fake being.

And there you have it: chapter 28!

I really liked this chapter, I just thought I'd add it in so I could use Iris. I wanted him to show you guys the softer side to Cassie and how things used to be and bam, he did his job well, don't you think?

Okay, comment question time!

What do you think of Iris?

What do you think of 'old Cassie?'

Who do you think will win the fight?

LET ME KNOW!

Also, did anyone catch "The other HALF of the Maddox family"?