“Go ahead and try,” Liz says.“Every human who came with me was willing to be bonded.”She glances over her shoulder.“I know the rest of you are anxious to know whether you’re bright—we’ll point you all out as soon as this is done.”Liz sounds anxious, and I don’t blame her.
I, too, am concerned.
How’s it done?Phileas asks.No one ever spoke to us about it, since we couldn’t ensnare.
Liz frowns.“Azar, do you remember?”
Only what they told us before we came.Not many blessed who lived on Earth before we left came with us, so we’re almost all new to this.At first, I found it strange that so few returned, but as I thought about it, I understood.Sending the younger blessed risked less of a loss as well.They said the stronger humans, the brighter ones, would call out to us.If we sought for their energy, pulling it toward us, we could bring it into ourselves.
“We’re stronger than other humans?”Karen asks.
I shrugged.That’s what they told us, but I don’t recall bonding Liz the first time.It’s been a strange week.
“Yeah, our trigger-happy government shot you,” someone in the back with dark skin says.“Sorry about that.”
It appears Liz was right.Not all the humans hate us.The ones who hate us just seem to have more firepower.
Agrippa lowers her head until it’s close to Karen’s.Her long, serpentine nose is almost touching the fuzzy halo around Karen’s face.I like your fuzzy brown fur.It makes you easy to spot.Don’t change it.
Karen’s face turns bright red.Then her body stiffens, and her head falls backward.I’m not sure what the humans can see, but I watch as the light around her expands, like an explosion that moves outward to encompass Agrippa and then contracts back down to Karen.Her hair shivers, almost, and then it turns a mossy green, just like Agrippa’s scales.
It’s still just as fuzzy, though.
Oh,Agrippa says.I like this better.Now we match.
Karen may not be very smart—she’s beaming like an idiot.Or maybe she’s just profoundly happy.
Once we reach Iceland, I have a saddle I made for Liz when we escaped, back when I could shift into human form.Shifting allowed us to make clothing and saddles.After Liz left, I dumped it by some trees, but I think I can find it again.There aren’t many trees in Iceland.Until then, you’ll have to try very hard to hold on to my back.I’m slippery.
As I watch the two of them staring at each other, both of them looking a little different than before, I can’t help wondering what color Liz’s dark hair would become if I bonded her.
It was gold at first,Phileas says.When Azar bonded her too, it turned red.
Liz is looking at us strangely.“Why aren’t you guys happier?”
Of course she’s relieved.I am too, obviously.We are.
“Now you do it,” Liz says.“Norm is my friend—the one I told you about.He’s?—”
The warrior,Agrippa says.
Norm doesn’t look much like a warrior, in my opinion, but then neither did Liz.She’s clearly stronger than I expected her to be, so maybe for humans, strength and ferocity look a little different.
“You told them I was a warrior?”Norm asks.“Really?”
“You are,” Liz says.“No matter how other people made you feel, you dug deep and became what you wanted to be.And now...”She tosses her head.“You’re fighting the US government to help the dragons.You’re making the life for yourself that you always wanted.”
I’m worried he’s going to spring a leak again, but he doesn’t.Instead, he straightens, his chin lifting.His hair’s a little strange, but then I realize it’s trapped underneath a strange cloth cover.A little red piece of fabric is wrapped around his head—humans call it a hat, but it’s not like the others I’ve seen that look decorative.This one looks like it was made only for warmth.
Which is smart.Humans have no protection without fur or scales or magic of their own.They should use small swaths of fabric, or whatever they can find.
Like Agrippa before him, Phileas crouches and lowers his head, nearing Norm.He sniffs his strange hat, and then he lifts his head and bellows.
The sound’s much stronger than I expected from Phileas.He’s always been quiet and reserved—cranky, yes—but not much for showmanship.Could this round human’s warrior spirit change Phileas?It’s an interesting possibility.
“Maybe less screaming.”Liz grimaces.“We’re really tryingnotto tell the humans we’re here, remember?”
Sorry.Phileas drops his head again.I have a very nice neck ridge that you can hold when you ride me.He fluffs it out.It looks thin, but my frill doesn’t hurt if you grab it.
