Liz scowls.“Hyperion was right.You’re rude.”
I can’t help my smile.Asteria, you drop off Jade, round up a few more volunteers, and once I’ve eaten, we’re going to find any humans who want to join us...and let them.
And we’re going to roast some soldiers who want to kill us,Hyperion says.Your sister Coral was telling me about the human Christmas celebration, but this sounds better than that to me.
Before Liz has climbed all the way up my back, she freezes.“Hyperion Flame Blessed, when and why were you talking toCoral?”
My brother frowns.Does it matter?
Liz’s hands tighten on my scales.“If you even so much aslook her way, I will slice you to ribbons.Are we clear?”
My brother launches into the sky without answering.
Are your wings alright?I expected her to fly her way up to my back instead of climbing.
“They’re fine,” she says.“I’m just not pressing it.”
I feel the bond to see whether she’s telling the truth, and it feels like she is.Good decision.
I’m not about to admit that having her on my back feelsrightsomehow, and I wish I hadn’t waited so long to bond her.
Liz directs me toward the pens to the west of Selfoss where the earth blessed were keeping the animals.“Unless you prefer grubs.”Her eyes are sparkling.“I hear that’s Gordon’s favorite, and he said that while Iceland isn’t great for bug life in general, there are some really great ones hiding in the black sand areas.”
I shudder.Definitely not.
“That’s good—he wasn’t really very keen to share.”
Within half an hour, I’ve eaten—with Liz averting her eyes and plugging her ears—and we’re ready to open the portal.
“Do we have a plan?”Liz asks.
Don’t die,Hyperion says.And kill any of them who so much as look sideways at Liz.
“No, that’s a bad plan,” Liz says.“You only kill a solider if?—”
He’s right,I say.If any of them even look at you, I will incinerate them.No fighting us about that, or we’ll leave you here.
“Not you, too.”Liz kicks me, as if that might bother me.“Listen, we’re going to try and find brights, remember?”
No,you’regoing for brights.I say.I’m going to make them sorry they ever tried to harm you, and to make sure that none of them ever?—
Liz pulls on my energy again, which is kind of cute, and she broadcasts as far as she can.What Azar meant to say was that we saw lots of humans there who wanted to join us.We’re going to try and make sure they don’t change their minds by acting unnecessarily aggressive.She pauses her yammering long enough to scowl at me and Hyperion.Now that Azar can shield me, you won’t have to worry about me being harmed.So if you can’t shield your ensnared, leave them here.We’ll be back with more brights, hopefully very soon.
She kicks me again.“Now, portal.”
I’m not your dutiful horse.
That makes her smile, which isn’t what I wanted exactly, but I don’t hate it either.
Before I can say anything else, Hyperion opens the portal.Let’s just go already.You two are as disgusting as ever.He flies through before anyone else, but in spite of his words, he’s smiling as he does it.Hello humans,he shouts.We’re baaaaack.
“Has someone been showing him old movies?”Liz asks.“Because he shouldnotbe watching those.I think they’re warping his already strange brain.”
But then we’re through the portal, and the teeming chaos below demands all our attention.The soldiers are actively shoving, clubbing, and threatening to shoot the sign-holding fans of the blessed.
“If you’re interested in coming back with us,” Liz shouts.“We’re ready to take you now.As you may have already noticed, I’m healed from the military’s vicious attack, and I brought even more friends.”
A soldier opens fire, aiming for Liz again, but this time, I’m ready.A bright red bubble pops into place, and Liz shakes her head.
