And now, after millennia of waiting, I actually watch as a gorgeous blue water dragon pops out an egg on the shores of Australia’s Northern Territory beach. The silvery-blue egg glistens—hardly a surprise given that it’s being laid by a water dragon—as it drops to the sand. The blessed around me are clearly delighted.
But they keep turning and looking over their shoulders.
Everyone gathered is watching me instead of the sleek and sinuous aqua water dragon, Norellia. They’re watching me, I believe, to see whether Azar’s still alive.
As much as I despised Olivia ten years ago, I loathe the older brother who terrifies and attacks his younger siblings. The brother who manages to suck all the joy out of his little brother’s success on the very day we get the good news that dragons can now reproduce again thanks to our efforts and sacrifice.
Instead of staying with the new mother-to-be, Euphrasia shoots me a knowing glance before ducking into the water and swimming away. I’m going to go share the good news. I feel like Azar might need a win.
She’s actually going to check on him. I admire her for that courage.
And I wish I could go, too.
But no. I promised Azar, and with the danger he’s already in, the least I can do is not add to his stress. I stay here like a good little bonded, and I make polite comments and smile and congratulate Norellia and her mate, but in actuality I’m listening in on Azar as well as I can as Thunar pries information out of my favorite flame-blessed brothers. Hyperion’s better than I expected him to be at putting off Thunar’s prying questions. Azar seems. . .out of his element.
It’s because he’s trying to protect me.
Better than most blessed, he knows how to keep a secret, but I’m kind of at the heart of all the things he’s done since coming to earth. He has to know Thunar’s going to learn about me sooner or later. The more he puts off talking about me, the stranger it’s going to feel when Thunar realizes that’s what he’s been doing.
I’m not interested in getting between Azar and the way he handles his complicated family, but I am very interested in keeping myself alive, and in my experience, hiding from bullies never works out well for the victim. So when Thunar says, Let’s go see this egg. . . Azar’s panic is very clear. The bond’s a dark reddish-black that I’ve never seen before.
Fear.
I think that’s what I’m sensing.
Azar, the nuclear warhead-eating monstrous nightmare is scared.
I should be scared too, right? But honestly, it feels like I’ve been living on borrowed time ever since Gideon jammed that syringe into my neck. Then, against all odds, I walked back out of the volcano I got tossed into. I’m not really any more scared now than I have been for months.
This level of fear has become my everyday.
What does bother me is that we have the heart, and Azar’s still worried. They should be thanking him. I imagine once he’s met me, Thunar won’t care much about me anymore. None of the blessed ever seem overly impressed with humans.
Asteria’s clearly preparing to accompany another group of strike blessed north, to the island where Hyperion and Azar shot off to meet Thunar, and I wave her direction. You’re not taking Jade.
Of course not. She scowls like I’m the idiot. But you want to come.
Azar doesn’t want me there as his bonded, I don’t think. He’s worried.
You met my nasty sister. Asteria lowers her head. She’s a delight compared to Thunar. He’s right to be worried. You should stay here.
I sigh.
But you’re you, and I’m learning more about what that means every day. She blinks. For what it’s worth, I’m glad I bonded Jade—the kinder, gentler Liz. I think the actual Elizabeth Chadwick would be the end of me.
I laugh. Asteria and I have had our moments, but I can’t think of a dragon I’d have preferred to bond my sweet little sister Jade. So, will you take me or not?
If I don’t, you’ll just find someone else. Or wing your way over there so slowly you arrive just after he leaves.
I am pretty stubborn.
And the other blessed on the recovery team all adore you, especially the earth blessed, so one of them would definitely take you.
That’s good to hear. Azar’s never very far away, so I don’t get many chances to interact with the other blessed without a flame blessed recovery leader glaring at them. Is that a yes?
Better me than some sand-brained earth blessed.
It’s ingrained in them. They can’t help mocking the earth dragons. I walk toward her and start looking for a place to climb up. She’s so smooth, with such small and delicate scales compared to Azar and Axel both, that I’m not sure how to scramble up her back. Luckily, she drops a shoulder, and there’s a small but distinct back ridge I think I can hold onto.
