“It’s always them,” I agree.
“Fine.” Faraday grunts. “If I’d known you wanted so badly to keep me close, I would’ve said we could room together.”
“Not a chance. You snore.”
“I do not!” Faraday bellows.
“Land in the main courtyard. Keep your ears and eyes open. As far as we know, the DragonLands are empty. But we can’t know the true extent of the curse. There could be things lurking.”
They go quiet, following my instructions and scanning the area. Blessed silence. Their bickering is usually amusing, but not when my nerves are shredded and I’m carrying the most precious cargo in my talons.
“Is that real gold?” Larellin asks as we approach the spires.
“Of course.” I lower myself slowly, checking the ground for threats before daring to deposit Larellin on the godsbone courtyard. Nothing moves except the weeds and vines growing along the stone walls.
“He says, ‘Of course,’” she grumbles. “Like it’s no big deal that there are three mountains of pure gold just sitting on top of these enormous palaces.”
“I’ll get more for you, my treasure. As much as you want.” I land gently and release Larellin from my hold.
She stands and stretches.
I catch her sweet honeysuckle scent and inhale deeply. Reaching out, she strokes my snout, her tiny fingernails tickling along my hide as she tries to scratch me like I’m just a wolven whelp.
My brothers land, the wind from their wings blowing Larellin’s hair back, the sun shining on her beautiful face.
We stand for a while, simply listening and watching. Brin sprints towards the palace, his nose in the air.
“It looks even bigger from down here.” Larellin stares up at the middle spire. “It’s impossible.” She shakes her head.
Brin trots back to us. “Nothing. I don’t smell a single thing except a herd of moondeer that passed through late last night. Nothing else.”
I steel myself as best I can. This is going to be hard. But maybe it’ll also be healing. For all of us. “It’s time.”
I nuzzle Larellin, then step back and take my human form.
“You never told me what happens to your clothes when you do that.” Larellin stares at me as I shake out my smaller wings. “Or where your wings go. Sometimes they’re there. Sometimes they’re not.”
“They’re always there.” I shrug. “Dragon magic. Same with the clothes. They’re in the ether.”
“What’s the ether?”
Brin gawks at her. “They really don’t teach you mortals anything, do they?”
“Why would a mortal need to know about mysterious disappearing clothes or wings?” She throws up her hands.
Brin considers her words. “Okay, fair point. But now that we have access to the DragonKin library, you and I are going to have a renaissance. Learning for all. Especially the two of us.” He rubs his palms together.
“A rena-what?” she asks.
“Never mind.” Brin waves her question away with a hairy hand. “Later. Time for all that later.”
I stare up at my old home, at the familiar runs along the wide archway that leads into the heart of the Palace of the Sky. Dragons dance along the stonework, their golden scales shining in the bright day.
“Hey.” Larellin takes my hand. “Show me. Show me everything.” She smiles up at me.
Gods, how does she know exactly what I need? I lean down and kiss her, my tongue slipping between her sweet lips as I cup the nape of her neck. Just tasting her soothes me, gives me a sense of peace where anxiety lived only seconds before.
She lets out a slight moan when I angle her head for better access, my tongue slipping against hers with wicked intent.
