Time was critical and couldn’t be wasted, but it went against who she was to abandon Dewdrop.
“Dewdrop is with me. We’ll escort Tyne to the palace and report on matters. You take care of what’s necessary on your end.” Ryu’s eyes met Tate’s, assurance radiating from them. He’d get Dewdrop the medical attention he needed.
“I can go with Tate,” Dewdrop objected.
Night rose onto his hind legs and pressed a paw on Dewdrop’s injured arm. The boy’s face whitened, and he caught himself on the carriage so he didn’t pass out. Dewdrop’s hand gave out and he ended up sprawling awkwardly on the foot rail.
You’re not going anywhere except to a healer, idiot cub.
“I’ll be fine.” Dewdrop’s voice sounded thinner and weaker than before, giving lie to his words. He’d be lucky if he didn’t pass out as soon as he tried to stand.
Night swiped a paw at him, not fully retracting his claws. Dewdrop yelped and stared down at the four slashes in his pant leg.
“Are you crazy? What if you broke skin?”
I won’t tell you again. You’re going with Ryu.
“But—” Dewdrop looked lost as he glanced from Night to Tate, his heart in his eyes. He didn’t want to abandon Tate or let her go without him.
Tate rubbed his head, deliberately turning his hair into a bird’s nest. He ducked away trying to avoid her hand, but she was merciless, not stopping until it stuck up from his head in unruly tufts.
That was what he got for trying to push himself when he was already injured.
“I need you to do something for me,” she told him, when he finally managed to dislodge her hand.
She wouldn’t put it past Dewdrop to come after them as soon as Ryu took his eye off him if he wasn’t sufficiently distracted. After all, there was a reason Tate and Dewdrop got along so well. Such a move would be in her wheelhouse.
He needed a job. Not just any job either. It had to have meaning, not something assigned as a method to get him out of the way. Otherwise, it would be an insult to both of them. A way of saying she didn’t trust him enough to rely on.
Tate treasured her friends. As afraid as she was of Dewdrop or Night getting hurt, she was more afraid of driving them away through her actions.
“Check in on Daisy and the dragonlettes for me,” she told him. “Make sure there’s no remnants from last night.”
Dewdrop’s frown was unhappy, but he gave her a slow nod.
“When you’re done with that, see if you can get hold of your Ahnteela.”
Ahnteela was his many times over great grandmother and was the hidden leader of their group of Avertine, a traveling clan comprised mostly of sleepers and their descendants. Those who didn’t fit easily in the rest of society.
More importantly, she was in the battle against the Creators with Tate and had been awake centuries longer than her. There was a chance she might remember something Tate hadn’t.
“Why do you need her?”
“Something bothers me about Ai’s new appearance. See if she can tell you anything about the minor gods.” Tate hesitated. “Ask if she knows about the phrase ‘If one Aurelia rises the other falls,’ or ‘occupied territory.’”
The second she could guess but she’d prefer to have confirmation from Ahnteela before she made any moves.
Dewdrop finally nodded. “I’ll use the paired communication mirror. As long as they haven’t traveled out of range, I’ll find out what I can.”
Tate was now glad they’d accepted one half of the paired mirrors that the Silva had awarded to them while they were in Silvain. The other traveled with the Avertine and would enable them to communicate even over long distances.
Night stretched onto his back feet, clawing at the handle of the carriage door. Tate hid her wince as he left several scratches on the Lord Provost’s carriage. Hopefully, the Lord Provost’s people didn’t come after her later, trying to recoup the cost of having them fixed.
Finally, the door unlatched, nearly hitting Dewdrop in the back. Night dropped back to four legs and fixed Dewdrop with the kind of look only a parent could perfect. One inspiring both guilt and simultaneous obedience.
“Fine,” Dewdrop grumbled, finding his feet and stumbling inside.
Ryu paused next to Tate. “I’ll take care of him.”
