Being a hunter was the best chance he had at a good life. I didn’t want to think of him getting a worse position, like a basic chore worker, but the ‘better’ alternative was something I’d rather not imagine, either.
“You need help hunting?” Violet asked.
His offer dissolved the uneasy atmosphere. I preferred having a concrete task to focus on.
“We’re trying to catch hares,” I explained.
“For Konrad,” Sorrel chimed in.
Violet’s eyes narrowed slightly for a second before returning to normal. “Over there. I see one nibbling on a twig. I’ll stay stilland pretend to be a big rock. You guys chase it in my direction, then I’ll catch it.”
“But you’re hurt,” I pointed out. I didn’t want his injuries to worsen by helping us.
Violet snorted. “C’mon, Poppy, I’m notdead. I can still move enough to catch a hare.”
My heart warmed. I felt safe when he said my name, and the kindness of his words touched me.
“All right,” I conceded. “Sorrel, let’s use the funnel formation.”
“Right. Uh... what is that, again?”
I explained as we rounded behind the hare. We crouched low to the ground—thankfully, Sorrel paid attention and followed my lead—and crept up close before launching at it. I knew neither of us were fast enough to catch a hare at full sprint, but as it bolted in Violet’s direction, I felt a flash of hope. It was too panicked to recognize the unfamiliar shape of a completely still dragon. Seconds later, Violet swiped with precision. His claws swiftly dispatched our prey.
“Violet, you did it!” I cried, bounding over to him.
He grinned. “You guys did most of the work. Here, kid.” He pushed the hare towards Sorrel, who grabbed it eagerly. It was a nice big one that barely fit in his jaws.
“Konrad’s gonna be so happy,” Sorrel exclaimed through a mouth full of fur.
My moment of joy quieted. Once more, it all circled back to our clan alpha. At least for Sorrel.
As worry crept over me like a fog, I felt Violet’s gaze on me again, but I didn’t look back to meet it. I was too caught up in my thoughts, and dreading our return to camp. The idea twisted my stomach. I just wanted to stay here with Violet, where everything felt safe. I wanted to accept his offer to fly us away to his strange warm island.
But as long as we belonged to the tundra clan, that future was nothing but a dream.
Sorrel dropped the hare long enough to speak properly. “It’s getting dark. We should head back.”
It was barely mid-afternoon, but that meant nothing to the winter sun. Sorrel was correct. Konrad would get suspicious if we took too long to return. The last thing I wanted was for him to hunt us down and discover Violet. I doubted he’d appreciate the dragon’s presence.
“I already asked once, but... you’ll come back eventually, right?” Violet asked, staring into my eyes.
The individual hairs on my neck shivered. “Yes, I will. As soon as I can,” I promised.
“Thanks for the help,” Sorrel said before picking up the hare. He swished his tail, summoning me.
I wanted to stay. But I had no choice but to leave.
My throat felthoarse from talking for so long. I sipped the hot chocolate Taylor had so kindly made for me. I was terrible at hiding my emotions, so when I walked back into the kitchen with a sullen expression, my friends immediately knew something was wrong.
After my impromptu babysitting duties had ended, the parents thanked me and collected their kids. When I was free, Taylor and Alaric pulled me aside to the quiet living room.
Sensing my bad mood, Muzo tagged along for moral support. The others quickly caught him up to speed on my story so far. I was grateful that I didn’t have to repeat it all over again, but hearing it summed up in someone else’s words made it feel surreal. Like a bad dream.
Except for the four of us, the room was empty. My final words lingered in the air for a few silent beats. Then Alaric spoke up.
“How do you feel, Poppy?” he asked. He sat on the couch across from me, cradling a hot tea in his palms.
“I’m okay,” I said. “I can keep going. I just need a minute.”
