“Go on,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Flint gave Ginny a final glance. “Think about it,” he said, and then he left. Staring daggers, Emmeline watched him go,making sure he didn’t try and return. Once he was well and truly gone, Emmeline turned back to Ginny—only to find her cousin had already walked away.
Emmeline chased after her. “Hey!” She grabbed Ginny’s arm, and Ginny threw her off. “Ginny!”
Her younger cousin whirled on her, and Emmeline was taken aback by the furious expression on her face. Even Fang hissed at her, clearly upset by Ginny’s dark mood. Emmeline blinked, holding her hands up.
“I was only looking out for you,” Emmeline said, trying to keep her voice gentle.
“I can take care of myself, thanks,” Ginny said.
“Come on,” Emmeline replied. “Do you even know who that is?”
“Yes. He works with the people in charge of the races.”
Ginny had never kept it a secret that she was interested in dragon racing, but her dragon was much too young. Fang may have had accelerated growth and an early first flight at seven months, but he was still only a year old. The earliest a dragon could be saddled up was two, and even that was early. The youngest they could enter the championship was four.
Even then, Emmeline knew not a single person in the entire extended Sterling family would approve of Ginny racing, even if Danny used to. He had died only a few months after winning his first championship.
“He’s dangerous,” Emmeline said. “Luke knows him and he’s a bad guy.”
Ginny rolled her eyes, and her cavalier attitude made Emmeline’s heart race with worry. She didn’t know too much about the races or the gangs that ran them, but she didn’twant to, either. It was an entirely different world, away from the cozy and comfortable hamlets of Starshine Valley.
“I can handle myself,” Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not as brittle as you all think.”
“I’m only trying to protect you—” Emmeline started again.
“Well don’t!” Ginny snapped, a nerve clearly struck. Her cheeks were flushed with anger. “You don’t have to take care of everyone and everything!” She shook her head. “You just use it as an excuse to run away from your own problems.”
They both paused, Ginny’s words hanging between them. Ginny’s eyes widened with regret, as if she had said too much.
“Oh my god?” Emmeline said, breaking the silence as she realized maybe Ginny was right. “I-I’m sorry,” she said. Maybe she could get a little carried away. “I shouldn’t have cut in. You are an adult.”
“Yes, I am,” Ginny replied. She released a long breath, looking up at the sky before turning back to Emmeline. “I’m sorry for being mean.”
Emmeline’s lips twitched as she looked at her cousin. “You don’t really look sorry.”
Ginny shrugged. “Well, what I saidwastrue...”
“Yeah, but it was still brutal.”
“You’ll survive. You aremycousin, after all.” Ginny cracked a smile, and Emmeline laughed. She suspected that Ginny might be the strongest of all of them. “Now come on; you owe me a treat.”
Emmeline had no idea what for, but she looped her arm with her cousin’s. Sensing they had made up, Fang relaxed, happily jumping into the air to fly behind them as the girlswalked over to the Rolling Pin Bakery, picking up gooey cinnamon buns.
The bakery was small, with only a table or two, so they stood by the counter, eating inside in the warmth. Luckily, the place wasn’t rushed, and Fang wasn’t fully grown, so the baby dragon hung out by their feet.
“I know you guys only look out for me because you love me, but it can be overbearing, sometimes,” Ginny said, picking apart her cinnamon roll. Her voice was smaller than before.
“When you love someone, you take care of them,” Emmeline said.
“I know, but it shouldn’t get to the point where you’re making the other person afraid,” Ginny said, still looking at her sweet treat. “Or overriding the other person’s autonomy.”
Emmeline nibbled on her lower lip. That was a valid point. “I guess sometimes things get out of hand,” she admitted. “It’s hard to realize when things have gone too far.”
“You can take care of people, but you have to let them make their own decisions, even if you don’t agree,” Ginny said. “Even if it isn’t what you think is best.”
“Since when did you get so wise?” Emmeline asked, picking apart her cinnamon roll.
