Cassian moved from one to the other, dropping his scale into each one until they were all vanished. By the time he plucked his scale from the last empty depression, the plate was blackened like it had been scorched.
I joined him at his last work and nodded at the scale. “Is that the magic of the nethral working against yours?”
“Yes,” he mused as he lifted the scale and studied the scorch marks. “A few more puddles, and this would have been destroyed.”
“Are dragon scales really hard?”
“One of the hardest substances known to the kingdoms,” he told me as he tucked the remains of the scale into his pocket. “And made of very potent magic.”
I looked him over. “Does that mean you can do magic? Like breathing fire and such?”
He chuckled as he plucked one of the dimming rocks from the cold floor. “I have my gifts.”
I puckered my face into a pout. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
He straightened and grinned down at me. “I must keep some mystery around myself, my dear bride, or you may tire of your boring husband.”
One of the glowing stones puffed out completely, plunging a part of the cave into darkness. I shivered and tightened his coat around me. “I’m definitely getting tired of this place.”
“Then we shall leave at once.”
Cassian scooped up the last of the stones and helped me up the stairs. The sun had continued its journey across the sky and now aimed itself toward the far horizon. We found Niveus standing among the remains of the grass, his stomach full and his patience waning. He pawed his good front hoof against the ground.
Cassian cupped his chin in one hand and stroked his nose. “Yes, yes, we’ll be off, and we’ll ride you only across the stream.”
“Will we still make it to the inn tomorrow?” I asked him as he helped me into the saddle.
“With a bit of luck, we’ll see its windows before sunset,” he told me as he dropped in behind me.
We crossed the stream and immediately dismounted, much to Niveus’s relief. He didn’t limp, but even I noticed he avoided putting weight on the injured leg whenever he could manage. We continued on foot back to the road and followed that until the sun dipped below the horizon.
Our luck changed when we came upon a driveway that led to a small farmhouse and a large barn. Cassian stopped us and studied the place. “We should inquire here if they have any rooms for us. Otherwise, we’ll be forced into the open for the night.”
I looked up at the clear, darkening sky and shivered. “I’d take anything at this point.”
Chapter 27
“You’ll take the hay loft.”
That was the pronouncement from the farmer who greeted us at the door to the little farmhouse. He was a man of forty with a gruff demeanor and a petite wife. His rough overalls showed the long day’s work, and his beard was flecked with the straw that hinted at our soon-to-be bed.
Cassian smiled and bowed his head. “That’s most generous of you, sir.”
The farmer plucked a gas lamp off the interior wall to his right and nodded at the barn. “Follow me.”
The warm barn smelled of sweet hay and soft grains. The animals in the stalls looked up from their chewing long enough to give us indifferent looks before returning to their supper. Niveus whinnied at a particularly pretty filly, who countered his call with a flip of her mane.
The farmer led us over to a ladder, where he stopped and raised the lantern up the rungs. “You can stay up there for the night, but mind you, no candles or the like.”
Cassian smiled and bowed his head. “Of course.”
Our host looked us up and down. “You got any food or drink on ya?”
“We have food enough, but nothing to drink,” Cassian replied as he took my hand and guided me to the ladder.
“Then wait a moment before you go up, sir,” the farmer requested.
He hung up the lantern on a nearby hook and hurried out of the barn. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, but Cassian squeezed my hand. “We have nothing to fear from him.”
