“Even you and Merrick?” I asked, looking up into his face that showed me nothing.
“We're as honest with each other as we can be.”
“That doesn't leave out betrayal.”
“We'll never be malicious. Remember that.”
I nodded, though I wasn't sure I agreed. I didn't sense any malice in Merrick. Lore? I was still unsure about this man sitting close beside me.
“What about that cluster over there?” I pointed.
“The Phoenix and the Serpent. Forever locked in a dance ofrebirth and death. As one rises, the other falls. It’s said each time a phoenix is born, the serpent dies, and their cycle continues endlessly.”
“We could use some rebirth here,” I said, aware of my longing for a fresh start. “More life in this court would be a welcome change.”
Lore turned his head toward me, his eyes glimmering like the stars overhead, only darker. “And that’s exactly what you’re here to do. Bring new light, new energy to our stale world.”
He pointed out other stars, and while I marveled at them and the stories attached to them, I mostly listened to his voice. When he wasn’t snarling or trying to taunt me, I liked him. One could even say my heart was drawn to him at a time like this.
Finally, he stopped pointing out the stars, and I stopped pestering him for more stories, and we sat quietly, absorbing the gentle peace of the night world around us.
“Thank you for returning my sword,” I said.
“You saw it.”
“It’s stunning. Beautiful. Much nicer than it was when it was handed to me years ago.”
“It was nearly worn out. You should’ve replaced it long ago with something better.”
“I couldn’t.” My throat choked off and that familiar wave of grief washed over me. “When we’ve proven ourselves in training by disarming our instructor with a wooden sword, we’re then eligible for a real one.”
“You speak of your training in the border fortress.”
“One of our instructors was fair but brutal. It took my best friend two years to best him.”
“How long did it take you?” He propped his arm on the slate roof behind me, offering it as support for me to lean into if I had the need.
I drew my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, but instead of resting my chin on my knees like I’d intended, I did lean back. I did let him support me. And I liked it even though I could see that friendship with Lore was more dangerous to my heart than his kiss or his touch or his teasing.
“I earned a real sword in eighteen months.” I made no attempt to keep the pride from my voice. Few earned the right that quickly, and why would I want to hide an achievement like that? “The instructor saluted me and told me it was time, that I could go to the armory and pick out a real sword. It has a greater meaning and purpose than just sliding it into a sheath on your spine. Once you’ve earned the right to carry that sword, you ride.”
“Dragons. We used to keep them here. Now we only have a few, old ones we take on long journeys.”
“I miss them more than I thought I would. They’re unique. Special.”
“Then you should be there when the eggs hatch to claim one.”
“Are many born since the other courts killed most of the adults?” I asked.
“A few.”
Then I could claim one, though the thought of doing so made me sad. “They don’t like it, you know.”
“The hatchlings?”
“The dragons.” I glanced up at him before turning my headback to watch the canopy sway in the wind far below. “They love their young and don’t like when we take them and force them to train and obey us.”
“I didn’t know that.”
