All the air in my lungs whooshed out.
“I think it's your fire starter guy again.” I gestured to what looked like the same crowned figure, now holding a small blade with a red stone against his arm. Blood spilled from the wound as the towering dragon dipped its massive head toward the figure. “It appears the dragon is recognizing the king’s might in this one.”
“That it is.”
“And that small blade. We know where we’ve seen it before.” We’d left it in our suite, not willing to risk losing it.
“I’m not randomly slicing open my arm for whatever dragon comes my way,” Lore said dryly.
“I wouldn’t suggest it.”
He swiped his hand toward the etching. “This does.”
“Maybe you should consider doing it, then.”
“Is this how Tempest bonded with a dragon?”
“She cast a spell. As far as I know, she didn’t gouge a blade into her arm while she did it.”
“I don’t know any spells for something like that,” he said. “And I can’t see how a dragon bond would help me in this situation. Nothing from my past suggests anything with dragons.”
“Except for the fact that everyone believes your crest holds ravens but I, who doesn’t appear to be touched by the curse, sees dragons. We’re missing something here.”
He sighed. “I see what you mean.”
“So, you’ll stab yourself in front of a big dragon with the blade the librarian sent me?”
“If need be,” he grated out through clenched teeth.
“I wonder what will happen then?”
“I’ll bleed.”
“Hmm. If a dragon bows down to you, it might be worth it.”
He lifted his eyebrows.
“What should we do with the ring? I mean, from where I’m standing, it looks like I could stuff it into the depression.”
“Let’s study this some more before you do that.”
We moved around to our original position and stared at the altar again. Lore's fingers hovered over the depression, but I was sure it wasn’t hesitation that kept him from touching. His jaw remained tight as he absorbed every detail.
“This could be related to breaking the rest of the curse,” I said.
He tilted his head my way and blinked.
I released the necklace's clasp and tugged it away from myneck, sliding the ring off before securing the necklace again. The blue stone gleamed in my light as I held it up between us. “I want to try placing it there.”
“Act however you feel guided, Wildfire. I trust you always.”
I held the ring out, the chain swaying gently from my grip.
Straightening, he watched me the way he always did, as if he saw every part of me, with no judgment, only unflinching belief. “We will not falter.”
Sometimes his simple honesty was a greater fluster than any flowery declaration. “Thanks.” My voice came out throaty.
His lips twitched, and he held out a hand, palm up. “I'll do it if you want.”
