“The claiming can break that hold.” Selene’s voice is careful. Gentle. “When a Fire-Bringer bonds with a dragon—really bonds, through the claiming ritual—it severs any other magical claims. That’s part of why Valdris’s followers target unclaimed Fire-Bringers specifically. We’re vulnerable until we’re not.”
I file that information away. Don’t respond to it directly.
“If Valdris needs Fire-Bringer blood to break free,” I say instead, “and Fire-Bringers are rare, then I’m not her only target. There must be others—women who don’t know what they are, who have no Brotherhood to protect them. If we could identify them before Valdris’s people do?—“
“We’ve discussed that.” Selene leans forward, interest sharpening her features. “Auren’s been trying to trace bloodlines, but the records are a mess. Incomplete, scattered across centuries.”
“What about working backward?” The analytical part of my brain—the part that’s been running in circles for three days with nothing useful to analyze—finally finds traction. “Not looking for bloodlines, but for patterns. Unexplained disappearances. Missing persons cases with strange circumstances. If Valdris has been hunting Fire-Bringers for years—decades—there might be a trail.”
“That’s actually brilliant.”
“It’s basic epidemiology. Track the outbreak to find the source.” I shrug. “I used it once to trace a parvo outbreak through six kennels. Same principle.”
“You’re comparing ancient blood magic to dog diseases.”
“Patterns are patterns. The scale changes; the method doesn’t.”
Her grin returns, wider than before. “Damn, Auren is going to love you. Or hate you. Possibly both. He gets weird when someone else is competent.”
“Is that a warning?”
“It’s a prediction.” She stands, gathering the empty cups. “Come to the war room during the next meeting. Present your idea. The worst he can do is say no.”
“And the best?”
“The best is we find other Fire-Bringers before Valdris does. Save some lives. Prevent an ancient evil from breaking free and destroying everything.” She pauses at the door. “You know, Tuesday stuff.”
I watch her go, something unfamiliar settling in my chest. Not quite hope. But maybe the precursor to it.
Tuesday stuff.
In Cork, Tuesdays meant routine surgeries and wellness checks. Vaccine schedules and dental cleanings. Mrs. Callahan bringing scones.
Now Tuesdays mean war councils, blood magic, and tracking patterns of violence across millennia.
I look at my organized shelves. My color-coded lists. My careful systems that keep the chaos at bay.
Then I pull out a fresh piece of paper and start a new list.
Things I Know About Valdris:
- Ancient dragon tyrant, ~2000 years old
- Imprisoned, not dead
- Four Relics serve as locks on her prison
- Needs Fire-Bringer blood to break free
- Can communicate through rituals—spoke to me directly
- Most devoted general (Veylor) killed—she’ll want revenge
Things I Need to Learn:
- Status of all four Relics
- How many rogues remain loyal to her
