Marmal nodded. “That’s what they called it. A human woman traveled through the barn I worked at to buy some of them. She had a few Ithaki companions with her.”
Bile rose in my throat and I suddenly felt sick. A whimper ripped from Liv’s mouth and I reached out and grasped her hand.
We were both thinking the same thing: Who was the human woman Marmal had met?
“What did she look like? The human woman?” I asked.
Demi and Sage lowered their heads as if in reverence. They must have sensed the shock this news brought us.
“She was dressed oddly. In a robe and hair covering. Older woman, maybe in her late fifties or sixties.”
Maz.
Instead of the unbridled rage I expected, a deep sadness bloomed in my heart. Even after all of the evidence against her, I had hoped it was a mistake and that somehow my mentor was innocent. It felt like the death of a mother and grandmother all at once.
“Can you take us to this place? We could do a scouting trip and be back in time for dinner?” Demi said.
Today!
“Ohh yes. Can Pearl fly us?” Sage asked. “I miss adventure. I’m bored being Walsh’s little puppy and following him all over the place.” A pout pulled at her lips.
“Take us there! Right now?” Liv gasped.
On a dragon no less. I grinned. It did sound kind of exciting, and as long as I was back in time for anything Luka needed, I wasn’t exactly abandoning him.
“Can you? Please?” I stepped forward, hoping to show this girl I barely knew how much it would mean to me.
She sighed, looking back at Pearl. The dragon looked into the girl’s eyes and something passed between them. Could they communicate?
“Alright, a quick trip to look. But that’s it. We’re not starting any more wars,” Marmal added.
Demi gave her a lopsided grin. “That, we agree on.”
* * *
Ridingon a dragon was exactly what I thought it would be. Thrilling, terrifying, and kind of freaking cool. Pearl had these tiny horns you could hold on to, and we sat behind her one after the other like we were all riding a giant motorcycle.
“Girl power!” Sage thrust her fist into the air as we flew over the Troll Village lands.
We all laughed and held on tightly, looking around in wonder. Marmal took the time to point out some farm fields and burned-down crops, explaining it used to be her family farm. Demi reached out and squeezed her shoulder in comfort. There was a sadness in Marmal’s voice, but I didn’t ask how it burned down. Only nodded in understanding. Everyone had a story and everyone was fighting an internal battle that most knew nothing about. We flew for over a half hour looking down at the troll villagers. It was cool to see them tilling the fields and exchanging at the market.
They looked like a peaceful people. Much like the Paladins, they seemed to live off the land without any technology or modern conveniences.
Marmal had explained that Pearl had some kind of cloaking magic. I didn’t really understand how it worked, but there was a visible sheen to the air around us, like a bubble we were trapped inside. Pearl swooped low to the ground, passing a few fey as we crossed the border, and they didn’t look up at us, so clearly it masked us from sight.
‘Where are you?’Luka’s voice suddenly blared in my head.‘I had some free time so I thought I would come visit Sawyer and he says he hasn’t seen you.’
Crap.
‘I’m with Demi.’Less information was best right now.
‘Where, Aspen? We checked the Paladin lands. Where exactly are you?’The possessiveness in his voice pissed me off.
‘Why? Afraid I’ll die and you’ll starve?’
He growled in my head. ‘Aspen…’
Whatever, might as well tell the truth, he was going to find out anyway.‘I’m currently flying on a dragon over the Fey Lands.’I dropped the truth bomb and felt him recoil emotionally as shock ran through our bond.
