Fox rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, taking slow breaths. He hated the idea of Sofia confronting the dragons without him, and he kicked himself for even thinking such a thing. She could protect herself, and she’d have Chalia with her. His presence wouldn’t matter.
But he still didn’t want her to have to do this alone.
He wondered if there would come a day when he didn’t feel so insignificant and helpless—a day when he felt he could do something that actually mattered.
“You,” Micael’s voice was loud and sharp, the echo snapping through the cave. Fox turned to look at him, along with every other person. And then they all turned to where he was pointing—at Fox. “Get out here now!”
He didn’t wait for Fox to listen, turning on his heels and storming away. Fox tried to ignore everyone’s stares, watching his every move as he stood and hooked his cloak and furs around his neck. He grabbed his empty weapons belt out of habit.
It was still gray when he exited, but he could feel the morning bite in the air. It was strange how silent the world was. He hadn’t realized how loud the rainforest was until he’d listened to the mountains.
Sofia and Micael were outside, engaging in a silent staring contest. They said nothing as Sofia turned and led them up the slope and around the outcrop of rocks that sheltered the cave from the northern wind. It took a moment to see Chalia there, curled in the snow. Her claws weretucked beneath her head, and it was the most unassuming the creature had ever looked.
“I can’t believe we’re even bothering to entertain this,” Micael said, stopping a few yards away and looking between the dragon and Sofia.
Fox felt his own stomach churning, eyes sweeping over Chalia, looking her over for any sign of sickness or injury.
“What’s going on?” Fox asked, his stomach twisting.
“She’s refusing to fly,” Sofia said. Something in her face made Fox’s eyebrows raise. She looked at him, and he saw it—the barest twitch of her lips. She was holding back a smile. “Unless you come with us.”
Micael’s pulse of anger practically vibrated through the air, his finger jabbing at Sofia. “This is ridiculous.”
Sofia threw up her hands. “Don’t blame me. I had nothing to do with this.”
Micael glared at Fox, and he quickly shook his head, hoping the genuine surprise on his face said enough.
“What did you do?” he asked.
Fox resisted the temptation to step back, keeping his spine straight. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“No one makes me do anything, and this is my decision, Human.”Chalia’s voice was sharp in Fox’s mind, and he saw Micael’s cheek tinge pink.“Pale Scales has the information my people need, and I will bring him to them.”
Fox’s eyes went wide as Chalia stood up, slowly, straightening her neck and stretching her wings until she towered over them all, a shadow across the snow. He saw the dragon he’d first feared—the ancient god that could trample over his human form without a care.
Micael’s body was rigid as he looked up at the dragon, and Fox held his breath, wondering just how stubborn the man would be.
Beside him, even Sofia stood, eyes wide as they flickered between Chalia, Fox, and Micael.
“Fine,” he snapped at last. “I need to give Clarita the update.”
Micael turned back down the slope, disappearing around the rocks back toward the cave. Fox’s knees shuddered, but he didn’t collapse, and when he looked back at Chalia and Sofia, he saw the dragon hadsettled her stance and was now jumping from one foot to the next like a child.
“Ha!”she said.“The grumpy one listened to me!”
Sofia and Fox exchanged glances, and then Sofia was laughing, bright and infectious, loosening something inside of Fox.
“Chalia,” Sofia said between gasps for air. “You shouldn’t have done that!”
“I wanted Pale Scales to come, and the grumpy one needs to learn to listen better.”
Something warm flickered in Fox’s chest at Chalia’s words, and he felt heat behind his eyes. He didn’t know what he’d done to earn her loyalty. If anything, he’d failed her over and over again. He’d failed at saving Eha. He’d failed at saving anyone but himself. But she looked at him, eyes burning with excitement, and he felt something crack inside him.
“Fox?”
Sofia was looking at him, and he blinked, hating the pooling tears.
“Are you okay?”
