“Is that a baby?” Jesse frowned.
“Where?” Rune asked, golden eyes widening.
I turned, orienting on the sound. It came from a collapsed section of what had once been a centaur family’s home. The stone and wood had collapsed haphazardly, like a wall had been blown in and then deliberately piled back.
I crossed the space in a few strides, Rune rushing behind me.
Up close, I could see that this wasn’t a random collapse. The rubble had beenarranged. Someone had tried to hide something orsomeone.
The crying got louder as I approached.
“Help me,” I said, already digging my hands into the largest piece of rock.
Rune moved in on one side as I took the other.
“On three,” I ordered, feeling myself overcome with worry for the baby underneath it. “One, two…”
We heaved.
The chunk of stone came up with a groan as dust showered down, and we tossed it safely to the side. Underneath, nestled in a makeshift hollow lined with torn blankets, was a small bundle.
The crying broke off into hiccups as light hit the infant’s face.
It was a baby that was maybe two weeks old, atmost. Warm, brown eyes squeezed shut against the brightness, and a thin wisp of blond hair plastered to his head with sweat. Tiny fists waved in the air, as if he were trying to find comfort.
Every protective instinct in me roared.
“Oh myFates,” Rune whispered, hand flying to her mouth. “Jesper…”
I dropped to my knees and slid my arms under the bundle, lifting him as gently as I knew how. He fit in the bend of one arm, impossibly small, heartbreakingly so.
A faint plume of heat puffed against my forearm as he hiccuped.
He was afiredrake.
“They hid him,” I said quietly, throat tight. “His parents must’ve hid him. They put him under the rubble so the humans wouldn’t find him.”
The surrounding wreckage told the rest of the story. Centaur bodies lay near the house, thrown down like discarded dolls, their positions angled toward the rubble. Protecting it.
My chest squeezed.
“You’re right,” Rune murmured, picking up a note that was underneath him. “It says they hid him. Humans were attacking. They pleaded for whoever found him to give him a good home.”
“Then we must,” I whispered.
The baby squinted up at me, then let out a little squeak.
Rune stepped closer. “He’s beautiful.”
“He’s a miracle,” I corrected, my voice rough. “And he’s not going into council custody to be passed around like a case file.”
Her lips curved. “I know that look. You’ve already decided who to give him to, haven’t you?”
“I know exactly who would treat him right,” I agreed, thinking of my aunt who had been spending her days drowning in grief. “Someone who needs him as much as he needs them.”
Her eyes warmed as love shot down the bond. “You’re giving him to Maelis.”
Heat burned my cheeks as I nodded. “Well. I was going to phrase it more professionally, but yes.”
