James realizes at the same time because he goes stock-still and raises his hands to Nity in deference. I focus in on the golden scale Hort holds and craft it away, the metal scraping across the cavern floor.
Nity’s eyes follow the skittering gold and then flash back to Hort. Her scales remain black at the moment. There’s still time. We both run.
I slam to a halt between Nity and Hort, right in front of James. James tries to push his way in front of me and I stop him with a hand to his chest. Silence spreads and dread surges as the four of us wait. Until Zilar bounds over to Hort and drops another piece of gold onto his front legs like an offering, like “Here have mine, if the mean girl is going to take yours away.”
When Hort starts chewing, Nity snorts and nestles back down.
“She doesn’t care?” James asks, shocked like me.
I drop my arms, especially the open palm I still have pressed against James. “I guess she doesn’t.”
James bends over, hands on his knees. “That scared me.”
“Me too.” I even out my breathing. We could have been in real trouble there. I’ve never crafted the goldonNity. I’m not sure how long I could hold her, if at all. I wheel on James. “Did you really try to push me out of the way?”
James rises, a guilty look splashed across his face. “Maybe.”
“There is a reason I rushedin frontof you.”
“It was a reflex.”
To protect me. A reflex to try to save me.
James turns to his dragon. “Let’s go, Hort. We’re not going to press our luck and you need a bath.”
Hort finally listens, lumbering after us. But as we reach the entrance of the cave, Hort eyes the puddles again. He reveals his intention a moment before he acts.
“Don’t you dare—” James starts.
Hort pounces on the puddle. Dirty cavern water sprays and soaks James.
I stifle a laugh as James flicks water off his hands. Even like this, he’s handsome. Drenched, but handsome. He turns to me, arms outstretched.
“Don’tyoudare,” I say, stepping back. Yet, my words only seem to spur on the idea. James chases me as Hort continues to splash and soon the babies join in again, prancing around.
It’s all so childish and wonderful. Dragons don’t fully mature until ten years old, and Hort is finally acting his three-year-old self. And maybe for the first time ever, I’m getting to be seventeen. Not obsessing about hiding secrets, just a girl about to enter into her last year of schooling. A girl who has a crush on a boy, who is spinning her around in a wet embrace.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURWHEN YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO BE A GOOD BRIDESMAID
FARREN
James and I have become like parents to the hatchlings. When Shelly visits, she sits and waits for the hatchlings to come to her. Only Oria is too attached to James and the boys are always playing with one another or climbing on me. It takes a few more trips and finally Electrum allows her to cradle him with a piece of gold I crafted.
From the brightness in her eyes I can tell Shelly’s doing better. After the scare the night of the storm and the brief hospital stay, she’s recovered steadily. When James made the recommendation, Dr. Burke supplemented her other medications with silver tea. When I got the news, I couldn’t stop hugging everyone. Even James, who I quickly apologized to. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, “No problem,” but I wasn’t even embarrassed. I have all the more reason to learn to craft silver tea now. I haven’t mastered the technique yet, but I’ll know exactly what to do with a full mug once I have.
Today is another sun-drenched summer afternoon socializing the hatchlings. Electrum with Shelly and Zilar hopping between Jeffrey and me. James sits as far away from me as possible when Jeffrey and Shellyarrive, performing our fake-hating scheme, which means he gets Oria to himself.
James being an awkward length of distance away, keeping to himself, feels wrong. Deep down, I’ve grown used to him here, right next to me as we deal with our dragons. He’s mere feet away but I miss his presence. But I don’t say anything. Jeffrey and Shelly are beyond perceptive. As much as they deny it, they both are matchmakers at heart. If they even see we have become friends, there would be no stopping them. Plus, if I can fool Jeffrey and Shelly, who know me better than anyone, I can keep up this facade. But pretending was so much easier when I didn’t harbor a crush.
Today, though, Shelly has invited me to their wedding planning outing in Forsen. I’m thinking maybe distance and time away from James will be good for me.
“We should leave for town soon,” Jeffrey announces as he rises to his feet and sets Zilar scampering back to his mom.
“Can I come?” James asks from across the cave.
“Of course.” Jeffrey doesn’t hesitate, always including everyone, which is how James snagged an invitation to their wedding even though they’ve only known each other for weeks. It’s become the affair of the summer for the twenty-five or so neighbors who live this far outside of town.
“You know we’re shopping,” I clarify as James joins us.
