Page 87 of Connor and the Dragons

Connor’s left eyebrow shot up. “Maybe not in those precise words.”

Leo looked Thyren up and down. “Yeah. We can get you to blend in. Beanie, big flannel, work boots. Tell people he’s a guy who does something with concrete. Nobody in San Jose will question a huge guy. They’d rather not risk the ass kicking.”

Kessrin nodded once, curtly. “I thank you for your suggestion, but in the end, the Queen must decide who is allowed to cross through the mirror.”

CHAPTER 26: CONNOR

Kessrin insisted on flying home, a little wobbly, but it turned out setting a shoulder set the dragon’s wing as well. And by the time we got back to Feravael, he seemed all better. I remembered what Oallian had said about magnificent magical healing abilities, and checked Kess anyway, because I was still freaked the fuck out by what had happened.

I could sense that he didn’t want me to make a big deal of it, but I wanted more than anything to drag him back to his apartments and spend the entire afternoon making Oallian check every square inch of his body. Preferably while the three of us were naked, and maybe in a bath.

But before we could even exit the courtyard, Aeldryc appeared. The tall fae woman with him looked Kess up and down. “If I didn’t have a wife, I’d probably be hitting on you, Lord Frost.”

Kessrin huffed. “Connor, this is Vaelith. She has a sense of humor. And her wife, Ilyndra, who made your aetherwoven bracelets. Vaelith, Ilyndra, meet Connor. And you’ve met Oallian, right?” He snatched the clothing from Vaelith and stomped off into a corner.

“Lovely to see you both,” Oallian said with a courtly bow that did not look quite the same naked.

“Vaelith and Ilyndra were at the port city, talking to trade ships coming in from Liminia.”

My heart dropped. “Any word on the dragons?”

Vaelith laughed. “Lots of word on the dragons. Apparently your dragons caused quite a ruckus. But fortunately, they believe you’re both wild dragons who are hungry for hoard and posed as humans to pull a heist.”

Kessrin stomped back, taking a bundle of clothing and shoving it at a still-naked Oallian, who started dressing right in front of us. “Liminians are not very smart. Any word of a connection to Moerrven?”

Vaelith grinned. “I have a merchant spreading a rumor that Moerrven was also robbed by dragons, albeit in a less dramatic fashion, on the road as he was exploring the countryside for his books, and he was forced to return home because he had no gold left.”

Aeldryc’s jaw ticked. “Let’s hope that holds.”

“It’ll hold,” Vaelith said.

Aeldryc looked skeptical, but turned his attention to me. “So the mirror works? It linked to the mirror in San Jose?”

“Yeah. It seems to have magically adhered to the portal. I believe that means it’s aligned with the location in San Jose where the Liminal Order originally fixed their return portal,” Kessrin said.

“It’s pretty freaky,” I added. “It’s just floating unsupported in the air, right in the spot Oallian marked.”

“But nobody has gone through it?” Aeldryc asked.

“Leo tested its function with a hand, but did not pass all of the way through,” Kessrin said, stepping up to my side, fully clothed. Behind him, Oallian was hopping around, clearly in some sort of battle with his trousers. “Thyren is not letting anyone approach, and the site is closed.”

Aeldryc turned to Kessrin. “I’m told you were injured, Lord Frost? Ilyndra can have a look.”

Kessrin stiffened. “No need. My shoulder was dislocated, but Connor reset it, and dragon flight was enough to heal it.”

“Very well,” Aeldryc said, with a curt nod, then led Vaelith and Ilyndra away, as efficient as ever. I liked that about him. Especially when my primary objective was getting my dragons into a bed and making sure they understood how important they were to me and how sorry I was for any pain I had caused.

We got maybe forty feet towards the apartment before a page rounded the corner at speed and stopped in front of us and bowed to all three of us at once, then backed up, apologizing and picking up the papers he had dropped.

“Her Majesty requests all three of you. Now, if it pleases you.”

“It does not please me,” I said. “It pleases me to take my dragons back to our apartment for a rest.”

“He was trying to be polite,” Oallian whispered, way too loud. “But good on you, not telling him we were hurrying back to fuck.”

The poor page started choking on air, and Oallian clapped him on the back. When he recovered, he wiped at the corner of his eye, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry to get in the way of your, um, plans. But, um. She was very insistent.”

“It’s fine. Lead on.”