Page 29 of Dragon’s Rebel

Chapter 13

There seemed to be nothing left to say. Rebel watched as the group broke up, talking about what they needed to do that day.

“Zane, you and I need to get going on those perimeter wards,” Blaze said. “And maybe some extra interior wards as well. For all we know, he’s going to try to hit our food supply next. Is the kitchen warded?”

Zane frowned in confusion.

Blaze sighed. “You’ve never even been in the kitchen, have you?” she said. “All you care about is that cake comes out of it.”

“Why would I go in the kitchen?” Zane asked. “The zefir do all the… kitchen things.”

Zefir were the magical servants that did all the cooking, cleaning, and other housework for the dragons. Zane said they were air elementals, whatever that meant.

All Rebel knew was that they were invisible, and breezes followed them around. And even though they didn’t have bodies, they still managed to carry things. You’d be going about your business, and suddenly a tray of food or a load of laundry would go floating by. It was spooky.

I don’t think Corwyn would try the kitchens, Thorne said. Too many zefirs. How could he be sure he was sneaking past beings that can’t even be seen? And zefir can’t be corrupted.

“How do you know?” Rebel asked.

The dragons all looked at each other like it had never even occurred to them that would be a question. “Zefir serve dragons,” Zane said finally. “They always have. They show up when a dragon is born, or when they leave their parents and go out on their own.”

“Why?” Tempest asked.

Zane shrugged. “No one knows. Tyr?”

Tyr shook his head. “Not my area of research.”

Thorne said, Do whatever warding you feel is necessary. In the meantime, we need to analyze that toxin and see if we can prepare magical protections against it. Tyr, that is one of your areas of research.

Tyr nodded. “I’ll get on it, along with testing the serum.” He took a vial of poison and one of the serum, and headed for the door.

Thorne added, And give a sample of the toxin to the zefir, and ask them to make sure none of it finds its way into any of our food or water.

“They can do that?” Rebel asked.

Tyr shrugged. “They can identify other substances, like cooking ingredients and cleaning agents. Why not poison?”

Okay then.

Rebel went over to Thorne, who was settling down to read the computer files on the two stolen substances, his claw clicking delicately on the ‘down’ arrow of his keyboard.

She put her hand on his eye ridge. “I’m going to go grab some food and sleep,” she said. “You going to be okay here?”

Of course.

She hesitated. “Don’t do anything crazy,” she said.

Yes. Because that’s me, doing the crazy things all the time. Falling off buildings. Getting chased by hellhounds. I’ll try not to put my life at risk typing things into my computer.

Rebel bumped him on the shoulder, smiling. “You know what I mean.” Like, not taking a serum and possibly killing his dragon while she wasn’t looking.

He raised his head and arched his neck so he could look down on her. I will do what I must, he said simply.

Yeah, that’s what she was afraid of.

“Well, don’t do it alone.” He didn’t answer.

Rebel could feel the adrenalin crash pulling at her, dragging her eyes closed. She needed a nap in the worst way. But before she hit the elevator to go up to her room, she pulled Tempest aside. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked.