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I stepped over a particularly egregious mud puddle. “He seemed arrogant and full of himself.”

A dry laugh shot from Madigan’s mouth. “You mean, like every other man in Troikana? What did you think of Prince Fenrick?”

“Hmm, handsome to be sure in that wild, feral sort of way, but he seems like a jerk, too. I’m not interested in being a wife to either of them, no matter what title or glass palace comes with it.” I glanced back at Austri and Revel. It was just an involuntary movement really. I hadn’t given it much thought, but my friends took special note of it.

“You love Revel,” Lyric teased. “No one can blame you, but you must know⁠—”

“It’s impossible. Yes, I’ve heard that many times before.” I needed a new topic. I lifted my nose and took a deep whiff. “I think we’re getting closer to the winged stinkers.”

We’d carried along enough sunflower heads for each dragon to have two. It would be a good start on their way back to health. Revel planned to let them feast for a day, and then he’d return tomorrow to start training again. Raina and a few of her friends were sitting around Raina’s kitchen table pulling the seeds free of the remaining heads for planting. People in town saw what we returned with, and it was as if we’d returned with a giant treasure chest of gold. There was even an impromptu celebration, where everyone carried ale, lemonade and baked goods out to the streets to share with neighbors and reminisce about the golden days when the Z-drakes soared through the skies like gold-winged birds. With some luck and hard work, those golden days were not far off again. No one was more excited about the prospect than Revel. It was cute how he was behaving, though I would never call the fierce Valian warrior cute to his face.

We reached the clearing and found the dozen slovenly creatures in about the same smelly disarray as my first visit. Madigan and Lyric were hesitant to walk toward them, but I marched forward confidently. It was the best feeling in the world to finally be the leader of the group. I was always counting on my friends to protect me, and now I could return the favor. The dragons were no threat with my newfound power. I sensed it immediately when the first dragon lifted his heavy, drowsy head to sniff the air for visitors. He sat right up to his haunches and made a low whirring sound, much like a redwing blackbird. The others sat up, too.

“Morning, my friends,” I said cheerily. “We’ve got a surprise for you.” They were about to bow down to one knee, but I waved off the gesture. “No need for that. I’m the one who should bow down to such magnificent creatures.”

Right then, one of them released the loudest, smelliest burp ever produced by a living being.

“Magnificent, my ass. Odin’s blood, that is so foul.” Madigan pulled her cloak up to cover her face. Lyric backed quickly out of the clearing.

Revel and Austri reached the clearing, and the second they were free of the surrounding trees, the dragons hopped up off their haunches and began snorting eagerly. Puffs of smoke eased the smell in the air. Wings began flapping, and the creatures became surprisingly animated.

I looked back at Revel with a smile. “I think you just walked in with the proverbial tray of fresh chocolate cookies,” as I joked, Revel and Austri suddenly looked concerned.

“Uh, now would be a good time for you to use your power,” Austri muttered. He started backing up.

I spun around. The dozen dragons were heading toward us with drool dripping from their snouts. They began swinging combative tails at each other to get to the lion’s bane first. Spurts of burning hot fire shot through the air.

I held up my hand. “Stop right there!”

The chaotic, frantic energy stopped, and the creatures hung their heads in shame at their behavior.

“I know you’re all excited, but we’ll have an orderly line. Each of you will get two heads, and I don’t want to hear about anyone stealing or sneaking off with another’s seeds.” Kya was a particularly stunning dragon, even in this state. Lacy gold wings shimmered with each movement, and his cobalt blue scales looked like rows of precious stones. “Kya, you may get in line first, and the rest of you fall in line behind. And no pushing,” I said in my best teacher’s voice.

Kya lifted his head smugly and walked gracefully to the front of the line. His belly stuck out on each side, and I was sure that as stunning as he looked, he would shine up like a prized jewel with just a little good food and exercise. The dragons cooed and purred like massive reptilian kittens as Revel pulled the sunflower heads free of the sacks. Each dragon waited politely for their treat before trotting eagerly off to eat it.

The five of us stood nearby watching them devour the seeds. They made yum-yum sounds like small children drinking chocolate milk and licked their talons to get every bit. Revel’s cheek creased with a smile. “Damn, Whisper, look at them.” He turned to me and the look he gave me made me want to melt into a puddle. I sighed internally. I didn’t need to give the others any more fodder for their teasing, secretive winks. He didn’t need to say anything. There was already this unspoken deep connection between us, between me and the man I could never be with. Sometimes when fate stepped in, it left a big muddy shoeprint—or in this case, two of them.

Twenty-Two

“Rafi! Rafi! Come see!” Raina was always energetic, but this morning she was a ball of fire.

Like a lazy teen on a Saturday morning, I reluctantly pushed away my warm blankets and sat up. I’d tossed and turned half the night, reworking all the different possible tribunal scenarios in my head.

Raina burst into the room. “You must come. Such a sight to see!”

I shook away the drowsiness and pulled a shawl over my nightgown. I slipped on my boots but didn’t take the time to lace them. Raina was standing out in her front garden. Her neighbor, Beva, stood with her. The two women shielded their eyes as they stared up at the sky—the blue sky, a rare sight to see in Norvale.

Even with the clouds mostly erased, there was a deep chill in the air. I pulled the shawl tighter and stepped out onto the stoop. “What is it? What’s going on?” All the neighbors were out in their yards, some still nibbling their breakfasts and holding steaming cups of tea. The chatter up and down the road was filled with glee.

I looked up at the sky. “It’s very nice today. No clouds. Is that what we’re looking at?” I knew it was unusual to see blue sky, but I wasn’t entirely sure it deserved this much excitement.

“Wait for it.” Raina’s words were dripping with giddy anticipation.

And then a streak of cobalt blue shot across the sky like a comet. Cheers replaced fluttery conversations.

I looked at Raina for confirmation. She knew what my stunned expression was asking.

“Yes, that was Kya and Revel.”