Page 82 of Beautiful Beast

Sirrus pulled her to him again, rubbing his palms up and down her spine before he also touched his hand to the stone of the mountain. “Send a runner for Belleo and Mesene. Tell them to come. Bring whatever clothes they’ve constructed for Lena and bring Varí here.”

I went and retrieved pants for us and tossed them to the others. Sirrus barely let go of Lena as he donned them, like he couldn’t bear to not be touching her. I felt the same, but for the fact that if I held her, I might take her and run to the ends of the continent, which wouldn’t make anything better for any of us.

The doors to our chambers opened as I strode into the central room, Idroal coming to a stop from a full run. They were out of breath, looking at all of us with fear. Endre collapsed to his knees, still spent, and braced his fists on the floor. “Where is Soza?”

“What, my lord?”

“WHERE IS SOZA?”

Idroal shook their head. “I do not know.”

“Find her,” I said. “Now. Or someone who knows.”

“What happened?”

Sirrus snarled. “They know. And Siolli is the one who told them.”

The curse which fell from Idroal’s lips almost made me smile because it was so foul. If it had been anything else, I might have laughed. “I’ll find her.”

“Who is Siolli?” Lena asked for the second time.

After the doors closed behind Ideal, I turned to her. “Siolli is Soza’s savan. Her mother.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “How… would she know about me?”

“That’s a good fucking question, isn’t it?” Sirrus snarled.

Endre was still on the ground. Lena went to him and knelt. Touched him on the shoulder. He heaved himself upward and clutched her to his chest, fingers tangled in her hair. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Her hands trembled as she laid them on his back. “Are they going to kill me?”

“I won’t let that happen,” I said, resisting the urge to go to her too. The thought of her dying was unthinkable. Moreso now that Lena was not resigned to her fate. She wanted to live, and she wanted to live with us.

Taking her face in his hands, Endre merely looked at her. There was a world of grief in his gaze, and more than she ever knew. I had to close my eyes.

The magic protecting our chambers shuddered, and I let the requesters through. Belleo and Mesene appeared as we’d asked. The former looked flushed and carried a pile of fabric.

Varí launched himself off Mesene’s shoulder and aimed straight for Lena, curling around her neck and settling under her hair like he knew something was desperately wrong.

“Belleo,” Sirrus said. “Lena will need something for warmth. We fly to Doro Eche as soon as we are able.”

“So soon?”

Idroal appeared, face grim. “Soza is not in the city. She left two days ago, according to Yrre. Your proclamation did not prevent her from leaving, and if Siolli genuinely believed she meant Lena no harm, Soza could have spoken freely.”

Shock and horror rolled over the other dragon’s faces, and Mesene hardened. “What will they do?”

“Nothing.” Sirrus said. “They will do nothing.”

We hoped it was true, but we couldn’t be certain.

I went to Idroal. “Why? Why do they continue on this path when they know what peace has been?” It wasn’t the first time I’d asked such a question, but it was the first time I felt so desperate for any kind of understanding. And until now, Idroal had avoided the questions. Not that we’d been here in Skalisméra to ask them when it truly mattered.

“The human lands are dying,” they said.

Sirrus growled. “That’s not a secret. Nor is it an answer.”

“Isn’t it?” Their face was hard. There was no mirth or sarcasm there. “The humans do not understand, and they did not listen. It cannot be turned back by their hands. Their lands will die, and they will follow, be it a hundred years or a thousand. What does it matter to dragons?”

---