Page 30 of Dragon Awakened

"I say we try it," I tell them all. Rhiannon's smile grows, but Sister Grace's mouth is still pinched. "If you're willing."

Amy lowers her shades and looks to Grace with puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Exhaling, Grace nods. "I will look at the contents of the ritual. If they are not anathema to the spirits of the Gods, then I will be willing to attempt it."

"I knew you'd come around," Amy cheers, placing a kiss on Grace's cheek.

But the wariness in Sister Grace's eyes says she's still a long way from being convinced.

JIANYU

My mate and her friends have decided to join us at Unity's hole-in-the-wall tavern tonight. Freya has promised us safety as well as secrecy in this town, but I'm still wary, even in a private room in the back of the establishment.

I'm not the only one who's on edge.

Sister Grace is sitting with Amy, Ember and a few of the others, but she has little to say tonight. Nursing a cocktail, she's shredded three small, paper napkins to pieces in her lap.

At some point, Amy excuses herself to go to the bathroom. I catch Malik's eye. It is still strange to be conspiring with the man--much less to be grateful to him for distracting our mate. But as he sinks into a seat beside Ember, drawing her attention, I choose the chair next to Grace's.

She starts at my presence, but I smile tightly and shake my head.

"Your Highness," she begins.

"It's just Jianyu, here." It's been just Jianyu since my kingdom turned on me and made me a fugitive.

Grace hums beneath her breath and stirs the little straw in her drink.

Amy will only be in the bathroom for so long. I should move quickly, but the way of the Stone Dragons--the way of our people--is the way of patience. It will not do well to rush.

Sweeping my gaze over the room, I ease into the conversation. "It is strange, is it not? This world?"

Sister Grace chuckles and jabs at the bottom of her glass with the straw. "That is an understatement."

"I used to hate traveling outside the Stone Kingdom. I believed the residents of the other nations to be brash and uncivilized."

I believed them to be our enemies. It was drilled into me from a young age--from the very beginning of the war, when I was told that my friend Rafe had been plotting to make an attempt on my life.

I glance at the man himself, now, standing in the corner, trying not to lose his temper as Freya easily bests him at darts.

He is brash--and borderline uncivilized.

But he is my friend. I have had to put aside so many prejudices to accept him and Malik and all the others who have joined my circle over the course of the past few weeks.

And I'm so glad that I have.

Quietly, Sister Grace admits, "I never traveled beyond the Stone Kingdom at all before..."

She trails off, and I follow her gaze to the door, where Amy is returning. Amy catches sight of us, sitting together here, and she slows her pace, lifting a brow in question. Sister Grace gives the slightest shake of her head.

I let out a breath as Amy slowly changes course to join Rafe and Freya over by the dart board. She keeps half an eye on us, but she gives us some space.

Amy has been waging her own campaign of persuasion on Sister Grace. It has mainly consisted of pleading, and for all I know, it may have worked.

But the dragons and priestesses and sisters of the Great Stone Temple are not easily moved. We are rooted deeply in the earth.

To change our minds requires a shaking of our very foundations.

"There is more beyond the borders of our nation than I ever imagined," I say quietly. "Our ways of doing things are not the only ways. Our beliefs are not the only truth."

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