Page 17 of A Dawn of Gods & Fury

“A lot of good that’ll do.” I move around his back but stay there. Maybe that is a warning not to come any closer. “Caindra?”

Her lips unfurl to show fangs. She swings her mammoth head toward the smaller dragon and issues a warning snarl in response.

Long beats pass and then the orange and green dragons sink forward and dip their heads toward the ground.

Jarek shakes his head and whispers more to himself, “That is as good a bow as you’ll get from such a beast.”

Behind us, horse hooves pound with approaching riders. “Romeria!” Zander shouts, charging toward me, Abarrane on his heels.

The orange beast’s head swings in that direction and a low rumble vibrates inside my chest with its growl.

I rush forward, my hands in the air. “He’s with me! He’s with me!” Can it understand me as Caindra does?

Zander leaps off his horse and runs toward me, freezing when I hold up my palm to stall him.

Another few beats pass, and the orange dragon dismisses him, returning its attention to Caindra.

Slowly, Zander approaches my side.

“How is Lord Telor?” I ask.

“I … he …” Zander stumbles over his words, caught off guard by the question. “Still breathing. The caster claims there are traces of a powerful caster’s affinities within him. Yours, I assume, from when you healed him. She believes that is what has kept him alive this long.” His wide-eyed gaze drifts over the beasts in front of us. “I heard the commotion and rushed here. There are three of them now.”

“I know. Isn’t it amazing?”

Zander glares with accusation at Jarek. “And your Legion commander allowed you this close to them without a shred of your affinities intact?”

“There he goes again with that word allowed,” Jarek mutters.

I ignore their bickering. “I think they know each other.” Maybe more than know.

“That is a welcome thing. I would not want that orange one as her enemy.”

We watch as Caindra and the others take turns bumping each other with their snouts, like long-lost friends, reunited.

“You know what this means, right?” I can’t help my broad smile. “We have three dragons on our side now.”

“We have three dragons,” Zander echoes. He checks the sun in the sky. “And the timing for their arrival could not be better. We have much to do.”

“I need to go to Mordain.” I give him a rushed version of what we just learned from Solange and Agatha, who hang back with the others.

“I agree. We need to go to Mordain,” Zander counters. “But there is little you can do until you have regained use of your affinities—”

“But she’s going to—”

“And even less we can do for those scribes without a solid plan,” Zander cuts me off, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. He steps forward, settling his hands on my shoulders as if he’s about to deliver unwelcome news. “Right now, you must go with Caindra to Ulysede, Romeria, to rest and learn what you can of these nymphs. They could prove more helpful to us yet.”

“Or they could cause her great harm,” Jarek counters, his expression dark.

“Prophecy has made her their queen,” Zander answers crisply. He doesn’t like being challenged by anyone, but especially not the male who spends more time with me than even he does. “They built and hid an entire city for her protection.”

“And left it in the ward of a devious serpent who plays mind games. I do not like this plan.” Jarek emphasizes that with a headshake.

“And I do not care what you like. She will be safer there than anywhere else. Especially with you to protect her, legionary.”

Jarek’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t respond.

“If you two are done deciding where I should go … What about you? It doesn’t sound like you’re coming with me.” I can’t help the forlorn tone in my voice.

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