Page 31 of Of Steel and Scale

“No,” Mom replied. “Because there’s never been a need. The cliffs are sheer and offer no access points from the sea to assaulting forces.”

“Regular forces, not flighted,” Aric said, “I would suggest the first thing we need to do?—”

“Aric,” my mother cut in tartly, “neither Rion nor I tell you how to run your kingdom. Please provide us the same courtesy.”

He waved a hand. “It was only?—”

“I’m well aware what it was.” She gave him a tight smile. “A recon team was sent up there this morning?—”

“There was?” I said sharply.

Mom glanced at me, frowning. “Why?”

“I’ve sent the queen to the old aerie. If recon goes near her, she’ll kill them.”

“Ah. Send a message to your father, then. They’ll probably have passed the old nesting grounds by now, but better to be safe.”

I nodded and whistled Veri down. After scratching out the note and including the information about both the drakkons and the islands, I fed her another piece of meat and impressed on her the urgent need to find my father.

As she squawked her understanding and flew away, Mom said, “We should be getting back. It’s far too open out here if our aggressors still patrol.”

Aric nodded, but his gaze was on the drakkling. “We might as well collect the ivory first—it would be a shame?—”

“Touch any part of him and I’ll burn your ass,” I ground out harshly.

So much for getting into the good books with my father-in-law.

His gaze narrowed to slits. Dangerous, angry slits of bright blue. “The creature is dead. He has no use for either claws or horns now.”

“I don’t care. You’ll not defile his body.”

Aric snorted. “That will happen soon enough anyway—or do you think the local scavengers will forgo a feast such as this because your feminine sensibilities?—”

“I would not finish that sentence,” Damon said, tone coldly amused. “Because her feminine sensibilities are well armed and very capable of following through with such a threat.”

Aric studied me for a second and then, surprisingly, laughed. “And they’ll certainly be a worthwhile addition to Zephrine’s might.” He switched his gaze to my mom and bowed. “I’ll await your lead on my mount, Marin.”

With that, he turned and walked away. Mom glowered at his back for a second, then glanced at me. “You’ll catch up?”

“Unlikely, given I have no idea how long a drakkling’s body will take to burn.” And no idea what the queen would actually think of me doing so. But it surely had to be a better option than leaving him here for predators to consume, be they animal or human.

“Then I’ll see you in Esan.”

I nodded. Once she’d mounted and they’d all departed, I looked at Damon. “I have to say, your father’s overall response to my threat was unexpected.”

“My father is nothing if not capricious,” Damon said. “It makes life at Zephrine... interesting. As you’ll no doubt discover.”

Something to look forward to, for sure, I thought sourly. “Does that mean you’re intending to stay at Zephrine rather than return to your studies with your mother’s people?”

The smile that touched his lips didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That depends on a number of factors.”

“Am I one of them?”

“Do you want to be?”

“I want many things I can’t have, Damon. You’re in the other category.”

Something I had but didn’t want.

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