What is he doing?I murmured.
Nyxaris inhaled sharply, in a loud puff somewhere between a growl and a gasp.He is...reminding me. These creatures—they cared for us once. Tended our eggs. Helped heal our wounds. They soothed us. My last rider... She had one. The three of us were...very close.
I stared at the black dragon, shocked that he had finally shared something about his last rider.
Neville pressed his tiny head against Nyxaris’s scales and the dragon seemed to shudder.
They were bonded to us as much as our riders were,Nyxaris continued, a tremble in his voice.When we burned too hot, they calmed us. When we bled, they sang us whole. They were...true companions.
Neville suddenly leaped from Nyxari’s foot and returned to Florence. Gently he stepped up onto her body, curling up on her stomach below where Theo’s hands were still placed. His hum deepened as he pressed his tiny form against hers.
Nyxaris’s head tilted abruptly.You dare to scold me, little one?
I blinked.What? Can Neville speak to you?
Neville?Nyxaris sounded amused.Is that his name? No, he does not speak to me. Not in words like you do. But his thoughts are clear enough. He thinks me stubborn.The dragon’s tail lashed the ground and I jumped.He calls me heartless.
Neville let out a soft trill that could only be described as reproachful.
The dragon sighed, the sound rumbling through the courtyard.I am stubborn. But loyalty and sentimentality do not change the facts. You understand nothing of the consequences.
Neville yipped, almost like a reprimand. His wide eyes never left Nyxaris’s face, but his tiny form seemed to puff up.
The audacity of this small thing,Nyxaris grumbled.
Surely if anyone understands the risks, a fluffin would,I said cautiously.After all, you said...
I know what I said,Nyxaris snapped. He let out a heavy sigh.The creature is loyal to the girl.
He is,I agreed quickly.He loves her.I decided not to risk mentioning Neville’s attachment to Blake.Neville is telling you that Florence is worth saving. Please, Nyxaris. Listen to him.
Nyxaris huffed, smoke curling from his nostrils.She may well still die. If this goes awry, it will be on your head.
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or to the fluffin. I held my breath.
Nyxaris’s gaze seemed to soften, ever so slightly as he gazed at Neville and Florence.Very well. So be it.
Relief and fear sped through me in equal measure. I turned to Rodriguez. “Do it.”
THE END