Page 95 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

“Very dramatic,” I said, then dusted my hands and looked for a dragon.

Nothing appeared.

Seconds turned to minutes.

There.Kivi’s chin pointed to the sky.

I followed her line of sight and saw a dark smudge in the darkening blue. As it grew closer, everyone started moving back, making more space, just in case.

“Someone likes drama.” I shared a smile with Griffon, and then an idea froze my heart in my chest.

Nine stones. Home. Home of mountain-sized, black dragons…

I couldn’t explain. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t believe it had never occurred to me before! I could have put off this last one, could have made some excuse to wait for another day. I was such an idiot!

Or maybe this creature wasn’t connected to the onyx stone at all! Maybe those dragons and riders had found their way here!

Breathe, Marka. It is only spirit. Breathe.But I could tell Kivi was also shaken by the mere memory of those others.

The beating of its wings was as silent as its landing. The webbing and its chest were red, its eyes black, its body barely double Kivi’s. Though its head was similar to hers, the snout narrowed sharply.

This was no mountain-sized guardian.

It lifted its chin and ethereal fire shot from its snout in an obvious attempt to impress me. When its breath was spent, its chest puffed. Of course, it was a male.

“I am yours, Marka.” Its voice was gravel and ash.

“I appreciate the offer—”

“Not offer. Fact.” He lowered his head, then stretched it toward me. I backed away to keep from touching him accidentally.

Kivi freaked out.Stand your ground! Show no weakness!

I planted my feet despite Griffon tugging on me from behind. When he realized what I was doing, he reversed and brushed past me, to jump between me and the threat. The gold on my arm recognized the danger and within the span of a couple of heartbeats, I was covered from my throat to my ankles.

“Ho. Ly. Shite.” “Did ye see that?” “Nice toy!” “I’ll be blessed!”

My friends made enough of a ruckus to draw the dragon’s attention. It didn’t appreciate being upstaged, let alone thwarted, so it lifted its chin again and sent a steady stream of ghostly fire thirty feet above its head.

While it was thus distracted, I stepped around Griffon, who was surprised but pleased to see my armor. I waved him back and he retreated willingly, with a grin on his face.

I called to the dragon. “If you’re finished, you can be on your way.”

He gasped. “You would dismiss me?”

“I have no power over you. You can dismiss yourself.”

His head came at me again. “Youwillclaim me, Marka.” The beast was within two yards of me when Kivi’s head came between us, stopping the black dragon with a furious hiss. He recoiled and blinked, as if noticing for the first time he wasn’t the only dragon present.

“Go,” Kivi growled. “Go and find someone to make you whole. And when you are, I will find you and I will use your skull to drink your blood.”

The ghost unfurled his blood-colored wings and ascended without taking his eyes off her, without another thought about me. Once the smudge was completely gone from the sky, Kivi chuckled. I felt her glee and laughed too, though I couldn’t say why.

Brave Brian asked.

“He had no need to be cowed,” Kivi said. “He will never be whole. I can never do him damage, just as he can never hurt us. But it was pleasant, Marka, was it not, to see a dark dragon fleeingus…” She realized, too late, that she was speaking aloud. “The little bird acquitted himself well. You should celebrate.”

Griffon didn’t look like celebrating when he gently spun me into his arms. He hadn’t missed a thing. “So, love, tell me. How was your Christmas?”

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