Page 44 of Fae Reckoning

I nodded and continued to pet Saffron. His purrs were a balm to my ragged edges. “So then once we find a way to disconnect them from her, in theory, when she’s no longer draining them, they should be able to recover their strength.”

“Aye. In theory. Assuming they survive till then. Assumin’ they still got more essence to draw on. Don’t know how that all works. Does it replenish? Or do we only get so much, and when it’s gone, ‘tis gone?”

My unwilling stare traveled to the closest male. His face was so sallow he already looked dead.

Edsel sighed heavily; his barrel chest visibly inflated before emptying. “Not sure some of ‘em will make it much longer.”

My eyes jerked to his. “‘Cause they got crushed?”

“‘Cause they were already fragile as a fly’s wings when we got here. The tree ain’t helped none. But it would’ve only been a matter of time. They’re worse off than Ramana and the other four. And I already thought they were as bad off as ye could get and still be in the Mirror World ‘stead o’ the Etherlands.”

Feeling a deep melancholy settle inside me, I asked, “How many are on the verge of dying?”

He peered behind him at his patients. Strewn side by side as the lanky, wan fae were, they resembled a mass burial site. When he looked back at me, the lines of his face deepened into mournful crags.

“Don’t right know, girly. Five. Maybe more.”

“Five … or more?” I repeated, struggling to absorb the number. How many more would die before we put an end to the queen?

“I’m doin’ all I can to help ’em, but there ain’t much I can do. Not till we sever the queen’s connection. Till then, they won’t get better.”

“Like the—shit!” I straightened abruptly, startling Saffron, who stared up at me with wide, guileless eyes as if trying to figure out if he should be frightened or not. I kissed him on the snout even as dread surged through me, leaving my skin tingling.

Beckoning Pru over, Edsel sat straight as a battle sword too. “What is it, girly? What’s wrong now?”

I swiveled this way and that, searching beyond the trees.

In seconds, Pru was crouching at Edsel’s side, eyeing me. “Does Granddoody need something? Some water?”

He held up his hand. “Elowyn, what is it?” he insisted.

“I…” I sighed out a lament so heavy that he stood to draw closer, Pru right beside him. “I only just realized all the dragons from the cells in the dungeon didn’t make the trip with us. I have no idea how I could’ve missed it before. I even noticed the green dragon. But not them.”How could I have? How could I have betrayed them like that?Not only had I let them down, I’d remembered them dead last. As if they meant nothing. As if their suffering were unimportant.

Tearsstinging my eyes, I blinked at Pru as she rested her hand on my shoulder. Saffron nipped at her playfully, and shetskedat him, shaking her head. With me seated on a low stump and her standing, our faces lined up.

“Elowyn,” she started, finally seeing me not as hermistressbut her friend, and my tears welled. She squeezed my shoulder. “Elowyn has too much to remember. Pru doesn’t, only Mistress and little Saffron and Granddoody, and Pru didn’t notice either. Elowyn can’t do everything all alone. We … we need each other.”

Despite the dragons I’d doomed to a horrible fate, I offered her a wobbly smile. “I definitely need you, Pru.”

Edsel gasped. From the gruff goblin, it sounded a bit like a belch. How viciously he’d once insisted his gran’gobbler and I couldn’t be friends.

I unwound a hand from the dragonling to pat Pru’s. “My life has gotten better since I met you.”

She sniffled.

“Okay,” I amended. “I should probably be a little more accurate. My life’s been total and absolute shit since I met you. But of course that part’s got nothing to do with you. There’ve been beautiful, shining bright spots amid the steaming, stinky pile of shit, and you’re one of them.”

She snuffled and nodded like her head was on a swivel, her dark, pupil-less eyes glistening. “Elowyn is good,” she said in a croak. “Good, good. Good to goblins.”

I smiled and patted her hand some more. “That’s becauseyouare good, Pru.”

This time, when I heard a sniffle, I was surprised to find it came from Edsel. When I looked at him, he quickly glanced away.

“Now.” I pushed myself to standing. My spine was stiff, the backs of my legs tight. Just as soon as I recovered fully, and, you know, the murdery queen wasn’t on our tails, I was going to dedicate myself to my training again. My body missed the regular movement. “I need to go talk with Einar.” At Edsel’s raised brows, I clarified. “The black dragon.”

“Ah.”

“Then Azariah. And then, well, pretty much everyone else.”

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