Page 74 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

“You make me sound like a pet,” she scoffed, and he laughed. She missed the sound of his chuckle. She hadn’t heard it much since their honeymoon.

“I hate to interrupt,” a voice came from the shadows, but Renya recognized it immediately.

“What is it, Father?”

Cyrus walked closer to the couple, and for the first time, Renya noticed how slowly he was walking. He’d never looked frail before, but at that moment, she realized that he was aging, far more rapidly than he should be. She wondered if it was the constant use of his magic, or from his time in the human world.

“We need to discuss your mother.”

Renya gnashed her teeth. “What about her?”

“I don’t think we can do this without her.”

Renya groaned. “I know. That’s why we’ve brought her along.”

“It’s more than that. I think at some point, we’re going to have to trust her. Give her some freedom. I’m sure you witnessed it, but tonight she saved Sion and Selenia. I have no doubt that without her interference, they would have been lost to us. And I don’t think my powers would have been enough to do anything else.”

Renya chewed the inside of her cheek. She hated the thought of allowing Cressida any amount of freedom, but she had saved them all. No one wanted to discuss her involvement, but it was a fact.

“I’m nervous about the required payment she mentioned, too.” Her eyes returned to Beauty, watching her glide gracefully above the water.

“It’ll be okay,” Cyrus said, and Renya was comforted by his words.

At that moment, Brutus descended from the clouds, landing on the deck with a loud lurch. Cressida was upon his back, looking at them expectantly.

“What do you want?” Renya asked, finally addressing her and allowing the magic binding her tongue to lift.

“Food and water, for one,” she grumbled, able to communicate but still bound to the dragon.

Renya sighed, but before she could move, Grayden touched her shoulder gently and then left the upper deck to go get food and water.

“Your friends are safe,” Cressida said, looking at Renya.

“What do you expect from me? A hardy thank you and a handshake? Saving them was what any decent person would do.” Renya crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot, urging Grayden through their bond to return quickly so her mother could stuff her mouth with food instead of words.

“I could have let them die. But I did not. See how I prove my worth?” Her violet eyes rose with unbridled amusement, almost as if she was baiting Renya for an argument.

“Cressy, just because you can speak doesn’t mean you should,” Cyrus said, sitting down on a barrel next to Renya.

Cressida’s eyes narrowed, watching the old man intently for a few seconds. “Cyrus…you’re…aging.”

“Not the best compliment you’ve given me,” he said, chuckling and wiping his glasses clean using the corner of his vermillion cape.

“It’s…unsettling.”

It was the first time she seemed to acknowledge any kind of feeling towards Cyrus, and Renya instantly picked up on it. Cyrus did, too.

“Awww, so sweet of you to worry over me,” he said, his eyes sparkling despite the darkness of the sky and the lack of light on the ship’s deck. “And here I thought our love affair was over.”

Cressida just sneered and looked at the horizon for a few seconds. Then, she spoke again. “I hope you have enough magic in store for the trials.”

Renya’s ears pricked up immediately. “What of the trials? What do you know?”

“More than I’ve told,” she said simply.

Before she knew what she was doing, Renya had her knife in her hand and as if from nowhere, hot sparks of golden magic rose up before her like a small staircase, lifting her to eye level with her mother. She held the dagger against her mother's throat.

Cressida chortled. “Do you really think you’ll ever be able to do it, daughter? Murder your own mother?”

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