Page 93 of Of Scale and Blood

I stopped in front of Kele and Hannity. They looked as crappy as I felt, which in some ways was comforting.

“Before you ask, I feel like I’ve been trampled by a herd of capra,” Kele said. “Who fucking knew the mere act of breathing could hurt so much?”

“You’ve obviously never broken ribs.” I glanced at Hannity. “And you?”

She grinned. “I can hear Rua. I cantalkto her. Who cares if every bit of me is screaming in pain?”

“I care,” Kele said. “Especially when I can’t reach my fire. I hit a wall of pain every time I try.”

“Apparently our ‘essences’ have to heal before we’ll know if the transference really worked or not, and that may take twenty-four hours or more,” I said. “In the meantime, we should get back to Esan and see what has happened while we’ve been gone.”

“If they’d been attacked, we would have seen the smoke, at the very least.” Hannity’s gaze was on the aerie’s entry. “But dawn rises, and the sky is clear.”

I glanced over my shoulder. She was right, but that didn’t help the deep-down uneasiness. “Kele, you lead. Hannity, keep close to our witches. I’ll take rear guard.”

Kele frowned. “Why the cautiousness? No one is going to attack us in the aerie, and the drakkons are no danger.”

“I know. I just—” I stopped and shrugged.

Kele grimaced and glanced at Hannity. “Meaning, her gut is telling her trouble is closing in.”

Hannity’s eyebrows rose, amusement lurking. “And is her gut generally right?”

“Sadly, yes.” She saluted me lightly, then gathered the now empty packs that had held the smoked white fin and headed across the vast, still-shadowed emptiness, making her way toward the ramp. Hannity walked over to the witches and asked them to follow her, then followed Kele across the aerie. I watched for a second, then walked to the very edge of the aerie’s entrance, one hand on the wall to steady myself as the wind tugged at my hair and limbs. Esan glistened like a black jewel far below me, but in Mareritten, dust rose. They were on the move—and Esan would not see them. Not even the war room, lined as it was with long viewing tubes, could see that far into their lands.

The death I’d dreamed of was coming.

I needed to get home and warn my father.

I spun on my heel and headed for the exit ramp. The ruddy glow of the sands in the bottom cavern lent the air a deep warmth, but there was a chill growing inside of me now, and it was all I could do not to push into a run. The Prioress had warned me not to do anything strenuous, and the last thing I needed was to endanger the healing and perhaps destroy the bonding.

Could it be destroyed, without destroying us both?

I didn’t know, and I certainly didn’t want to find out.

But not knowing how well it had—or hadn’t—worked was so damnfrustrating.

I flexed my fingers, but no fire warmed their tips. I yet again reached for my flames, and yet again hit that wall of pain. I swore and closed my eyes, breathing slow and deep until the pain fractured and slipped away. Maybe it was my imagination, but that seemed to happen a whole lot faster this time than it had only minutes ago.

We reached the breeding cavern, and Gria ambled over for her ridge scratch. I complied but could see the confusion flicker through her eyes. Once again, a deep sense of loss swept me. I didn’t regret the decision I’d made, because it was necessary and needed, and yet... I gulped and glanced at Kaia.Have you told her the spell that shared my fire took my ability to speak to her?

Have. Said she wants fire, but also wants to speak.Should still understand your talk because we kin.

And there was only one way to test that.... “You’ll be able to speak to your own rider, Gria, if that’s what you want when you’re older.”

Wants, came Kaia’s amused reply.

I glanced at her again.Will the other drakkons?

Five more come.

Which would give us eight fire-breathing drakkonsifwe could find more stregas willing to become kin. Presuming, of course, the spell did work as it was intended. I scratched Gria’s eye ridge a final time, then hurried after the other women. But as I neared the tunnel, I spotted the harness hanging on the wall, and instinct twitched.

I stopped. “Kaia, would you mind terribly if I put the harness on you?”

Why necessary?

“The Mareritt are coming—I saw the dust of their movement rising from the upper cavern—and we may not have time to get back up here. If you’re wearing the harness, you can come to us.”

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