Page 74 of Potions & Prejudice
“I’ve got you,” he said, then looked at me in disbelief. “I’ve got her. I’ve actually got her.”
I never knew miniature dragons possessed this kind of strength.
Edgar couldn’t either, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe I did it. I saved someone. Does that make me a hero?”
“Can you fly me back to land now?” Georgie asked, hanging there while Edgar prattled on.
“Oh! Right, yes.” Edgar flapped his wings and flew toward the land, setting Georgie down.
She barreled into me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I let out a breath and held her tight.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I said.
“It was your fault,” she said back.
“That is technically true,” Edgar piped up.
I sighed heavily as Georgie pulled away. “Thanks for saving me,” she said to Edgar. “I guess maybe sometimes you do give good advice.”
I quirked a brow. “And what advice did he give you?”
Edgar started whistling, looking anywhere but me.
“He said that I should come to you for help and maybe you’d surprise me.”
I blinked a few times. Georgie surged forward again, squeezing me tight. “Thank you for saving the firefox and giving it a chance. And thank you for being there for me today.”
My heart squeezed. Maybe I could do this. Maybe I could be what Georgie needed.
“So what else do you do out here? After you stage rescues for helpless creatures?”
Georgie stepped back and narrowed her gaze. “You mean Edgar doesn’t report my every move to you?”
I shot a look at the dragon. “Surprisingly, no. He only comes to me when you’re in danger. Otherwise, he’s remained tight-lipped about all your activities.”
She gave the dragon another approving look. “You’re not so bad after all, Ed.”
“I really prefer Edgar.” He lifted his small snout in the air.
Georgie laughed. “I mainly explore. Did you know there’s a cave of crystals nearby? They’re all different colors.” She gasped. “And I discovered a lair of seeing spiders. Little babies.”
Those were rare, and once they were old enough, if you managed to catch one, it would give you a glimpse of your future.
“You’re quite the adventurer,” I said.
She shrugged. “Everyone at the academy thinks I’m some troublemaker. A rebel.”
I nudged her, knowing what it felt like to not fit in. I never had when I was younger either. “You got it from Mother and Father.”
She eyed me with a smile. “And maybe a little bit from you too.”
I roped an arm around her shoulder. “Alright, now show me this cave of crystals.”
Thirty-Two
ELSPETH
Iwalked through the winding road of Thistlegrove. Businesses lined either side of the dirt road, all of them with moss-covered roofs that added a whimsical element to the town that I didn’t often see in places we visited. There was something so charming about Thistlegrove.
