Page 84 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
With a longsuffering sigh, Sinder took the thermos and tooka long swallow. Then another. “Bauble my halls, Timur. You’re better at thisstuff than my own mother.”
Timur simply tugged at Sinder’s eyelids, checking hispupils, and ordered, “Every drop.”
“Heard you the first time.” But Sinder was smiling now. The restorativemust have been especially potent. Mikoto had to wonder if Merl would want therecipe.
Not until the dose was more than half-downed did Sinderspeak again, this time to Kyrie. “Did you save up any questions for me?”
“Yes.” The boy came to sit before Sinder and Mikoto,creating a triangle that didn’t exclude anyone. “Will I have a tail when I getolder?”
Sinder took another mouthful while pondering his answer. “Hornsand antlers and every kind of spike and ridge can come in as a dragon ages. Buttails are different. If you were meant to have a tail, I think you would havebeen born with one.”
Kyrie bounced right to his next question. Although it wasmore of a remark. “Lapis has wings.”
“And …?”
“You do not.”
“Yet.” Sinder kept his gaze fixed on the steam rising fromhis dose. “I aspire to wings.”
“How old do you have to be?” asked Kyrie.
“While horns and the like come with age, wings are a matterof power. Given your markings, I think you can hold out some hope. Especiallysince you live in close proximity to so many potent souls.” Sinder asked, “Haven’tyou ever undergone some kind of assessment?”
“There is no need. I am in good health.” Kyrie glanced at Ginkgobefore adding, “Dad does not approve of the kinds of tests people propose. Reaversare curious about crossers, but not for the right reasons.”
Sinder made a derisive sound. “There’s a big differencebetween learning more about your inheritances and being turned into a testsubject.”
“Yes. Exactly.” Kyrie explained, “Many crossers are fosteredat Stately House.”
“I know. I’ve been there.” Sinder smiled around another slowsip.
“But …!” The boy plucked at his sleeve. “When?”
“You were still a baby. I only held you once.” With a smallshrug, he admitted, “I was all awkward, and your father wassolooming. Youliked my partner better.”
Kyrie turned to ask Ginkgo, “You knew Sinder?”
“Nope. Not to speak to.” The half-fox said, “Dad has hisshare of secrets. Usually, he’s protecting somebody, so I try not to meddle.Much.”
Mikoto would have liked to ask a few questions of his own,but this was Kyrie’s moment. So he held his peace and held his puppy. Noble washappy enough to have so much of his attention.
“Are we related?” asked Kyrie. “Even a little?”
“Not closely, but that doesn’t really matter. By the customof our clans, we are dragons of the heights, and that makes us brothers.”
“Lapis has a home on a mountain.” Kyrie softly added, “Ithought it was because he liked stars.”
Sinder’s brows arched. “Perhaps he does.”
“I … do not think that is the reason.”
“Males like Lapis and me are not granted mates. Or moreaccurately, we are not permitted to attract a dragoness, since the generationsbefore ours have gathered harems for themselves.” Sinder drank deeply andsighed. “One in five become fathers. They are the strongest and best, so theirsons and daughters are also strong.”
“You cannot have a family?”
Sinder shook his head. “My family is made up of a smallbrotherhood of celibate dragons.” His voice took on a lilting quality. “TheFathers are strong, but the brothers are not weak. We are learners or healersor crafters or questers. We keep all our clans’ stories and sing all our clans’songs.”
“Lapis says he is a scholar.”
