Page 59 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
I gave him a gentle smile. “Let’s hope so.”
“No, Mommy.” Orion shook his head. “I mean, you’ll really catch them, and then you can get back to hunting the bad dragons.”
He seemed so certain, but he couldn’t possibly know that. Still, I didn’t want to discourage him. “I will do my best.”
He sighed and said nothing more.
We reached the village a short distance from the fortress. Sun dappled the place, glinting from the metal roofs. The buildings were constructed with dark, fire-proof wood, and each had expansive windows for plenty of light since electrical lines didn’t reach this area. At some point, gray gravel rocks had been added to the main road to help keep it even and dry.
People moved everywhere with supplies, food, and other things. I couldn’t remember it ever looking so alive and full of activity—not to mention how happy everyone seemed. War might be coming, but the human refugees from Watonga had reached a place where they could feel safe for a little while, and they didn’t have to worry about food or lack of medicine. Seeing them settling in that well after such a short time relieved me.
Orion and I had almost reached my brother’s house when Elen spotted us across the street and waved. The strong-willed matron wore jeans and a T-shirt, both showing signs of wear and tear, over her plump figure. Her brown-gray hair was plastered with sweat. Had she been cleaning or cooking? Either one could make people work up a sweat quickly with the temperature in the upper eighties.
She’d just stepped out the door of a home, though I didn’t know if it belonged to her. I hadn’t had time to figure out much about how the refugees sorted living quarters.
I waved at the human leader. “Glad to see you’re settling in well.”
“It’s good to see you.” She wagged her finger at me. “I kept waiting for you to visit after we arrived, but you never came.”
It had only been a few days, but I had hoped to see them soon. “Sorry! They’ve got me busy around here, and I haven’t had a chance.”
She didn’t need to know about our human rebel terrorists. I’d catch them soon.
Elen made a dismissive gesture. “Bah! You know what they say about excuses.”
“Hey, Sis,” Paul said, stepping from his two-bedroom home with a small wooden porch at the front. “I see you brought my favorite nephew.”
Relief swept through me at his interruption. I didn’t bother to point out that he had no other nephews and that we’d already arranged this visit. “Orion is ready to help sort out his toys with you when you’re ready.”
Paul tussled the boy’s dark hair and spoke to us in a low whisper, “It will be good to escape the village for a while. This new job is great, but some people are demanding. Hopefully, they’ll be more forgiving with Orion at my side.”
My son did have a way of softening people.
“Oh, good.” Elen moved across the street with purpose. “Just the man I want to see.”
Paul’s face tightened briefly before he managed to smooth his features. The woman glanced at me briefly withconsternation as if she hadn’t finished with me yet, but then she focused her full gaze on my brother.
“We need to organize a duty roster. The streets need cleaning regularly, people are arguing over who has to clean the cow and horse manure, and the women refuse to be the only ones doing the cooking and cleaning. Don’t get me started on figuring out how we can set up some kind of school for the children.” She paused to glance at Orion. “Though that can wait until after things settle down.”
At least she was smart enough to avoid war talk. I understood about the dilemma of cooking and cleaning since there was a communal kitchen at the center of the village. Each home could heat a small meal over a campfire behind their houses, but it was easier to use the larger facility that had special cook stoves and ovens—fueled by magic in a way I didn’t understand.
Paul’s eyebrows drew together. “Can’t you set up a roster similar to what you had in your former town?”
“If only it were that easy.” She put her hands on her generous hips and huffed. “Suddenly, everyone wants to change jobs—except a few decent individuals—and no one will agree on a way to balance it out. I’m through with it and handing the job off to you.”
I patted Paul’s arm. “I have every confidence in you, brother.”
He gave me a mutinous look.
“Bailey!” a familiar Irish-lilted voice called from down the road.
I turned my gaze in that direction and caught sight of a woman in her mid-forties with brown hair tinged with gray. She had a confident stride as she walked toward us. Despite the fact she’d been helpful to me in more recent times, I still had to fight the urge to cringe whenever I saw her. She’d manipulated me more than once and messed with my mind.
“Hello, Verena,” I said as the powerful sorceress reached us.
She didn’t spare the others a glance. “You must gather a team and come quickly.”
“For what?” I asked, tensing at the note of urgency in her voice.
