Page 113 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
But it isn’t water, really, and it evolves into a woman.
Melisande the mermaid is standing in front of us. Her green eyes sparkle like emeralds. She’s breathtakingly beautiful, andsomehow flesh and blood. She has wild hair that even outdoes mine. She’s dressed in shells, and her long tail looks sleekand shimmery.
It’s amazing that these things can still surprise me.
“You...” But I don’t have the words. Did I really uncurse more than just Azrael all those weeks ago? I look up at the chandelier.“But...”
“Oh, I haven’t stayed in there. I’ve just been careful about coming and going.” She waves an elegant hand. “I wasn’t aboutto let Azrael know I was free too. God knows what idiotic scheme he’d drag me into.” She flashes a flirtatious grin at Jacob.“Dragons.Always scheming.”
But for long moments, none of us can seem to find our words.
She studies each of us in turn. “He hasn’t been around much, so I figure it’s safe to tell you that you’re right. At least,I think you must be. I felt the locks of the curse fall off me when Azrael exploded out of that newel post. The only differencebetween that day and any other day was the princess reading the book to her dragon.”
That categorization—me as the princess, the fact this mermaid called himmydragon—is a piercing pain in my heart, but I’m getting used to those by now.
Even Emerson is largely speechless.
“I don’t trust dragons,” Melisande continues, eyeing the newel post with a sneer. “But I’ve seen enough of the Riverwood covento trustyou.” She’s back to smiling brightly at us. Gorgeous and effervescent, and magnificently breasted, shells or no shells. “If youfree my people, and not just dragons and crows, we’ll stand with you.Allthe river creatures listen to me.”
There’s something about her that’s so mesmerizing, none of us say anything. We’re juststaring.
As if that is nothing but her due, she inclines her head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a swim.”
And she just... disappears.
“Did that really happen?” Jacob asks after a few moments of continuing shocked silence.
Emerson shakes her head, as if to shake away a lingering spell. “Yes. And she confirmed my idea, so I think I like her.” Shenods then, decisively, a sure indication that she’s taking this as a good sign. Then she smiles at me. “Good luck at the archivestoday, Georgie. And get ready for a wedding-planning-all-night kind of night. Don’t worry, I should have a binder to you bylunch.”
Then she’s out the door and off to the bookstore. Yet I have no doubt she’ll come up with a wedding binder, run her store,and handle any number of St. Cyprian and witchdom-related issues before noon. That’s Emerson.
“I was skeptical, but if the mermaid thinks it will work, who am I to argue?” Jacob laughs from beside me.
As if that’sthat.
Then he’s off too, and I am standing in the foyer where I unleashed a dragon. And apparently a mermaid as well.
We have the crows, if we can free them.
We have a mermaid, and supposedly all the river creatures, if we can break their curses.
Maybe we don’t need a dragon, freed or not.
I want to believe that.
But I don’t.
And I believe even less that he will come around. Becausehe is steeped in fear, and I realize, in the strangest way it is not unlike my mother. Who wanted me to shrink and hide and never bespecial. Now Azrael wants the same, so I’m not hurt or targeted or betrayed orworse.
But I won’t do it. That’s the thing I realize as I stand in this foyer that is now empty of everything magical but me. Itdoesn’t matter what the reasons are.
I won’t shrink myself ever again.
29
It is no surprise that Emerson is a miracle worker. She always has been, though what she pulls off this time is truly next-level,even for her.
The night before solstice, everything is ready as if she’s been planning it for ten years. She has a gorgeous white dressand veil. We have bridesmaids’ dresses that fit us perfectly, and the men all have their suits and ties and shoes. Main Streetis decked out in its usual winter holiday decorations, plus what Emerson is calling herwinter white theme.
