Page 74 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
And he says nothing out loud or in my head, but I somehow know not to speak.
The Riverwood choices stand in a line facing the Joywoodpicks—Ellowyn’s mother, Tanith, and mine in a sort of face-off—and then the seventh choice, calm Corinne, makes them a circle. They begin the simple containment spell, joining hands and chanting the familiar words together.
Easy but effective words. A good, clean spell. Magic swirls in the air, and I want tosob.
Notsobbing hurts, like that horrible burning all over again, but this is nothing a Healer can cure. This is witch justice, exactlyas we promised, and Goddess help me, but Ihateit.
Azrael squeezes my neck, then reaches down to move the ring around my index finger.Be safe, Georgina.
And then he’s gone. Not in some grand puff of smoke, nothing dramatic or dragony.
Just nothereanymore.
Imprisoned, once again.
All because he saved me.
19
“Georgie—”
But I’m not listening to Emerson or anyone else who calls my name just now.
I immediately fly across the river to the cemetery. Most of the coven are right behind me, but Emerson has to stay and dealwith an angry mob. I’m sure I’ll feel bad for ditching her and leaving her to it later.
Maybe.
I land outside the cemetery with the determination todosomethingpounding in me—
But I stop short.
Because just behind the iron gate marking the entrance to the cemetery, where there are usually a few trees, there is nowagiantdragon statue. As if he’s guarding the entrance to the local dead, and it’s suitably terrifying. It’s a gigantic displayof stone, showing off towering teeth and sharp claws.
It ismeantto terrify.
“Those assholes.” But there’s barely any heat behind it. That’s how truly outraged I am.
Zander lands beside me and shakes his head. “That’s a bit much.”
“A very purposeful bit much,” I return darkly. “I can’t believe...”
But I don’t have words for all the things I can’t believe. I want tocrythat he’s stuck again.Cursed.Because he revealed himself to save me, which feels like a kind of deep echo inside me, like he’s done just that before.Then, as now, because people want to see the worst in him.
And in everything, no matter how much we work to try to make things better.
Because, in this time, the damned Joywood makes sure of it.
Even now when they shouldn’t be any kind of a factor.
I move toward the statue then. But before I can put my hands on it, the mass of stone... shakes a little. Like it is havingits own quiet earthquake.
And then Azrael, in man form, appears at the side of the stone.
Relief swamps so deep, my knees almost give out. “You can get around the spell.”
“Not exactly,” he says, pausing at the cemetery gates. “The statue isn’t my confinement. The cemetery is.”
His eyes are gold and on mine in a way that feels like a touch. I take a breath. Then I make myself take stock. Not of whatI feared across the river, but what is happeninghere.Azrael can’t leave the cemetery grounds. That’s not great, but it’s better than being stuck in a statue, unable to communicate.
