Page 64 of Dragon Fire

“Come back to bed,” Seth whispered in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe.

“In a minute. I just want to see the dawn,” she whispered back, and he settled down, holding her as they faced the window.

“Is everything all right?” he asked quietly.

She’d woken from a bad dream and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. That happened to her sometimes, and at such times, when she was home, she usually got up and went down to the waterfront, where the fishing fleet was already hard at work at this hour. She would talk to her friends there and sometimes even take out her own little boat, sailing out of the cove with the others as the first rays of the sun hit the water.

Being out on the water calmed her restless soul. She finally made the connection that it must do the same for her father. Perhaps they had more in common than she’d thought.

But this morning, Seth’s arms were having the desired effect. His caring embrace calmed her restless thoughts and allowed her to relax. It also made her brave enough to tell him the truth about her occasional restless sleep.

“I…had a bad dream. I have them a lot, sometimes,” she told him. “And sometimes…the events I see actually do come to pass, though not always in the way I interpreted them from the dreams.”

Seth turned her in his arms, looking deep into her eyes. “Do you have the gift?” he asked, serious suddenly. Thank the stars he wasn’t laughing at her.

She began to shake her head, but then thought about everything she’d heard about her mother…and her mother’s family. “I don’t know. It’s said…my great-great-granny did, though of course, I never knew her. I’m not even sure that it’s not just a tall tale. But I get these dreams…” She shook her head in full this time. “They’ve been getting worse as I get older.”

“What did you see this morning?” Seth asked in a concerned tone, his hands on her shoulders, rubbing light circles, trying to comfort her.

She scrunched her eyes shut, seeing the bizarre images that had disturbed her sleep so greatly.

“Feathers and fire,” she whispered. “Fire and feathers. Not a good combination.”

“Would it ease your mind to talk with the wizard about this?” Seth asked.

“He’s so busy with everything that’s happened. I hate to bother him with something this silly.” She really didn’t want to bother Gryffid with something that could just be her imagination run amok.

“It’s precisely because of everything that’s been going on that we should ask him about this,” Seth said reasonably. “He’s up. I have no doubt he was talking with the gryphons until the moment they set flight. Maybe we could catch him at breakfast and just ask a leisurely question. Perhaps it will put your mind at ease.”

She couldn’t argue with that. But… “What about Gowan?” She looked over to the bed where Gowan still slept peacefully.

“Let him rest. He traveled more in one day, yesterday, than most dragon knights cover in a week. He deserves to sleep in.”

Seth had a point. “All right.” Livia stepped away from Seth and quickly got ready. There was a bathing chamber in the suite of rooms she’d been given, and she took her clothing in there, so as not to wake Gowan.

A few minutes later and they were on their way down to the great hall. Sure enough, Gryffid was sitting with Gerrow and some of his other trusted advisors, breaking his fast. When the wizard saw them, he waved them over, indicating Livia should sit next to him, in the spot just cleared by a departing warrior who had finished eating and was off to fulfill some task Gryffid or Gerrow had given him.

Seth sat across from her, where she could see him, and she was glad for the unspoken support. She felt foolish, intending to bring up such a personal, and probably foolish, subject with the last of the great wizards.

“You want to ask me something,” Gryffid said after wishing her a good morning. His ancient eyes twinkled, and she could almost swear he knew what she was thinking.

She hesitated, knowing the entire table full of fey folk were listening, though they were polite about it. But Gryffid’s gaze was encouraging.

“I’ve been having dreams…” she began, not really knowing how to go on.

“For how long?” Rather than laughing at her, Gryffid’s eyes were now serious, his tone intrigued.

“All my life, that I can remember,” she admitted. “But they’re getting stronger the older I get. And this morning was the strongest yet.”

“What did you see?”

She had tried to come up with a better description since Seth had asked her the very same question, but was unable to articulate it better. “Feathers and fire.”

“Gryphons and dragons?” one of the fey put in, seeming so sincere in his suggestion that Livia couldn’t take offense.

“Possibly, but this had a desperate feeling to it, and it was set in Dragonscove. I fear the pirates—or some other evil—is not done with the town yet. Your gryphons need to know they are possibly flying into danger. There could be more violence.”

“The gryphons who flew to the mainland are all warriors. We will be certain to send only those who are prepared to face battle,” Gryffid said quietly, putting her mind a little more at ease. But his gaze bored into hers, as if seeking something. “Your family has history of the sight, does it not?”

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