The shadow dragon pouted. Actuallypouted.
“I’ll find you some food in a bit,” he promised, though he had never actually fed her before. What didShadowheartseat? Guess he’d have to find out. He stepped forward and laid his hand on her snout, the way he would with Balthasar. “I need you to do something for me.”
Her nostrils flared, not quite a yes, but an acknowledgement.
“Can you breathe fire—” He held up his hand as she sucked in a gust of air. “Not yet. Let me finish.”
Another pout. Gods give him strength. He supposed this test of patience was good practice for future children, but he hadn’t expected his first born to be a colossal shadowy baby, though Balthasar was close enough.
“Can you breathe asmallspark onto the cluster of red over there?” He patted her nose and added in a low voice, “I know you can do it, but they don’t believe me.” And he prayed his theory would work, because if it didn’t, everything would fall apart. And he would lose it all.
Smuggness tilted her mouth in an expression he didn’t know a dragon was capable of. Her tail swung wildly as she spun and nearly bowled everyone over, then stole the oxygen from the clearing, and held it.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath with her.
And she released a billow of black fire, as if the abyss at the bottom of the Hollow opened up and spewed like a geyser. Not exactly a fucking spark.
Vesper held his breath and stepped back, first to not singe his nostrils, and second because he didn’t know what to do if this didn’t go as planned.
Either Aelita or Rainna shrieked, another rider shouted a curse to Deimos, and when Vesper peeked at Kyrith, instead of the unamused dead-boredom he anticipated, her wide eyes held a glimmer of what he’d sought in his journey.
Hope.
Because as Kaida’s flame met the bloodlace, that red, insidious disease withered like paper held to an open flame. All of it.
Gone.
Vesper stared and stared, not sure what to say. His plan had worked as promised, and this could change everything.
He could get his answers, save these people, and stop the spread of the bloodlace to his home.
As his attention slid to Kaida, and the usual drain from summoning her remained absent, he could only thank Kyrith’s magical knife. He glanced down at the small cut on his wrist where his blood wafted like smoke, a wisp of crimson, and flooded into Kaida’s eager nostrils.
Fed her. Ah, that’s where theeatcomment had come from. And her eyes now shone the vibrant crimson of blood.
Vesper surveyed the other riders. Aelita and Rainna clutched each other as if the dragon might turn on them and swallow them in one go. But as the seconds ticked by and Kaida plunked her behind down on the grass and innocently tilted her head at them, they relaxed. Dimitri and Gaelen whispered to one another as they studied her like a rare artifact.
“Is she tame?” Aelita squeaked out.
“Uhm, yes.” Vesper tried to sound convincing and failed. She’d never listened to him before, but this mind link felt different. Life altering even.
“How does she ride?” Dimitri piped up. “Her wingspan is larger than Lannei’s. I imagine she flies at lightning speed.”
The question made Vesper’s stomach clench. A little lie wouldn’t hurt right? Besides, he didn’t want them to think he was completely useless. “She’s great. A smooth flier.” Yeah, like he’d ever even considered getting on Kaida’s back. The handful of times he’d released her, he’d toed the threshold of death. Not exactly in any shape to climb on a dragon.
“Does she bite? Can I pet her?” Rainna piped up, intrigue heavy in her stare. “She’s so beautiful.” At Kaida’s purr and wiggle of her butt, Rainna continued, “Who’s a pretty girl?”
Vesper chuckled and lied again, knowing if they looked at her wrong, they might lose a finger. “She’s not great with strangers. Give her a bit of time to adjust.” Or rather, for him to get her under control.
The lullaby of Kyrith’s sword weaselled into Vesper’s eardrum, shrill and off tune. He tried not to pay it any mind.
Thorrin silently studied Kaida and his thumb toyed with his lip, the gesture unnerving, like he considered declining Vesper’s requests. But he had to accept. Hehadto.
Kyrith prowled forward and extended her hand, wiggling her fingers in a come-hither motion. “Knife,” is all she said.
Vesper chose to ignore the harsh tone and place it in her palm.
“Seems you need a little help,” she continued.