sky.
I must learn what this is. If Twisted Fire thinks to attack again, I will know. You must not interfere, Maelen. I cannot guarantee your safety.
Asboel. Let me help.
The draasin took to the wind with a powerful beating of wings. This is not yours to fight. I do not fear Twisted Fire. Fire cannot harm the draasin. You need to remain here. Protect your kingdoms from Twisted Fire. Grow stronger. Then we can hunt.
Asboel didn’t even give Tan the chance to respond. He turned and headed south once again, leaving Tan standing and staring after his bonded draasin and Sashari. Questions rolled through him. Why would the Fire Fortress burn brightly? What did it mean that it had when the hatchlings were killed?
Were Lacertin still alive, he might have answers he needed, but Alisz had killed him during the assault on Ethea. Now they had to figure it out on their own. And because of him, the one creature that might have answers had been destroyed.
5
Lessons in Shaping
A mia met him at the door as he returned. They’d taken over the small home where Elle had hidden the night he first met Sarah. The upper levels were sparsely furnished, little more than a few chairs and an old table, but the home was solid and secure, far removed from the destruction that had affected the rest of the city. Roine had suggested they stay in the palace with him, but Tan didn’t feel comfortable doing that. The reminder of what he’d been through—what his family had been through—because of Althem would be too much for him. Had it not been for Althem, Tan might still have a father.
She barely waited for him to come in the door before she rounded on him. “What is it? What did you see?” She took his hands and pulled him into the room. “You saw something that troubles you.”
Likely she felt it through the bond they shared, the same way he knew the annoyance she felt and the mild unease with his absence. “I went with Asboel. I needed…” he started and then shrugged, “time away. Silence. Something.”
Amia squeezed his hands. “You blame yourself for what happened? Roine was going to have the lisincend destroyed! You’re the one who convinced him to give you a chance to try and save it.”
Tan closed the door behind him, leaning against it as he looked around the small room. Amia had a lantern glowing with a soft, warm light near one of the chairs. A book was folded open and he realized she’d taken it from the archives. The hearth crackled with a warm fire. Curtains that normally covered the window were open, letting in the smells of the city. A hazy smoke still drifted over the city from the youngest draasin’s first attack. An occasional shout rang out and drifted up to them.
Tan walked across the warm hardwood floor to the window and let the heavy curtain fall, drawing away the sounds and the smells of the city.
“It turns out my mother—and the First Mother—were right. I thought I could save him,” he said. “And maybe I could, but I don’t know enough.” He lowered himself into one of the chairs next to the hearth and grabbed the book resting on the arm, flopping it onto his lap. The ancient map stared up at him as if expecting him to understand its secrets. Amia must have brought it here to study, maybe to help find answers together.
Amia rested a hand on his shoulder. “There’s nothing you could have done. He didn’t want to be saved.”
Tan flipped the pages in the book and tried to push out the image of the lisincend burning himself to death. The stench as the flames tore through the creature had been nearly more than he could stand. He closed the book and looked up at Amia. “I know that. Asboel knows that. It doesn’t make it any easier.”
She squeezed. “I’m glad.” When he frowned, she explained, “You’ve said your mother worries about the fact that you were changed by fire, that you nearly transformed. I know you were restored. The Great Mother knows I can feel it. But they remain
I must learn what this is. If Twisted Fire thinks to attack again, I will know. You must not interfere, Maelen. I cannot guarantee your safety.
Asboel. Let me help.
The draasin took to the wind with a powerful beating of wings. This is not yours to fight. I do not fear Twisted Fire. Fire cannot harm the draasin. You need to remain here. Protect your kingdoms from Twisted Fire. Grow stronger. Then we can hunt.
Asboel didn’t even give Tan the chance to respond. He turned and headed south once again, leaving Tan standing and staring after his bonded draasin and Sashari. Questions rolled through him. Why would the Fire Fortress burn brightly? What did it mean that it had when the hatchlings were killed?
Were Lacertin still alive, he might have answers he needed, but Alisz had killed him during the assault on Ethea. Now they had to figure it out on their own. And because of him, the one creature that might have answers had been destroyed.
5
Lessons in Shaping
A mia met him at the door as he returned. They’d taken over the small home where Elle had hidden the night he first met Sarah. The upper levels were sparsely furnished, little more than a few chairs and an old table, but the home was solid and secure, far removed from the destruction that had affected the rest of the city. Roine had suggested they stay in the palace with him, but Tan didn’t feel comfortable doing that. The reminder of what he’d been through—what his family had been through—because of Althem would be too much for him. Had it not been for Althem, Tan might still have a father.
She barely waited for him to come in the door before she rounded on him. “What is it? What did you see?” She took his hands and pulled him into the room. “You saw something that troubles you.”
Likely she felt it through the bond they shared, the same way he knew the annoyance she felt and the mild unease with his absence. “I went with Asboel. I needed…” he started and then shrugged, “time away. Silence. Something.”
Amia squeezed his hands. “You blame yourself for what happened? Roine was going to have the lisincend destroyed! You’re the one who convinced him to give you a chance to try and save it.”
Tan closed the door behind him, leaning against it as he looked around the small room. Amia had a lantern glowing with a soft, warm light near one of the chairs. A book was folded open and he realized she’d taken it from the archives. The hearth crackled with a warm fire. Curtains that normally covered the window were open, letting in the smells of the city. A hazy smoke still drifted over the city from the youngest draasin’s first attack. An occasional shout rang out and drifted up to them.
Tan walked across the warm hardwood floor to the window and let the heavy curtain fall, drawing away the sounds and the smells of the city.
“It turns out my mother—and the First Mother—were right. I thought I could save him,” he said. “And maybe I could, but I don’t know enough.” He lowered himself into one of the chairs next to the hearth and grabbed the book resting on the arm, flopping it onto his lap. The ancient map stared up at him as if expecting him to understand its secrets. Amia must have brought it here to study, maybe to help find answers together.
Amia rested a hand on his shoulder. “There’s nothing you could have done. He didn’t want to be saved.”
Tan flipped the pages in the book and tried to push out the image of the lisincend burning himself to death. The stench as the flames tore through the creature had been nearly more than he could stand. He closed the book and looked up at Amia. “I know that. Asboel knows that. It doesn’t make it any easier.”
She squeezed. “I’m glad.” When he frowned, she explained, “You’ve said your mother worries about the fact that you were changed by fire, that you nearly transformed. I know you were restored. The Great Mother knows I can feel it. But they remain
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