Page 27 of The Dragon Queen

Nine

EMBER

“Nothere,"Rhiannonhisses.Shetipsherheadtotheside.

Rook'smouthdrawsintoathinline,butheallowshertoleadusalittlewaysdownthehalltowhatmustbeherroom.

Amytagsalong,herbrowscrunchingup. "What'sgoingon?"

Givingmeadespairingbutfondlook,Rhiannonasks, "Isthereanypointtryingtokeepthisfromher?"

Ihugmyarmtomychest,mywristthrobbing.Ishrug. "It'snotasifsheisn'tgoingtoseemywristeventually."

Sighing,Rhiannonnods.Sheunlocksthedoorandholdsitopen.

TheroomwhereRhiannonisstayingislaidoutsimilarlytoMariutza's,butwiththecurtainsallthrownopenandthemorningsunshiningin,itlookscompletelydifferent.Rhiannongesturestoalittlesittingareasetupbythefireplace,butI'mtoounsettledtotakeaseat.

LordRookmustbe,too. "Well?"hedemands.

Sittingdown--andlookinglikeshewishesshe'dbroughtpopcornforthis--Amyreiteratesherconfusion. "Whatthehellisgoingon?"

Ugh.There'snopointtryingtohideitanymore.Ipullupmysleeveandshowoffmybarewristtoeveryone. "This.Thisiswhat'sgoingon."

"Oh,shit."Amy'seyesflywide.

Rookstepsintomyspaceandgraspsmebytheforearm,inspectingthepurplebruisesstilllingeringonmyskin.Theacheoflosingthebracerseemstoreachrightintomyverybones.

Hisvoiceisclipped. "Whathappened?"

Pullingmyarmbackandhidingitundermysleeveagain,Iturnaway.

Somehow,ImanagetokeepmycomposureasIrecountthoseexhilaratinglastfewminutesofthebattleatUnity.

Followedbysomeoftheworstmomentsofmylife.

Howitfelttohaveunlimitedmagicalpowercracklingthroughmytalonsandwings--onlytofeelitsputterandthendie.

MyvoicegoesflatasIdescribeplummetingfromthesky,andlandinginmyhumanform,theshatteredremnantsofthebracerscatteredatmyfeet.

AsI'mtalking,Rhiannoncrossestheroomtoopenadresserdrawer.Sherootsarounduntilshedrawsoutthebagsheusedtosweepuptheshardsofblackmetal.

Myheartclenchesasshesilentlypoursthebrokenfragmentsoutontothesurfaceofalittletablebythefire.

ThefirsttimeIeversawthebracer,ithadamagnetismthatentrancedme.Itsenergyreachedoutandwrappeditselfaroundmychest.Icouldn'tstopthinkingaboutit,drawntotheblack,electricfireofitsaura.

NowIstare,unblinking,atwhat'sleftofit.

AndIfeelnothing.

Utterlynumb,Iforcemyselftolookaway.Iwalkovertothewindowandpeerout.Rhiannonhasagreatviewofthenearbysea,butthesightofthelappingwaterdoesn'tsootheme.

Behindme,Rookinspectsthebrokenpieces.Icanseeahintofhisreflectionintheglass.LikeRhiannondidwhenshescoopedthemup,hestopsjustshyofactuallytouchingthem.

Hisvoiceiscoldwhenhesays, "Youknew."

IturnbackaroundtoseehimaddressingRhiannon.Sheshakesherhead,clearlynothavinganyofit.

"ThiswasEmber'sstorytotell,andincaseyoudidn'tnotice,neitherofyouwereinanypositiontobediscussingituntiltoday."

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