Page 41 of Dragon Blood

“Of course.” Astred said absently, fingering the card. She glanced up, straightening. “Of course. Whatever I can do to help. This is Aeleftheria’s responsibility, though I suspect they may not see it that way.”

“You’re not wrong,” Heidi sipped her coffee.

“How so?” Kai asked.

“The camp was formed from Aeleftherians that didn’t want to be subjected to Aeleftherian laws and chose to leave. Others have since joined them. Dragon shifter wanderers, looking for something different from what their tribe offers. A different way of life.” Astred slid from her stool.

Kai stood, preparing to leave.

“Not just dragon shifters. You lot aren’t the only ones with problems,” Heidi added, rounding the counter to face Astred. She placed her hands on Red’s shoulders, meeting her eyes. “Whatever happens… your mother… we’re here. No matter what. I hope your shamans can figure out how to bring her back to us.”

Seeing the emotion in Heidi’s eyes, Astred nodded, allowing the bear shifter matriarch to pull her into her arms. She swallowed, voice tight. “Me, too.”

When they parted, Heidi turned to Kai, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. “I’m so,soglad Kolina found you. You’ve always been a significant part of her that was missing.”

Kai nodded, at a loss for words as he drew a deep breath to alleviate the flare of heartache.

“You’ll bring Odson back from the camp afterward? My husband and the boys are up north helping his grandmother move to a new apartment, so I’m alone here with plenty of room. Whatever the Wardens’ answer, nothing will happen today.”

They loaded Heidi’s boxes into the trunk of the rental and headed for the refugee camp while Heidi reached out to the Black River Wardens on Astred’s behalf.

Chapter 15

EvenwithHeidi’sexplicitdirections, the camp was a challenge to reach. Down a narrow, overgrown dirt road, past a gate with surly guards, eying their cargo with deep suspicion. Astred showed them the recipe card with Heidi’s handwritten instruction paired with Odson’s name, which seemed to act like an admission ticket.

Kai’s gaze swept the bustle as Astred parked the car next to the community building that the last guard had pointed them to. Getting out, they scanned the scene before them, searching for Odson.

The camp was actually a village in various stages of evolution, crawling out from the weight of a heavy storm thrown at it. While overgrown, the road had been cleared of any debris. Alive with activity, the denizens hauled felled trees and debris from cabin rooftops to be cleared and cut.

Both his tiger and dragon selves perked up with curiosity as the scents of fresh split wood and sap, mingled with a mixture of dragon, human, bear, and various other shifters, drifted around them on the breeze.

Hands in her back pockets, Astred blew out a breath when her eyes landed on a nearby wooden structure crushed under an uprooted tree. “Goddess, I hope no one was in there.”

“Red?” The older male dragon that Kai had met before his sister’s wedding approached, surprise clear on his face, gaze darting between her and Kai. “What’s wrong? Why areyouhere of all places? And with Kolina’s son?”

“Long story. Heidi sent more supplies.” She jerked her head toward the car.

“No doubt that it isn’t a good tale, either.” He accepted one of the boxes that Kai had extracted from the car. They followed him into the community hall, where several others were gathered going over plans. Odson called out to them, “Heidi sent more stuff.”

Relief filled their expressions as they approached to alleviate their loads; all of them smelled of dragon.

“Thanks so much.” One woman smiled at Kai as she accepted it. “I’m Brandi, this is Fiona, and Allison. Please tell Heidi she’s a gem.”

“Brandi is the head of the Camp Council and oversees all the business.”

“One of many,” she nodded to Fiona and Allison. “The others are all working to clean the place up at the moment.”

“Dragon-goddess, you look so much like Astred Arakkil. You can’t be, but damn, the resemblance is crazy.” The other woman called Fiona said, eyes wide as she stared at Astred, who exchanged looks with Odson.

Astred handed her the box. “I am. And this is Kai Sun, son of Kolina Steelscale.”

Fiona fumbled the box, Astred helped her right it when Odson swooped in to rescue the load, which sounded like sliding dishes.

Brandi’s voice lost its friendly tone. “Why are you here? We already helped the last time your people came recruiting, when we should have stayed out of it.”

“And we deeply appreciate that you did. But no, I’m not here to ask for anything. I came to see Odson and Heidi sent these boxes. But now that I’m here, I’d like to help out if you’ll let me.”

The women seemed to have a conversation with their eyes until eventually Allison shrugged. “Kolina helped Odson bring my Ben home to us when those male dragons could have got him seriously hurt or killed.”

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