Page 18 of Storm of Blood and Shadow

I bite my lower lip for a second before answering. “My parents were cruel and selfish. When they died, I didn’t want to remember or honor them. I wish I could forget them.”

“There are selfish, cruel dragons, too, but they are rare. If one of us behaves in such a way, the clan intervenes to correct the behavior,” says Varex. “We are taught from the egg to live in a way that benefits all dragons and improves the quality of life for our fellow creatures.”

We stop by his cave so I can get my bag and re-wrap my ankle. Then he carries me through the valley to the cavern Rothkuri spoke of. There’s a large pasture or courtyard in front of the enormous cave mouth, and the space is enclosed by a tightly packed wall of stones, branches, and hardened mud.

“We kept flocks here once,” says Varex. “The wall was built to keep out the fenwolves. They have infested the island. Their dens lie deep in the forests or in rocky clefts where we dragons cannot go, so we have been unable to purge them from the island. They’re mad, half-starved creatures who take prey indiscriminately, without reason or care.” He chuffs angrily, two puffs of heated lavender mist emanating from his snout.

“Your size and shape make many things difficult, I imagine. If you were human, you could go into the clefts and hunt the wolves. You could have more flocks, more herds… maybe even gardens. Humans can craft complex items, design machines, read and write books.”

“I’m aware of what humans can do,” he says tightly.

“And you want me to give up all those possibilities for a scaly hide and a pair of wings?”

He growls, then mutters, “What are they doing?”

I follow his gaze and notice several dragons prowling around within the enclosure. Occasionally one approaches the cave mouth and is greeted with screams from inside, whereupon the dragon retreats to mutter and growl with his companions.

“They’re scaring the women,” I say.

“I doubt they intend to,” he replies. “They are merely curious. Those females will be their mates soon. The dragons want to make their acquaintance.”

“And it’s going so well, clearly.”

Even as I speak, two dragons creep cautiously toward the cave. When they’re greeted with screeches of terror, their spikes and ears flatten, and they slink away again.

Varex angles downward toward the enclosure, skimming over the ground and letting me roll gently from his claws before he lands a short distance away. He turns immediately, coming back to check on me as I rise from the ground, brushing bits of dead grass from my blue dress.

I wish he wouldn’t be so fucking sweet. If he were rougher with me, it would be easier to hate him.

Drawn by our arrival, a group of women venture toward the mouth of the cave. By my count, there are roughly two dozen of them. I’m not sure how many more were taken to other caves. All of them look disheveled, frightened, and hungry.

I scan the group quickly. I recognize no one at first—until a tall blonde woman with rich brown skin emerges from the shadows.

I know her instantly. Lady Falima. She’s Lord Neran’s wife… or rather, she was, until his affairs with various women of the court became too much for her to bear and she left him. I remember seeing her at Lord Neran’s side for many of my performances a few years ago. He flirted with me right in front of her several times, while she maintained a bright, hard smile, not unlike the smile I wear when I’m performing.

I will admit, I flirted back. I encouraged Lord Neran’s attention. I accepted the gifts he sent and flaunted them publicly, even when Falima was present. I was young, and Igloried in my beauty, my talent, and my favored position at court.

Lord Neran was to blame for indulging his lust, but I was cruelly insensitive in my actions. When I recall some of the things I said and did right in front of his young wife, I want to sink into the ground, overcome with shame.

She recognizes me, too. I see it in the flex of her jaw, the flash of her eyes, the resentful compression of her lips.

I want to tell her that I’ve changed. I’ve grown older. The version of me that exists now would never behave the way I used to.

But I did fuck her ex-husband for money the night before last, so perhaps we should avoid the topic, and each other.

“What do you need, Jessiva?” asks Varex.

I tear my gaze away from Falima and survey the group of dirty, anxious women again. They remind me of children, lost and scared. No one has stepped forward to take charge, to reassure them, to organize the available resources and take care of basic needs. All of that needs to happen before we can effectively plan our escape.

“Is there water in the cave?” I ask.

“Yes, there is a stream and a pool.”

“Good. We need stones to make fire rings, and we need firewood, lots of it. Do you have any meat we can cook?”

“I can send a few of the other dragons to hunt. Perhaps we can spare one of the cows from the southern meadows.”

“Cows, you say? Do any of them have calves? Could we get some milk? Perhaps one of your dragons could carry one or two women to fetch milk. We’ll need something to put it in. I have a bottle in my bag, but perhaps a bucket or a bowl would be better.”

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