Page 67 of A Forgery of Fate

“In all the seven immortal ages, that question has never been asked with such alacrity.”

“What can I say?” I shrugged. “I want my three chests of jewels.”

And answers about Baba.

“If we’re unlucky, he will come to us,” said Elang. “You recall the patrols. He has his eye on Yonsar.”

He reached for his soup and drank straight from the bowl, finishing it in one long sip. He still hadn’t touched his noodles.

“Worry about meeting my grandfather later. For now, you have work to do.” Elang pushed aside his bowl. “Study all you can about dragons and learn to take control of your visions. Shani will help you.”

“Shani?” I scoffed. I hadn’t seen the demon in hours. “Some bodyguard, she didn’t even help when we were attacked today.”

“We didn’t need her help. If she had shown herself, she would only have aggravated the patrols.”

“No surprise. She’s a demon.”

He gave me a hard look. “In your world, demons are feared and reviled. But they are not always deserving of such scorn. You ought to know better than most, what that feelslike.”

A tingle passed over my skin. Not once had I spoken to Elang about being half-Balardan. How it’d been impossible for me to get a job because the shopkeepers assumed I’d steal from their tills. When we went to the temple, I told Falina and Nomi—who passed easily as A’landans—to pretend they didn’t know me, so they could pray in the front instead of having to wait in the back.

Shame scorched the back of my throat. Yes, I knew what it was like. I had a feeling Elang did too.

“Shanizhun was one of the first demons to be born,” said Elang. “She’s nearly as old as the gods, and few have known my grandfather as long as she. I’d advise you to respect her guidance.”

I gave a numb nod.

“Good.” Elang dipped into his noodles. “Mailoh will bring you sangi in the morning, and afterward she’ll give you a tour of the castle.”

“A tour?” I perked up.

“You’re the lady of the Westerly Seas. You ought to know your own home.”

“Does that mean I get to see the treasury?” I asked coyly. “Or do you use those powers of yours to turn ordinary rocks into rubies?”

Deeming my questions unworthy of reply, he reached for his silver cup. “A toast to us,” he said, raising his drink. “Mayour time together be short, and may we part as unfamiliar to one another as we began.”

It was the oddest wedding toast, yet I wouldn’t have asked for anything different. I raised my cup and drank.

The rest of dinner, Elang ate his noodles in silence. At least when I was looking, he didn’t bite into a single strand.

Chapter Nineteen

Dawn stole into my chambers in a crown of reddish light. It painted everything it touched, even the bubbles, which dappled my walls like rubies. I lay in bed, marveling at this ghost of a familiar sun and wondering what my family was doing on the other side.

It’d been a long time since I’d had a morning to myself. Nomi was the scholar in the family, but I loved to read too. As promised, Elang had sent a stack of books to my door. No adventure or romance novels, sadly, but I delved into the thickest tome I could find, theRegistry of Ai’long’s High Courts.It was far more riveting than I expected, leaving out no scandal or crime. I was so engrossed that I didn’t hear Mailoh arrive with my sangi.

She peered over my shoulder. “Reading about our lore, I see. You are the twenty-third human wife of a dragon. You would’ve been the twenty-fourth, had the Dragon King’s heir married that Kiatan princess, but—”

“Don’t tell me.” I raised a halting hand. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m still only in the Second Era, when General Lusi’s son swiped the Emerald Dragon’s whisker.”

“Ah,” said Mailoh. “Still a thousand years before Lord Elang was born. A fair warning, you’ll not find anything about him in that book.”

“I’m not surprised,” I said wryly. “I’ve gotten a sense that he’s not very popular around here.”

“In a way, that’s to your advantage. A half dragon’s bride need not go through the traditional rites of Ai’long. Trust me, they can be quite awful.”

“Sangi is bad enough,” I said, spying the bottle on her tray. “Can’t I skip a dose? I promise I won’t drown.”

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