Page 120 of His Greatest Treasure

“Yes, things like that. This is our home. We’re part of the clan. It’s only right that we help to protect it.”

“Alfie thinks so,” I reminded her.

“Yes, and he might yet be a great can elder.”

I prickled at the implication that he wasn’t already a great elder and my next question came out a bit tart.

“Why didn’t you leave?”

She glanced at me again and chuckled. “He’ll be great yet, don’t you worry. And we won’t leave him. We didn’t before and we won’t now. I stayed because this is my home. My family is here.”

“Are the dragons your family, too?”

“Not by blood,but we’re clan.”

“What’s the difference?”

Maybe I was curious because I was the only fire spirit in a castle filled with dragons and sprites. I wasn’t really family to any of them. I was there because Alfie wanted me there, that was all.

I’d noticed Kingsley, too, standing out among the dragons. They tensed up when he was there, instinctively afraid of the power he had as an ex-ridire. He moved like a fighter, which looked very dragon-like to me, but actually none of the Somervilles moved like fighters. Except Glimmer, of course, who moved with such deadly stealth that I half wanted to flicker into my flame form every time he walked into a room.

It was amusing, actually, because I knew he’d never hurt me. It was just instinct to protect myself from such a powerful predator. I wasn’tquiteused to being protected by other people yet.

Although, I admit I was looking forward to getting used to it. It sounded like bliss, to feel safe and protected all the time.

And if I could become a real part of the clan, one of them, then that might happen sooner.

Mrs. Wilson stopped what she was doing and came to sit opposite me at the table. She looked very serious.

“Clan is the family you choose for yourself, Blaze. They’re the people you choose to live with, the people you work to help and protect, and the people you trust to look after you in return.”

“Oh. I don’t think I do anything to help.”

That suddenly seemed very selfish. I’d sat there, eating delicious cherry tart while Mrs. Wilson had been working. And I was letting Glimmer and Kingsley and the sprites lay all of the protections along the boundary without helping them, not that I thought I could do much to help anyway.

I frowned. “I’m not sure what I can do. I don’t think I have any skills that they want.”

To my surprise, Mrs. Wilson threw back her head and laughed.

“You’re doing alright so far, chuck.”

“Am I? I don’t remember doing anything.”

“You’ve been beside your mate, soothing him and easing his burden. It’s a lot for him to take in, especially with his dragon so new inside him and him being so young. And you’ve already got me to agree to get Glenwise andRhod back, which nobody thought to do before. I can’t guarantee they’ll come, but I can give them the choice.”

I realised then that Mrs. Wilson could definitely sense the missing dragons and she hadn’t said anything because she’d seen it as their choice to leave. I was glad I’d asked.

“And you’re learning, chuck. Learning how the castle runs, who does what. You don’t need a job, you need to do what makes you happy. Like cooking is what makes me happy. And in the meantime you can eat heartily and look sweet. That’s as good a job as any.”

She sent me out a few minutes later with another chuck under my chin and I felt all confused and strangely precious.

I was heading towards the parlour where I thought people might be gathered when I heard Alfie call me.

“Blaze! There you are. I followed our bond down the corridor but you’d moved and I had to double back. Are you busy?”

He had rushed right up to me and had taken hold of both my hands as he talked.

“No, I’m not busy.”

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