Page 121 of His Greatest Treasure

“Do you want to choose a bedroom?”

“Oh. What? Are we not sharing a room any longer?”

“Silly! It’s for both of us. Come on, I want you to pick a bedroom you like and we’ll move into it today. I don’t want us to stay in my room. It makes me feel all young again, being there. It still had my school desk in it. We’ll get our own room, one that’s yours and mine equally.”

Even though he started dragging me off to choose a room, I quickly moved in front of Alfie.

It felt nice, to hold his hand and lead him round as I looked into every available room and considered it. I’d spent the past few days standing behind Alfie, glad of his protection and his arms possessively around me, but this was nice, too.

Alfie talked as we went, telling me about each room.

“This one hasn’t been used since I can remember but it’s got a big bathroom. There’s a bath as well as a shower… If this room isn’t big enough, we can knock through into the next room. It’s only used for storage… If you want a study or a room of your own, too, you can have one, you know… This room has a great view of the woods, look…”

Alfie led me over to the window he was pointing at and I admired the view. I’d stayed on the ground floor because I’d learned that I didn’t like heights. From here, I could see the woods and I got a little glow of happiness inside at the memories of being there with Alfie. I wanted to stay on this side of the building, where we’d have that view every day.

“Let me move these boxes,” said Alfie. “I think there’s a fireplace behind here.”

There was, indeed, a fireplace. And it was gorgeous, with marble slabs and ornate decorations. It looked very grand, and I could just imagine burning in there, enjoying the warm flames around me, or sitting on our chair in front of it on Alfie’s lap and watching the flames.

“It’s a bit dirty.” Alfie sounded disappointed, like he wanted me to see it at its best.

I turned straight into his arms and breathed out a sigh of contentment when he folded them around me and held me close.

“It’s perfect, my darling. Can we have this room?”

“Of course we can. You can have anything you want, Blaze.”

I smiled. “I think I have everything I want.”

Chapter 48

Alfie

Having a massive dragon inside me was difficult to get used to, especially since it hadn’t been there before. Well, it had been there but I hadn’t been able to feel it. Now it wasthereand it hadopinions.

My dragon was feeling very protective and it liked having our clan so close to us and it liked walking out to the border to see the protections that everyone was putting in place. Glimmer showed me around and promised to teach me how to lay some spells soon. He said putting protections down would help to soothe my instincts to keep my clan safe.

Inside me, my dragon grouched.

I knew why, too. But it wasn’tmyfault that Rhod and Glenwise were still missing.

Blaze had asked me not to leave the territory and Glimmer had forbidden it. I hadn’t wanted to upset anyone, so I’d stayed, but my dragon and I were getting less and less happy about it the longer my clan stayed out there unprotected.

I paced the grand hall, trying to convince myself not to shift and follow my bonds with Rhod and Glenwise until I found them. They could be hundreds of miles away and – annoyingly – Glimmer was right about me not knowing enough to be able to protect myself properly yet. How could I expect to protect my two missing clan if I couldn’t even protect myself?

I glared up at the portrait hanging at the end of the hall. Father’s eyes glared back at me. Even in the portrait, he looked so cold and austere. That was exactly the same look I’d frightened myself with when I’d looked so proud and haughty in my mirror. I guess I’d been modelling myself on it.

I stopped my pacing. That portrait had no place here now. I marched over to the large portrait and grabbed the frame.

Heaving, I lifted it off the wall. The whole thing wobbled. It was massive and unwieldy, and I staggered backwards, the frame towering over my head and falling slowly, inevitably.

I tried to grab it but my hands were full and all that happened was it dropped suddenly on one side as I let go.

The crash resounded throughout the grand hall and seemed to echo forever, rebounding off the marble. Oh bother, I hoped I hadn’t chipped the marble floors.

Just as I was trying to wriggle out from underneath the heavy frame, the doors flew open and people rushed in. I recognised the feet of Kingsley and Matilda.

“I didn’t mean to break it,” I said, and cringed at how childish that sounded. I sometimes felt so strong and in control but, I had to admit, that was mostly when Blaze was with me. He’d been busy with Aunt Isabella and he’d radiated enjoyment and contentment at the way she fussed over him, so I hadn’t had the heart to ask him to spend the time with me.

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