Page 36 of His Greatest Treasure

I was rushing towards him and we met half way, crashing into each other. It nearly winded me but I didn’t mind. I had Alfie in my arms and he was still talking, his words coming faster and faster.

“He’s gone too and I don’t know what to do about it. He’s weak and he shouldn’t have been sent out alone but I can’t ask Father to keep him because he’s betrayed the clan, even though I can’t believe it.”

“Shush, my darling. Come on, let’s get back inside.”

I hurried Alfie along and breathed a sigh of relief when we ducked under the thick branches of the trees overhead. Now we couldn’t be seen from the air.

We went back to the little hut and I was going to make Alfie a hot drink using the little camping stove he’d bought me, but his grip on my hand was strong and he pulled me straight over to the armchair. He sat in in with a grunt and yanked me towards him.

I found myself in Alfie’s lap, curled into him and his arms around me tightly. He buried his face in my neck and breathed deeply. I could feel his heartbeat under my hand and it gradually began to calm.

“Is this okay? I didn’t ask.”

I snuggled closer. “It’s more than okay.”

“Thank you. I like this. I like holding you. It makes me feel better.”

“I’m glad. You take your time, okay darling?”

He sniffed and spent a few more minutes with his nose pressed against me and his lips grazing my skin occasionally in a silent little kiss. I don’t think he realised I could feel it.

“He’s gone,” said Alfie at last.

“Who’s gone? Morgan?”

“No, Seren.”

“Is that your cousin?”

Alfie nodded. “He was banished. I wasn’t even told about it. They only told me afterwards. That’s not fair! I should have been there, they should have let me be there and then I could have—”

“Could have what?”

Alfie didn’t answer, so I pushed my head up a bit, trying to meet his eyes. Heavoided them.

He sighed, “I couldn’t have stopped them even if I was there.”

“You wanted to stop them?”

He nodded. He looked so miserable that my heart ached. I wanted to comfort him but I didn’t know what else I could do.

“It’s not fair that I’m not allowed to protect them. I want to protect Seren. It feels right.”

“But you can’t?”

“I know it’s silly. I’m not even a proper dragon. I can’t even shift, even though Morgan had shifted by the time he was my age. I couldn’t protect Seren anyway.”

“Youarea proper dragon, Alfie. You just haven’t met your dragon yet.”

“Do you really think so?”

I spoke tentatively, hoping I wasn’t saying the wrong thing. “Have you ever tried it?”

Slowly, Alfie nodded. “Yes. I’ve tried. I tried when Morgan’s tutor was teaching him. Morgan said he could feel his dragon inside him, but I can’t feel anything inside of me. Maybe I don’t have a dragon at all.”

“That was a while ago, though.”

“I- I’ve tried it since. I just want to be able to protect my clan. I feel useless all the time, and now Seren’s out there all alone and nobody can help him. Do you know anyone on the outside, Blaze? Anyone who could help find Seren?”

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