Page 57 of His Greatest Treasure

Dragons stayed in clans for safety, we had elders to guard us fromridire. So many of my clan had just…left.

The only one who I knew was safe was Glimmer, because he was so strong. And because Blaze had heard him talking to somebody. At least he wasn’t alone.

I asked, “What, um, happened to Alexander?”

“He died.”

“I know that. But I don’t know what happened. Dragons don’t get sick, so he can’t have been ill. Something bad must have happened to the clan or he must have left.”

Aunt Silvia had gone pale and she looked around again as though expecting someone to burst from the walls and strike her down.

“We can’t talk about him, Alfie. I’m sorry. It’s been commanded.”

“By Lord Somerville?”

She nodded, and she looked so afraid that I didn’t have the heart to push her on the subject. She’d spent nineteen years afraid of my father – longer, actually – and I suppose it wasn’t fair of me to expect her to suddenly defy him now.

I nodded and left, heading downstairs.

Slowly, over the course of the day, the whole clan came downstairs and gathered around. I longed to be outside with Blaze.

No, that wasn’t quite right, because I liked being here with everybody. My cramping felt better throughout the day, and I liked being around my family. I just wished that I could have Blaze here with me, too. That would make everything better.

Around us, the castle was prepared for the arrival of my tutor.

I wasn’t prepared for her arrival. It happened so suddenly.

One moment I was there with everyone else and the next, Lord Somerville swept into the room and said, “Madame Trevellian has arrived. We will greet her in the grand hall.”

I followed the rest of them out, feeling odd about being back in the grand hall after we’d all gathered there when we were under attack. It made me feel like we were under attack again, even though that was silly.

I felt so odd and flustered that I pulled up my bond with Blaze and looked at it. He was burning as a flame right then, I could tell. Our bond became more fire-like, flickering and warm, when he shifted.

For the first time ever, I wondered whether my bonds would change when I shifted. It had neveroccurred to me before. Shifting had always seemed so distant, something I’d do one day but not now. Well, I guess one day had finally arrived, because Madame Trevellian entered the room.

We were all lined up either side, trying to give the impression that there was a lot of us even though we were a pathetically small group in such a large hall.

My first sight of my tutor was a shock and I was glad she wasn’t looking at me because I didn’t think I’d be able to keep my surprise and revulsion off my face. Her hair was long and lank, hanging in clusters, threaded with slimy green tendrils. My instinct was to shrink back in case she touched me.

Luckily, she was looking straight at Lord Somerville as he sat on the dais.

She hobbled straight up to him, leering up at him with her repulsive mouth open. Her voice somehow sounded slimy, too. I shuddered and, beside me, I was sure Mother shivered as well.

“It’s been a while since I was welcomed into Somerville territory, Lord Somerville.”

“Indeed.”

“I thought I might be invited back sooner.”

Lord Somerville looked down at her, disdain and fury in his face. If I’d been on the receiving end of that cold look, I’d have shrunk backwards, away from the power and the ice in his face. The hag, however, met my father’s eyes and didn’t flinch.

He looked very regal as he replied, “Did you?”

“Yes, I thought you might want me to draw some power out of that little whelp of yours.”

“We had another tutor teach him.”

“And look how he turned out,” spat the hag. “Weak and silver and a traitor.”

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