Page 62 of His Greatest Treasure

My father was standing near us, though, and I tried to assure myself that she couldn’t hurt me, not with my can elder right there, not with someone as powerful as Lord Somerville right beside us.

A little part of me stayed afraid, though, and goosebumps broke out over my skin. If he had put spells on me to stop my dragon getting out, I wasn’t sure that Lord Somerville would protect me.

No matter how I tried to reason myself away from that line of thinking, it seeped into me again.

Even when Madame Trevellian leered at me and said, with absolute delight in her voice, “This isgoing to hurt, child,” I glanced at my father and was disappointed.

He stayed where he was, watchful, taking note of everything that happened between us. He didn’t interfere, though. He didn’t stop her hurting me.

And it did hurt.

Something lanced into my chest, burrowing deeper and deeper inside me. I felt as though I were being stabbed and I lashed out but there was nothing in front of me.

“The spells are deep, deeper than that,” said the hag, and the stabbing feeling got worse as whatever she was doing slid further into me.

When the pain stopped, sliding out of me, I looked down at my chest as though I expected to see myself bloody and a gaping wound right there. I looked exactly the same as ever. So I hadn’t been killed then. That was good.

I was just concentrating on breathing and not being sick with the residual pain when Madame Trevellian approached me again.

I stepped back.

She laughed. “This is what needs to happen, boy. Those spells are deep. Deep enough to keep a dragon inside. You don’t think we can break themeasily from the outside if your dragon can’t break them from the inside?”

“Why- why do you need to break the spells anyway? If they’re on me to protect me?”

“They’re on you to keep your dragon inside, child. To keep you human.”

I frowned. That didn’t sound right. That didn’t sound as though it would help to keep me safe, since it meant I wouldn’t be able to shift. Leaving me human and weak wasn’t going to help anyone.

Lord Somerville’s voice cut across us both. “No talk. Just do it.”

The hag raised her hand again, and I looked at my father. “Wait, can’t I wait until tomorrow?”

“No. It needs to be done as soon as possible. I need to know what you are.”

“What I am?”

I blinked. I didn’t understand. I was a dragon, right? Great Aunt Evangeline said I was a dragon. My parents were dragons. I had the enhanced senses of a dragon. I-I definitely was one, right? I hadn’t heard of a Somerville not being a dragon before.

Although there had been Seren….

No, Seren had been born a dragon, he’d just lost it, that was all. Maybe he’d had these same spellsput on him. I hadn’t seen them on him, but I hadn’t seen any onme, either.

I shivered. I didn’t like to think of that.

Lord Somerville studied me and I was sure he could read all my little thoughts as he stared at me, making me feel increasingly like I’d done something wrong in asking. I’d known it was a bad idea to speak directly to him. Why couldn’t I stop my mouth from blurting things out?

“Our clan has suffered two attacks recently. Our borders are weak and our numbers are few. We are an old clan and a venerable one, but such attacks will become more common until we demonstrate we have the power to resist. In order to protect us all, I need to know what you are.”

“And then I’ll have to learn to fight?”

He paused. “Yes. Yes, I suppose you’ll have to learn to fight either way.”

My tongue, which ran away with me at all times, suddenly failed me and I nodded. I was just bombarded by so many thoughts that I couldn’t even articulate them.

My first thought was that I wasn’t sure I’d like fighting. I didn’t really like blood and I didn’t want to hurt people.

My second thought was panic as it occurred to me that he might send me away to train with acuraidhclan, just like he’d sent Morgan away. I wouldn’t mind so much if I was sent to the Hoskins clan and then I’d see Morgan again, but I knew I would never be sent there. And I was gripped by the fear that I’d be sent away without the chance to take Blaze with me.

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