Page 84 of His Greatest Treasure

My dragon twisted. It didn’t like that answer. It didn’t believe it.

But what we knew was that this was our clan and we needed to protect them.

Blaze whispered, “I’ll be right here with you, my darling. You’re not going anywhere without me. Not now.”

It reminded me of the claiming bite on his neck and the flame that was burned into my chest. I pressed my hand to it and yanked off my shirt, dropping it on the pile of clothes Blaze had made.

I looked him in the eye and made him a promise. “I’ll protect you. You’re safe with us. You’re a Somerville now.”

With that, I shifted.

Somehow, looking at Blaze, it was easy. I filled my skin and then my scales burst out of me, rippling across me and becoming hard, like armour. My body changed shape, my neck grew, my body grew, and my teeth grew.

I barely felt Blaze climb onto my back but I knew he was there. He feltso small and light and fragile against my huge form, but he was warm and comforting. I set off, about to run and take to the air with a powerful beat of my wings, but I wasn’t used to having so many feet and I tripped and landed on my belly.

I couldn’t talk in this form, but I glanced around me, hoping nobody had noticed.

Unfortunately, they had. Mother’s face was white with worry and tension, but she began her shift straight after me, about to follow me to the border. Father turned away, as though he wanted to pretend I hadn’t done that.

It took me two tries, but I took to the air and followed Lord Somerville. Even though I was in dragon form, I didn’t feel very dragon-like. I felt like my dragon was keeping something from me, reserving something. It was like being inside a huge mechanical suit and having to operate it. Feet here, tail there, wings somewhere else.

When we got to the border, I could see a group of half a dozen people there. Even from a distance, I could see the long, matted hair of the hag and the slimy green tendrils that dripped over her shoulders.

Blaze said, “She’s laid more spells all along that section. She’s had to lay them from the outside this time, though. They can’t break the protections as easily.”

I flew down and landed in front of the protections, sure that they wouldn’t let any spells or weapons through them. Glimmer had told me he’d stopped anything like that being able to get through, and I believed him.

As I landed, I saw the expression on a man’s face. His mouth opened and he gawped.

“A golden dragon.”

Madame Trevellian rounded on him.

“Of course he’s a golden dragon, what do you think we’re here for?”

“I thought—”

He didn’t get a chance to say what he thought. Maybe he just hadn’t believed her. She flung out a spear of magic and silenced him forever.

Around him, the other five people began to attack the border harder.

“Alphonse, use your magic.”

I tried to do that.

And nothing happened.

I tried again.

And again.

I shuffled from huge foot to huge foot, swinging my tail awkwardly, and tried again.

Still nothing happened.

“Alphonse! Do it now.”

The hag cackled.

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