Page 115 of Made

“Of course. I wouldn’t dream of interfering with your work.”

He teased by echoing her words. “Good to know.”

As they neared the hub of the party grounds, Vidar took Ilmr’s elbow and pointed toward the dais.

Niall’s back was to the crowd. He was leaning over, saying something private to the king, whose face was utterly passive and giving away nothing about his thoughts or feelings on the matter. After scant seconds, Niall straightened and retreated to the rear behind the thrones.

Thorn kept his eye on the prince as he approached, but was wise enough not to act on unicorn intuition alone.

As both Vidar and Niall had guessed, everyone’s attention was on the royal couple and their tiny, but illustrious princess. So long as Niall moved slowly, keeping his focus trained on anything but his actual goal, he’d garner no notice. A single nondescript figure, even one who was well-dressed, was no competition for spectacles that dazzled with every slight turn of the head.

He moved the few feet across the dais slowly enough to impress Vidar with his stealth and patience. An unexpected, but sweet surprise.

As if he suddenly remembered somewhere he needed to be, Niall grabbed the end of Squeaky’s ribbon and pulled like sleight of hand as he hurried past. It happened so quickly, even Thorn almost missed the caper.

The instantaneous squawking was so loud it threatened to drown out the collective sounds of spectators, entertainers, and all other miscellaneous noises typically found at summer fairs.

Evie cupped her hands over Rhiannon’s ears, wishing she had four hands so she could minimize the cacophony for herself as well. “Diarmuid! We need a dragon handler. Somebody take that thing and put it in the soundproof cellar. You know. The one that used to be used for torture? Long, long ago?” At least that was the story she’d heard from Maeve.

He was already on his feet giving chase after a dragon intent on destruction. It could run surprisingly fast, if awkwardly, on two legs. Now and then its wings ruffled. Sometimes they spread and lifted it off the ground for a few yards at a time.

Like the king, Ex, Scruffen, and Rox were also chasing the dragon although my guess was they wouldn’t know what to do with it if they caught it. Even royal dogs could reason that eating Maeve’s precious gift to her granddaughter would be very bad form.

The little monster hopped up onto one of the feast tables and ran straight through the buffets, turning over every kind of food displayed in every kind of container including some that were priceless museum-quality pieces. He then began hopping from head to head in a gender-selective pursuit of women only. Even though fae femmes could fix their hair with a thought, nobody wants to be seen with an out-of-control dragon on her head pecking at the hairpins holding her updo in place.

Ilmr and Vidar were laughing so hard they were leaning against each other for support. Niall, hiding behind a nearby blue and white striped tent, was in ecstasy. He didn’t think he’deverhad so much fun.

The amount of damage done in a short time by such a small creature was mind-blowing. Once Maeve realized the cause of disruption, she was furious. People were vanishing from the party faster than she could keep track. Staff and guests alike.Pop. Pop. Pop.The crowd had seriously thinned out in seconds. And she knew instantly that, all said and done, people would talk about the dragon incident and not the pitch-perfect party.

“No! Don’t go!” she said, but partygoers ignored her and continued disappearing.

Maeve wheeled on the little devil with narrowed eyes and began stomping toward him.

Seeing that, Squeaky appeared to convulse and cough. He repeated the odd pattern three times. Then, just as Maeve, Diarmuid, and his dogs were about to reach the dragon, he projected a tiny puff of smoke at Maeve. The projectile was small but had at its core a tiny burning ember, just enough to set the tulle skirt ablaze.

“WHY YOU LITTLE…!” Maeve yelled at Squeaky as she put out the fire and refreshed her costume. That was her first thought. Her second thought was to whisk him away with a thought. No hint as to where.

“Wonder where she sent it?” I mused. “Maybe to the decommissioned dungeon.”

“Or just into nothingness,” Esme said.

“Gosh. That’s harsh, Esme,” I chided.

Esme didn’t look chided. “Dragons are notoriously mercurial. That’s why this one is one of the last of them, if notthelast. They have no business being anywhere near babies. Not even a gifted one like Rhiannon.”

I stared at Esme. “How do you know Rhiannon is gifted?”

She chuckled. “The same way I knew she’d have blue eyes. She has two blue-eyed parents. No other outcome is possible.”

“I see. And I assume we’re talking magically gifted?”

Esmerelda laughed softly. She thought I was joking. I said nothing more because I just didn’t want to reveal that I didn’t get the joke.

Returning my attention to Maeve, I saw that she was treating the remaining guests, including ourselves, to an exhibition of more of her incredible power by quickly undoing most of the dragon’s damage.

We’d stood still and watched the drama progress transfixed.

“Quite a show,” Keir minimized as he spoke the most memorable line of the day.

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