Page 114 of The Queen's Box

Cole’s little brother. The vacant swing set and the pile of perfect sapphires. Aesra as a little girl, her face streaked with tears as she was forced to stick her arm in the duskwyrm’s cage.Thisduskwyrm, with his poor broken body, who had come to her for help.

“What will you do with him?” she asked Amira. “You won’t hurt him, will you?”

The look Amira gave her made her blush. It said,Foolish, foolish girl. Why ask when you already know?

“Come on, Willow,” said Cole. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain.”

Willow knew she should listen to him. She should abandon the wyrm to his fate and never think about him again.

“Just tell me,” she insisted.

“I’ll do one better,” Amira said. “I’ll show you.”

She grabbed the vase and tipped it over. When the wyrm remained inside, she thumped the bottom hard with the heel of her palm, and the duskwyrm spilled out onto the counter. It coiled instinctively, tail wrapping tight around itself, jewel-toned flanks shivering. It looked up—not at Amira—but at Willow.

Help me,the look said.

Willow stepped forward. Cole caught her wrist and held her back.

“Now,” Amira said, “let’s give him a little encouragement.”

From the folds of her robe, she produced a small brass vial. She uncorked it with a flick of her thumbnail and tipped something viscous and green into her palm. Willow caught the scent and nearly gagged.

Amira spat into the puddle in her hand and rubbed her palms together, creating a foul, sticky ointment. With her forefinger, she scooped up a glob of the stuff.

The wyrm recoiled, hissing.

“Hush,” Amira murmured. She put her finger to the wyrm’s scaled forehead and traced the length of its body, smoothing the ointment into its scales.

The duskwyrm went still and silent. Its pupils seemed to quiver.

Amira crooned a singsong riddle: “One to give, and none to take; twice I call, your will I break. Blood to bond, and spit to seal; gems for want, and pain to feel. If I ask too much, I pay—but ask I shall. Begin. Obey.”

The wyrm shuddered. Its mouth opened wide. A wet, glistening garnet spilled onto the counter, round as a robin’s egg, red as blood.

Cole sucked in a breath, loud over his clenched teeth.

Willow bowed her head. She wasn’t as surprised as perhaps she should have been.

“Beautiful,” Amira said, scooping it up. “Absolutely beautiful.” She licked her cracked lips and said, “Another.”

The duskwyrm writhed and spat out a sapphire orb. Amira grabbed it and admired it, then slipped it into her pocket.

“Another,” she commanded, her voice rising.

The duskwyrm produced a stunning imperial topaz, finely faceted and lit as if from within.

“Amira, please,” Willow said. “He doesn’t like it.”

“Another,” Amira demanded.

The duskwyrm’s sides heaved as it disgorged a plum-sized diamond. A thin trail of blood ran from one nostril.

“You’re hurting him,” Willow said.

Amira ignored her and flicked her tongue over her teeth. “Another.”

The wyrm made a pitiful sound, exhausted and small.

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