Page 12 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
The little girl looked up at her with wide eyes, but only momentarily, as she immediately directed her undivided attention back to the softly glowing egg. "Where did you get that?"
"I found it in... my world. Down by the river. It... called to me?" That probably sounded totally crazy.
Lilly stared at her before shaking her head. "Unbelievable." She leaned forward and examined Ava's find up close. "This can't be. A dragon egg. A real dragon egg. There hasn't been one in over a hundred years."
"That long?"
"Oh, even longer. Maybe even two hundred years!" She sounded genuinely amazed, but that didn't make sense to Ava.
"But I saw a dragon earlier when I first encountered the soldiers who are now chasing me."
Although the events of the last few hours felt strangely surreal, she could never attribute the enormous body that had caused that massive shadow to her imagination. She had seen a real dragon. Eager to see how the girl would react, she looked at Lilly. But the little one waved it off.
"There are some, sure, after all, we live in the Kingdom of Dragons. But no new ones have been born in hundreds of years."
Now it was Ava's turn to blink rapidly. "Why have I never heard of this country?" Even as she asked the question, she realized the answer. Because she had passed through a portal into another world.
And the chimney sweep knew about it?
She pushed that thought aside and focused on the vital heart of the matter. Everything was real. Stunned, she looked at Lilly. "How is it possible that no dragon has been born for so long if this country is called the Kingdom of Dragons? How long do these creatures live?"
Lilly stuffed the bread into her backpack, shouldered it, and stood up. "I'll explain that to you later. First, we need to take the dragon egg to a safe place. The king must not get his hands on it under any circumstances!"
Ava wanted to ask if it wasn't already safe in this underground room, until her gaze once again swept over the sparse furnishings. Perhaps the soldiers couldlocate the egg, and then she would be putting both Lilly and the unborn dragon in danger.
Restlessly, she stood up, clutching the dragon egg tightly to her chest. Was this why the voice in her heart had asked her to hide the egg from the border guards? She was overcome with nervousness and the concern that the matter was more complicated than expected.
"Why mustn't the king get his hands on it?"
Lilly waved her hand dismissively. "It's tricky. I'll explain it to you later, I promise, but first we have to get the egg to safety. That's the top priority." She pointed to Ava's handbag. "It's best if you put it back in there. It seems comfortable there and it's protected from prying eyes."
Comfortable?
"Trust her."
Easier said than done...
She didn't know the rules of this world, but if the two of them agreed, she would—she took a deep breath—she would just try to trust. She put the egg back in the bag and stood up.
"Where do you suggest it would be safe?"
Lilly furrowed her brow thoughtfully, which emphasized the seriousness of her childlike appearance. "It's best if we go to Ernesto. He's a tailor. He'll know what to do."
"Is that your father?"
The little one shook her head, a bitter twist to her lips. "I don't have parents anymore."
Her chest constricting, Ava looked at the pitiful camp anew, thought of the chunk of bread, and examined the lonely brass lamp. A realization came over her as she studied the starving girl. "You live here all alone?"
Lilly's gaze hardened. "Back then, I had a choice: dieor go underground. As you can see, I chose the second option. Now come on. If the soldiers saw the egg, they won't rest until they've caught you."
Life had made the little one tough. Otherwise she wouldn't have survived.
Her heart clenched and she felt the urge to hug her. As if sensing her intention, Lilly took a step back and turned away to leave the hideout. Ava understood; she had reacted the same way back then. After all, she was a stranger to the little one. Lilly had probably learned to be careful and not to give her trust away lightly.
"Where does this Ernesto live?"
"I'll lead you to him." The girl grabbed the brass lamp and lit their way.
