Page 173 of I Dream of Dragons
“She is… fierce.”
She is.I find myself smiling.Strong and stubborn.
“There you go again, tacky and overly sweet.”
You don’t even know what that means.
“And I don’t care enough to find out. Did you want something? Or did you just want to socialize with me? Are you feeling lonely?”
Fuck off. I have questions, and I’m sure you know more than you’re letting on.
“Always,”he says, deadpan.“Doesn’t everyone?”
Are you really Astar, the original Eosphor?
“I am.”
And you’ve always known that? Who you are, who I am, how we crossed into this world, and why? You kept it from me.
“Hold your dragons.”
You mean, horses.
“Whatever means of transport you have at hand. I didn’t willfully withhold any knowledge from you. Let’s just say that for a long time, my consciousness was foggy, at best. Of course I knew who I was. I didn’t realize I had to inform you that I am Astar. That’s in the history books.”
I snort.
“But I didn’t know who you were or why we were tangled together until these past few days. It’s still… slightly unclear.”
What’s unclear? How we became tangled?
“No, that’s covered. That was bad enough when it happened.”His voice in my head sharpens with anger.“I want to know why you decided to cross and take me along with you.”
Tit for tat. I tell you that, and you tell me what else you know.
“About what?”he asks.
About what really happened to Rae’s family.
Another silence.“Ask your question.”
I bow my head, drawing a fortifying breath.How did she survive? How did she turn into finnfolk?
“That’s… an unexpected question. I thought you were going to ask about…”He pauses.“Never mind. You know that after the king grabbed you and took you to the palace to live with him, you were confused.”
You mean crazy. Because you had awoken inside my mind. Right? The memories are still fuzzy on that part.
“Yes. So you were present when the king decided to head back and massacre everyone, and you insisted on going along.”
Cold shivers over my skin, sinking into my bones. I was really there.
“Indeed you were. You were lucid enough to think you could see her again, stop any violence but you were wrong on the latter part. You found her, though. And through you… I… saved her.”
You?
“Don’t sound so surprised. I am a powerful Eosphor. Changing creatures into other creatures without a gate is challenging, but I am a dragonking. We are a dragonking. We have many abilities.”
I rather meant… why? She may be growing on you now, but you don’t care for humans.
