Page 52 of Scaled Hearts

I smile a little at him, even through my sadness.

I really do love this dragon. Even though he can drive me crazy, he still is trying to help me and my sister.

“Okay. We’ll do that, then.”

* * *

We pack the flowers carefully and fly out through the hole in the top of the chamber over the city center.

It’s much easier heading out that way versus trying to navigate our way back through the caverns and figuring out how not to get lost again while backtracking. I make sure to navigate Angurus carefully through the stalactites that hang down, ready to skewer him again.

When we clear the caverns and fly off into the morning light, I’m finally able to breathe again. Even though we’d taken out the naga settlement, I still had been waiting for something to come and jump out to attack us to finish off the job that had been started.

I hold onto Angurus’ horns tight while we fly back to the encampment, my mind wandering back to my sister once again. I hope that Old Agatha has kept her relaxed and she hasn’t had any more outbursts. That woman deserves more than what I can provide her with.

Maybe after this is all over, I can have Angurus take me back to his cave where I can snatch a few of his treasures and bring them back for Old Agatha to have.

I’m sure she could find plenty of things to do with a pile of coins – a small mound of ipias no less! – at her disposal. Maybe it would help her fix up that hut of hers just like she’s been wanting to do.

We reach the familiar terrain of Northern Kaynvu in just under a few hours.

With the flowers clutched in my hands and his clothing draped over my arm, I have Angurus touch down behind one of the buildings near the outskirts. He shifts and takes his clothes back from me, his fingers deftly buttoning and tying himself into his garments.

Since I hadn’t been able to find him a cloak or a hood of some kind, we’ll need to stay as far away from people as possible. The only upside to that is that it’s around noontime, so everyone should be hard at work in the mines besides Agatha.

As our village healer, she is entrusted with certain privileges that the rest of us don’t have.

We quickly hurry through the streets, keeping our heads down and diving behind things at the occasional crossroads. When we get to Agatha’s hut, I quickly push the door open and drag Angurus inside.

“Agatha?” I call for her.

I round the corner, expecting to see her standing in the kitchen but it’s surprisingly void of her.

That’s strange. There’s a pot of something boiling on her stove.

“Where is she?” Angurus asks me.

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

Just as I’m about to tell him that we should head outside and look around the back where her garden is, I hear someone crash through the front door.

Angurus’ arm comes around to shield me behind his large frame.

I peak over his shoulder, bracing myself as whoever it is comes around the corner.

I blink when I see a haggard-looking Agatha.

“Kelly?” her voice sounds rough, like she is hoarse from screaming.

“What happened?”

She shakes her head at me. “They have her. The orcs came and took Kara away.”

23

Angurus

Ifly us to the mines as fast as my wing can beat.

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