34. Chapter 34
N o matter how Ren tossed and turned, sleep refused to come. Every time she shut her eyes, she saw them.
Dragons .
She kicked off the covers, sitting up so fast her head swam. It was all too much.
Talen and Kaelin had accepted the truth with all the gravity of a weather report. Flameborne . As if that title explained anything.
She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and tried to reach back through the fog of a childhood she’d long buried. Surely, if she had this power, this lineage , there would’ve been signs.
But there was nothing. Just an ordinary, human existence leading up to the night Eve betrayed them all and then something inside Ren had… snapped.
A creak split the darkness.
“Tough day?” Mirella’s voice drifted from the corner, heavy with sleep.
Ren sighed, dragging her legs over the edge of the bed. “You could say that.”
The wardrobe’s carved wood groaned as it adjusted itself in the corner. “I’m told I’m an excellent listener. Also, I don’t judge. ”
Ren shot it a sideways glare. “You judged me for wearing brown and gray together yesterday.”
“I said you could do better. That’s not the same.”
Ren tugged her robe over a plain tunic, fingers moving stiffly as she twisted her hair into a quick braid. “Apparently, I’m Flameborne.”
“Is that… contagious?”
“It means I have the blood of dragons. So unless you’ve got fireproof lacquer, you might want to keep your distance.”
“Ooh.” Mirella’s corners pinched in what could only be described as a wooden grimace. “No offense, but I’m not a fan of dragons. Fire and smoke are terrible for my varnish.”
“Yeah. That makes two of us.” She crossed to the door, casting a final glance over her shoulder. “I can’t just sit here stewing in questions. I need answers. And the only place I’m likely to find any is that chaotic excuse of a library.”
“Ah, yes. The Great Pile of Knowledge. Veylan’s a genius, though. He knows where everything is, even if it seems he doesn’t.”
“I’ve noticed,” Ren muttered. Ren opened the door, saying over her shoulder. “Good night, Mirella.”
“Good night, Ren.” Then, almost teasing but with a thread of genuine care, Mirella added, “Don’t stay up too late with those books. You’ve got training in the morning.”
Mirella was already snoring peacefully when Ren closed the door.
As Ren stepped inside the library, Veylan’s voice called from behind the front desk. “Fresh biscuits tonight.” He lounged with his feet up and a plate beside him. “My husband’s trying a new recipe. Do let me know if you think the cinnamon is too much.”
Ren grunted her thanks and snatched a couple of biscuits without slowing. “I’ll be in the back,” she called, already moving.
“More dragon lore?” he asked, voice dropping a notch.
She gave him a furtive glance over her shoulder. “Something like that.”
The shelves swallowed her whole. Scrolls rustled in a phantom breeze. She ducked under a parchment that swept past her face and muttered an apology when she nearly stepped on a dwarf dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief, enraptured by whatever he was reading .
Finally, the vines pulled back for her, the enchanted archway recognizing her presence with a soft shiver. She exhaled in relief as she stepped inside the restricted stacks.
And that’s when she saw a figure sat in the shadows of the far corner, half-shrouded in dim light.
Ren’s fire flared in instinct because she knew that silhouette.
“Oh, saints screw me sideways , not tonight…” Ren groaned.