Chapter 26
EDEN
“All right,” Vaela said. “Go on. Hand it over.”
Min made a great gargling sound in the back of her throat. I’d never heard a dragon make such a sound before. I winced as Vaela held a metal bucket above her head, teetering slightly as she tried to position herself right beneath Min’s mouth.
Suddenly, a great glob of dragon saliva landed in the bucket with an impressive thud. “Gross,” Vaela murmured, lowering the bucket to look at it. Her face screwed up, and she wafted her hand in front of her nose. “Ugh, the smell. Glad I haven’t eaten yet.”
Min made a chuffing sound.
“That’s not natural,” Vaela said to her. “We need to brush your teeth or something.”
I chuckled, watching as Min’s forked tongue lashed at Vaela.
“Knock it off.” She shuffled back toward the cottage, plopping the buck down on the porch next to me. “Special delivery. One bucket of dragon spit.”
“That should be more than enough,” I said, staring down at the thick slime.
It had a slightly greenish hue that was mildly concerning.
Then again, if it worked, this spit would be worth its weight in gold.
I dolloped a spoonful of Min’s saliva into the salve Nisse had helped me prepare earlier in the week.
“What do you think?” Vaela asked as I mixed the two and checked the consistency.
“It’s definitely goopy,” I noted.
“And goopy is good?”
I shot her a grin. “We’ll find out.”
I headed back into the cottage, picked up a dragon scale and a small, feathered brush from my desk, then painted on the saliva salve.
“Can I help?” Vaela asked, coming up behind me. The fact that she still wanted to be a part of this project thrilled me.
“You could… start painting the leathers,” I said, pointing out the materials. “That way I can connect everything when they’re dry.”
Vaela nodded, and we worked in amicable silence for the rest of the afternoon, snacking on fresh blackberries.
When the sun started to set, I lit candles, giving us enough light to finish coating everything.
Vaela laid the leathers over the bedposts and set the painted scales out on every flat surface, allowing them to dry while I crafted the framework of the armor.
Once I was done, I began the tedious task of securing the scales.
Vaela lit more candles, bringing them close to me as darkness inked across the windows. Min peered in at us through the window, her breath fogging up the glass.
When the chestplate was finally complete, I held it up to inspect my work. “I think we should give it a couple of hours for the salve to really soak in,” I said, crossing the room to set the armor on the rocking chair. “Maybe even until tomorrow morning. Then we get Min to blast it.”
“You did excellent work,” Vaela noted. She reached out, and I caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
“I have a very good feeling about this prototype,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to figuring out a way to genuinely help dragon riders.”
Her lips twitched. “You’re brilliant, you know that?”
I could feel a blush creep into my cheeks as she gazed at me, knowing she meant those words. “I would never have figured it out without your help.”
Min made a noise from outside.
“And Min’s,” I added, placating the dragon. She huffed more steam against the glass.
“You would have,” Vaela insisted. “I’m certain of it. You’re one of the most determined people I’ve ever met, and I know you never would have given up.”
She stepped closer, into the circle of my arms, and I found myself drawn to her as easily as a moth to a flame. The feelings inside me were still at war. I knew how dangerous this could be for my heart. But my heart also refused to stop wanting her.
And I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life wanting.
What if you have to spend it mourning? my mind asked.
I didn’t know how to answer that question.
I didn’t want to answer it.
Couldn’t I just have a bit more time in the bubble we’d created?
This perfect bubble of time where nothing and no one existed except for each other. The only thing I cared about right now was the way she looked at me and how wonderful it felt to be pressed against her. Couldn’t we stay safe behind these walls?
“What do you say to some dinner now?” Vaela asked, pecking me on the nose. “We could go down to the pub so I can get you that pie I promised and see what nonsense everyone’s getting up to?”
“I say…” I nipped at her jaw lightly. “I’d like that.”
She tipped toward me, grinning in an enticing way, and I felt the heat of her breath on my lips. My pulse started to thunder in my ears, but before we could seal the moment with anything more than a kiss, Min growled and something collided with the door. Hard.
Vaela and I jumped apart.
“The armor,” I hissed, eyes widening. “Hide it!”
Vaela darted for the chestplate, stuffing it out of sight of the door. I grabbed the handle a beat later and pulled the door open just a fraction. But it was only—
“Nisse?” I said, confused.
“Vaela. You have to come quickly!” she cried breathlessly.
Vaela appeared behind me. “What is it?”
“The kingsguard are looking for you,” she said. “The Wretch has escaped.”
“What do you mean it escaped?” My heart skipped a beat as fear coiled around my spine. “It got away? Was anyone hurt?”
Nisse shook her head, looking horrified. “It didn’t leave town.”
And then, I heard it. A thunderous roar that sent the leftover scales around the cottage rattling. Vaela darted out the door first, catching Min’s attention long enough to scramble up her back and lift off. Nisse and I ran down the path after them.
When we rounded the side of the infirmary, fire was already burning through town.
Min landed not far from us. “It’s the rooftops on the west side of the square, mostly,” Vaela called. “But it’ll spread.”
“Stars,” I said as orange light filled the night sky, unsure of what we were meant to do.
“Look out!”
I felt Vaela’s hand wrap around my collar a second before she dragged me to the ground. The torrent of flame that exploded overhead was hot enough to shatter windows.
“The infirmary!” I shouted, getting back to my feet.
Vaela latched onto my wrist. “Eden, no! Don’t be ridiculous!”
“The store cupboards,” Nisse said, clutching her head. “All our supplies. Everything.”
“It’s not worth it,” Vaela said to us. “Whatever you lose can be replaced.”
A light flickered in one of the downstairs windows, moving the way a candle flame might. “There’s someone inside!” I shouted. It had to be Gunther. My heart lurched so hard I thought I might be sick.
I broke free of Vaela’s hold and raced up the porch steps. I threw myself through the door. The building already groaned under the assault of the flames.
“Gunther!” I screamed, hacking on the tarry black clouds that quickly filled the space.
Vaela tugged on the back of my tunic. “Get below the smoke.”
I wafted my hands in front of my face, lungs already screaming for fresh air as I raced in the direction of Gunther’s office.
The door was stuck when I reached it. I shoved against it with my shoulder.
Vaela did, too. Finally, the door released, flying open under our combined weight, and there Gunther was, slumped over on his writing desk.
I crouched at his side, pressing my fingers to his neck, swearing in relief when I felt the unsteady thump of his pulse.
“He’s alive,” I croaked.
Vaela took one of his arms while I grabbed the other, and together we hoisted Gunther up between us, dragging him toward the front door of the infirmary.
The ceiling creaked ominously above us, red flames licking down from overhead.
I shoved dark memories of swirling infernos aside.
Now was not the time to panic and freeze.
“Wait a second,” Vaela screamed, her voice drowned out by the crash of the ceiling dropping down in the middle of the exam room, spitting sparks at us. A wall of fire roared up, blocking the door.
I squinted my eyes against the heat.
“Turn back,” I cried, dragging Vaela and Gunther into the office.
“Hold him,” Vaela said, and I sagged under Gunther’s full weight. She picked up his wooden chair and tossed it out the window.
The glass shattered. A wave of heat billowed from behind us, the flames in the exam room intensifying.
Vaela came back to help me with Gunther. “Watch the glass. Let’s go.”
We shoved his unconscious body out the window first. He hit the ground with a thud. Then we jumped out behind him. I fell to my knees, feeling for a pulse again.
“Are you two okay?” Nisse cried, skidding down next to us. She grabbed Vaela’s hand. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine.”
“Gunther!” I barked, shaking his shoulders. My pulse rushed in my ears like a torrent of water, panic bubbling in my gut. I reared up and jammed the heels of my palms into his sternum. Hard. “Gunther, wake up!”
His eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a sharp breath. I pressed my hand to his cheek. Bless the stars.
“Oh, thank you!” Nisse said, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.
A roar thundered across the sky. This time it wasn’t the Wretch. It was Min. She collided with the collapsing chimney on the roof, knocking it aside before it could come crashing down on our heads.
“Move!” Vaela shouted, grabbing Gunther by the shoulders and hauling him further away from the burning infirmary. We scrambled to help.
Min touched down and Vaela threw herself onto her back. Before they could take off again, she turned to me, reaching out her hand. “Are you coming?”
My mouth dropped open. “What?”
Panic seized my muscles. I’d never been on a dragon before. I wasn’t even sure how to ride a dragon. But I wasn’t about to let Vaela fly toward all that fire alone.
I couldn’t wait around with bated breath to see if she’d come back to me, dreading every moment. And perhaps she knew that, and that’s why she’d asked.
I surged forward and caught her hand, letting her hoist me into place behind her.
“Hang on to me!” she called, and in an instant, we were airborne.
My stomach wrenched up, then down. Once it settled, the thrill of the flight ate away at my fear.
I locked my legs in place, curled my arms around Vaela’s stomach, and understood the desire to soar through the clouds like this. To be utterly and terrifyingly free.
Then I looked down, seeing the plumes of dragonfire lash across the town, and I almost lost my breath.
The Wretch moved down alleyways, clawing holes into the sides of buildings, the world shuddering in its wake.
It opened its mouth, shook its massive head and a spiral of fire burned through the air.
“It’s going to destroy everything,” I said, trying not to get lost in my memories. There was no time for old grief. If I let myself get overwhelmed by the past, the Wretch was going to destroy my entire future.
I laid my hand on Vaela’s shoulder. “We have to figure out how to stop it.”