Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
SOFIA
Sofia argued for two hours with Micael before he finally agreed to let her, Flor, and Javi speak with the shapeshifters.
He noted that at least this way, if the shapeshifter tribe attacked on sight, they’d only lose three allies.
She knew he wasn’t joking. Sofia wasn’t sure how Clarita and the others would react to her showing up, but she didn’t think they’d be welcomed with open arms.
“There she is,” Javi said, looking over the lip of the cenote.
Flor was carefully making her way up the stairs.
It was just after sunrise, the rest of the cenote still sleeping.
Micael had thought it better to not mention Sofia’s mission to the others.
No one needed false hope after Jacinta and Delio’s failed mission.
When Flor finally crested the cenote and came into view, it became clear why she was running late.
“You can’t bring all of that with us,” Sofia said, eyeing the two daggers and the sharpened walking stick Flor was holding. She also had a bow flung over her back, and Sofia could only assume she had arrows tucked somewhere.
“You said these people might think you massacred the rest of their tribe. I’m not showing up unarmed.”
“We’re showing up on the back of a dragon,” she noted. “I want them to see that we’re coming in the name of peace. As much as we can.”
“Peace means nothing if we get an arrow in the neck before we have the chance to speak.”
“Then bring a shield,” Javi said, raising an eyebrow.
She pulled a small hand-carved shield from her back. “I have that, too.”
Sofia shook her head. “One dagger and one shield. I promise, Chalia is prepared to protect us if things take a turn for the worse.”
“Two daggers. The second one is small,” Flor said, moving her tunic to cover the second dagger better. “See.”
“Fine. Drop the rest.”
Flor did so reluctantly, running back down into the cenote to leave the rest of her weapons behind. Sofia could only hope she wasn’t just finding other ways to hide them on her body. But when she returned, true to her word, only the single dagger and small shield were visible.
“Let’s go.”
The flight took longer than it should have, but they had to fly low, Chalia weaving through the canopy of the forest to ensure she was hidden.
The last thing they needed was word to get back to Harlow that a dragon was sighted soaring above the forest—again.
That hadn’t ended well for anyone last time.
“I’m sorry about that,” Chalia said, clearly listening in on Sofia’s thoughts again.
“Sorry?” Sofia asked, trying to understand what Chalia was reacting to.
Instead of answering with words, Sofia’s mind filled with the image of the raging river she and Fox had been swept up in. And in the vision she heard herself crying out, “You’re going to kill them.”
She felt the heaviness of the shame shuddering through Chalia even now and Sofia’s heart cracked.
“It was a mistake, and you stopped the moment I asked.”
“I thought I had made a mistake in coming. My parents had told me not to answer your prayer, but I did anyway and then I almost killed you.”
This had been the first time Chalia had referenced her family, and Sofia held her breath, too afraid to scare her into stopping.
They’d tried to ask her about the other dragons throughout the past week—but all Sofia had gathered was that there were other dragons still alive and they had no intention of coming out of hiding.
“I’m so grateful you answered,” Sofia said, carefully. “You saved us. You’ve given us hope.”
“I can’t even help you get back home to your friends,” Chalia said, picturing Fox in her mind. Sofia’s chest tightened at the image. It was what Fox looked like directly after their kiss. His cheeks flushed, lips swollen, and eyes filled with pain.
“We will get back there. And you can help us, though we need to know where the rest of the dragons are.”
It was a dangerous question and sure enough, Chalia shuddered beneath her, Flor and Javi both letting out small gasps at the vibration.
“Can’t. Can’t. Can’t,” she chanted.
“I know. I know. I’m sorry,” Sofia said, trying to push as much comfort into the words as she could. “Have you been able to talk to Eha again?”
They had only briefly talked about the dragon Fox had prayed to back in the city. Chalia knew nothing more than that the dragon was trapped somewhere.
“I haven’t heard her since that night, and even then, I’ve only gotten a few broken words.”
Sofia suspected Eha was the dragon working with Harlow, though she couldn’t explain why the dragon would have tried to contact Chalia if she’d betrayed the other dragons.
“She didn’t betray us. She wouldn’t.”
Sofia tried to push away her thoughts, feeling the current of unease from Chalia at the direction they’d taken.
“I’m sorry.” She hoped Chalia recognized how much she meant it. She saw the break ahead and the telltale sign of a small trail of smoke coming up from the morning cook fires. At last, a good distraction.
“We’re here,” she said aloud.
Chalia glided down without being asked, sensing Sofia’s thoughts in the way she was slowly getting used to.
They’d discussed options of walking up to the cenote versus bringing a dragon down on the tribe, but they’d decided it was best to get the initial sighting over with.
And it was safer to have Chalia there to act as a shield if things went poorly.
There was a scream and then Sofia saw the shapeshifters running within their cenote, scrambling toward weapons.
She raised her hands, trying to call over the cacophony, but she didn’t think they’d heard.
And then she saw them, the exact person she’d been looking for.
Lumi’s hawk form darted up from the cenote, sharp and focused.
They definitely recognized Sofia because the hawk immediately angled to the side when Sofia made eye contact, twisting to dart straight for her, talon outstretched.
Chalia dove to the side, blocking the hawk’s attack, even as she landed on the ground a few yards from the cenote. They jumped off quickly, Flor raising her dagger high, as Sofia tried to call out to the shapeshifters again.
Before she could raise her voice, Lumi was there again, morphing quickly from hawk to person. Sofia barely registered them before she was thrown back by a punch to the face.
Chalia roared, but it was Flor who jumped forward, shoving herself between Lumi and Sofia.
The two of them tumbled to the ground, Flor straddling Lumi.
She slashed down with her blade. Before it could connect, Lumi was transforming again.
The hawk slipped out from beneath Flor, their beak drawing blood as they pecked at Flor’s face.
Sofia stumbled back to her feet, watching the chaos with growing concern that one of them was going to kill the other. Chalia shattered the air with a roar so low, Sofia felt it in her blood.
When the roar dropped away, so did any sound.
The birds had fled, the trees held their breath, and Flor and Lumi were left on the ground panting.
A naked Lumi straddled Flor, hands wrapped around her neck.
Flor’s dagger had been dropped somewhere in their scuffle, but Sofia saw the woman was reaching into her belt for the second dagger.
“Don’t,” she said, hoping her voice had any of the tenacity and gravity of Chalia’s.
Flor looked at Sofia, betrayal written across her face, but her hand fell to her side, empty. It also appeared to be the same moment she realized the shapeshifter straddling her was completely naked, because her face flushed a deep red and she averted her eyes, staying focused on Sofia.
Before she could say anything else, a voice she didn’t plan on ever hearing again rang out from the lip of the cenote.
“Lumi, stand down,” Clarita said, stepping forward. She had her bow in one hand, but her arrows were at her belt and her hand was raised in supplication.
Sofia held her breath. Lumi didn’t tighten their grip, but they didn’t let go of Flor’s neck, either.
“Lumi,” Clarita said, again.
“You’re going to let them finish the job? There is probably an army of king’s men coming even now.” Their hands must have tightened because Flor let out a strangled growl and her hand reached out for her dagger again.
“Lumi, stand down,” Clarita said. “That’s an order I won’t repeat again.”
They didn’t move for a moment, but then their hands released Flor, and they stood slowly. The muscle in their jaw jumped.
Clarita turned back to Sofia, lips pinched. “I’m assuming you’re not here to kill us, given that the dragon didn’t simply eat us.”
“I came to talk,” Sofia said. “You’ll have to forgive me for scaring you, but there isn’t an easy way to bring a dragon for a visit.”
“Is that what this is? A visit?” Clarita questioned, shoulders stiff.
“A visit,” Sofia said slowly, “to ask a favor.”
“Fuck that,” Lumi said and Sofia startled at the word coming from such a soft-spoken person and in king’s tongue.
She hadn’t heard them speak the language before.
Their accent was thick, but it was clear they wanted all three of them to understand their words.
“The last time we did you a favor, our entire tribe was killed. And you conveniently disappeared immediately after.”
“We didn’t—we weren’t the ones that killed your people.” Sofia knew even as she said them the words were empty. She and Fox might not have shot the arrows, but it was their fault that the soldiers had been there.
“It was my fault,” Chalia said, the shame seeping into Sofia’s body even as she spoke the words.
“I will not pretend that Fox and I being here wasn’t the catalyst. It was our fault they came. I can’t ask for forgiveness.” Sofia felt her throat closing up.
Lumi stepped toward Sofia, finger raised. “You won’t get it. Do you know how many people died that day? And their bodies—there was barely anything left to bury.” Their voice cracked and the raw pain in their eyes made her chest ache.