Chapter 2 #2
She’d lived in Tesh for years now, and her visits home had dwindled to a handful of special occasions over the last few years.
David Palmer had been friends with her brother, August, for as long as Portia could remember, and had worked on the ferry to Starling Island since Portia had left for the Academy herself.
She remembered one of Ophelia’s letters mentioning that he had been made captain.
Like most people on the island, he probably had something of a crush on her brother.
Everyone loved August, men and women alike.
That was part of his magic, Iris used to say.
Ah but not enough to stay… He had a trail of tattered relationships behind him.
August remained completely oblivious to the attraction he engendered in others, which was just as well.
He would have been completely insufferable otherwise.
‘Yes, well.’ She shifted awkwardly and lifted her arm without thinking. Jade stirred, eyes opening warily. She fixed them on the captain and her wings fluttered out anxiously. The tail tightened on Portia’s wrist. She stroked the dragon’s long neck to calm her.
To her surprise, David smiled warmly. ‘She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she? A bit under the weather, looks like. Not to worry. Your aunt will see her right in no time.’
Grateful for the change of subject, Portia forced a smile onto her face. ‘Yes. She’s been through a bit of an ordeal but I’m sure we can get her back to health soon. She’s very nervous. I should get to the inn, secure a room, and get her settled if you don’t mind.’
The passage to Starling Island was not long, but it was treacherous, and the weather frequently made it impassable. The inn at Bennin dock thrived on the fact. Portia had stayed there before on several occasions over the years. Most people did.
‘I’ll take you there now,’ he told her. For the first time Portia could remember, coming back home felt like a relief. He glanced at his manifest. ‘In fact, let me talk to Gallworthy, and get you one of the better rooms.’
‘Oh, you don’t have to—’
But David just grinned and suddenly he was the boy she remembered, running around the island with August. There was devilment in that smile.
‘It’s not every day one of the Starlings comes home, is it?
Don’t worry, Portia. We’ll take care of everything.
If you don’t mind me saying, you look done in. ’
She gave half a laugh. That was an understatement. ‘If it’s no trouble. I don’t want to put anyone out.’
David’s smile turned to something softer. ‘Anything for August’s sister, you know that. Will you dine with me tonight? It would be my honour.’
* * *
The room in the inn David arranged for her was neat, spotlessly clean, and comfortable.
She nestled Jade in the shawl and tried to relax before dinner.
She ought to change, she supposed, especially if she was going to the captain’s table.
She hardly felt like socialising. Still, she didn’t want to show David up, or appear ungrateful.
Besides, the people here knew her and knew her family.
There were standards to be upheld. With a sigh she set about tidying herself up.
She finally persuaded the dragon to eat some of the chocolate, her appetite slowly returning, which was a relief.
It still wasn’t enough, but Portia promised solemnly she would bring something else back for later.
She made sure the windows were securely closed, turned around, and immediately saw that Jade was gone.
Her heart in her throat, Portia searched the room. The dragon couldn’t have got out, could she? There was no way. She’d only turned her back while she dressed herself and the little thing had been fast asleep, she was sure of it.
But there was no sign of her anywhere.
Above the door there was a ventilation panel. It looked far too thin a gap for Jade to have escaped through but Great-Aunt Iris used to say that a teacup dragon could slip through the eye of a needle if there was food in it for them. Affectionately.
Portia didn’t feel particularly affectionate right now.
The wind was getting up as night fell. If Jade found a way outside she could be blown away.
She had no experience of anything beyond the hellish company of Virginia and the dark carrying case in which she was kept.
The world at large would chew her up and spit her out.
Portia opened the door. ‘Jade?’ she called.
She tried whistling, making her way through the inn, downstairs and out the back into the yard where the wind whipped her hair into her face.
There was no sign of her dragon anywhere.
This wasn’t happening. Couldn’t be happening.
Iris would never forgive her if she lost the very creature she had risked her whole career to save. Portia would never forgive herself.
She asked some of the staff but no one had seen anything. The other guests stared at her, this frantic woman with hair all over the place, whistling and ducking down to look in every dark space.
This was no good. She needed help. Actual help. David would aid her, surely.
The captain, she was told, was greeting guests for dinner.
There was a man talking earnestly to David as she approached the entrance to the dining room, tall, broad shouldered, with soft brown hair creeping over his collar. Portia paused, hoping he would move on but to her horror, David’s gaze caught hers and he smiled.
‘Please, Dr Turner, allow me to introduce Lady—’
The man turned, a man far too attractive for his own good, who was glaring at her as if she had personally insulted him on several fronts.
‘Is she the reason I’m sleeping above the stables now?’ he asked. It might have been a joke. But then again, maybe not.
Before Portia had a chance to answer that – and from the guilty frown that passed over David’s brow yes, she very much was the reason – there was a crash from the far side of the door and someone cried out in alarm.
It was followed by a flutter of wings, a screech, the deafening clatter of shattering crockery.
All at once Portia had a perfectly good idea where Jade had got to.
The shouts started. ‘Someone catch it before it—’
Another crash came from inside and before either David or Dr Turner could say anything else to her, Portia rushed through the doors and into yet another scene of chaos with Jade at the centre of it.
This couldn’t be happening. Not again. It was like the Academy all over again.
Portia tried the whistle again but Jade was having too much fun now, clearly.
She soared across the dining room, swooping from table to table, stamping her footprints in the butter as she landed, and leaping into the air again, licking it off her toes with her long pink tongue.
She flew chaotically from point to point, rolling through the open space, apparently having the time of her life.
‘Jade,’ Portia hissed, frantically, trying to look for something that would tempt her to land.
Oh, her appetite had returned, all right.
There was far too much food all over the room, and no one thing was going to appease the dragon at the moment.
Her cries were all of delight and pure joy and she dipped and dived towards the tables and flew off again.
In any other circumstances it would be wonderful to hear. But right now? It was mortifying.
‘Yours?’ asked Dr Turner, his tone scathing. He was right behind her, disapproval radiating from every pore.
‘Yes.’ Portia tried to push her dishevelled hair out of her face. ‘Sort of. It’s a new situation and a very long story. Can you step back? You’re going to frighten her.’
To be honest, he was half frightening Portia the way he glowered at her. He was far too tall. Not that she was going to be frightened by a mere man.
He turned that glare from her to Jade. ‘That is not a frightened dragon. Have you been starving her? That, madam, is a dragon that is in a frenzy of hunger.’
Portia scowled. She certainly didn’t need him to explain dragons to her. ‘Yes, I am well aware of that. Give me a moment to get her to calm down and I will not bother you again.’
She let out the whistle again, but Jade ignored her, perching up on a high beam above them all and stretching her wings out to either side victoriously.
She threw back her head and crowed her triumph.
She was loving this, her belly full of sugar and fat, able to fly free.
The attendant chaos was probably an added bonus.
‘How could you let her get in such a state?’ the man muttered. He hadn’t moved away. Typical. ‘Honestly, some people shouldn’t be allowed to—’
Portia didn’t hang around to hear what he thought some people shouldn’t be allowed to do. She’d had quite enough of him. Stalking forward, she looked around for something to tempt Jade.
And then, from behind her, there was another noise, something between a bark and a roar with a trill of notes in it like a song.
She almost jumped out of her skin, twisting around in alarm, but as she moved, so did Jade, gliding down to land daintily on the outstretched hand of Dr Turner where she cooed and preened herself, showing off.
He stroked her back gently and Jade, the little traitor, rubbed herself against his fingertips.
Deftly he fished something out of his pocket.
Jesses, Portia realised. He fastened them to Jade’s hind legs and held them securely. The dragon didn’t fight him or show any signs of distress. She was still crooning that odd little song at him. He half smiled and made the same noise back at her, softer now. Gentle.
Portia stared at the man.
‘What was that?’
He had the audacity to grin at her. ‘There are other attractions besides food.’
‘Did you just use a mating call?’