Chapter 23
Portia woke up in her own bed. Jade was curled up on her pillow next to her, and stirred when she did, purring and nuzzling at her as if seeking to comfort Portia and seeking to be comforted at the same time.
At least she seemed more herself again. The familiar atmosphere of the island was all around them and Portia drew in a breath that filled her lungs and her heart.
She could smell the ocean, the spray in the air, and the scent of the forest rising to the windows of the castle.
All her things clustered on the shelves of her bedroom.
But when she tried to move a deep ache of exhaustion stole her breath. Jade gave a trill of alarm.
‘Oh, thank Wenn,’ Ophelia exclaimed. She’d been sitting at the bedside, watching her. ‘Hang on, I’ll fetch the others. Don’t move.’
As if she could. Gradually, Portia forced herself to sit up while Jade fussed and far off shouting told her that her siblings were approaching like an army charging into battle.
August got there first of course, barrelling into the room.
‘What were you thinking? That was so dangerous. Experimental magic is not something to be toyed with, Portia. Milo says it could have killed you. You know better than that!’
Then he grabbed her and hugged her so hard she was pretty sure he was going to crush her to death anyway.
‘Ow,’ she told him.
He released her so quickly she fell back down on the pillows and Jade burst up at him, squawking indignantly, scolding him thoroughly.
Her brother was unimpressed at her display of course, but shielded himself from the angry teacup dragon.
‘All right, all right,’ he said to Jade.
‘I won’t hurt her. But what on earth happened? You’re meant to be in Tesh.’
She would need to explain it to them all, that she had probably ruined all their lives yet again, but for the moment, all she could see was her family. And Milo. She hadn’t even started in on him yet. He looked ashen, but right now her problems with him were the least of her worries.
Seb took her hands, running his fingertips over her pulse points deftly, checking her magically.
‘You were very lucky,’ he said at last. ‘Your magic is all over the place, Portia. You and Jade… I don’t know what that portal spell did, but it isn’t safe to be used yet.
Someone needs to talk to the students and—’
‘I’ll do that when I get back,’ said Milo, and she couldn’t miss the sharp look Seb shot him.
He hung back by the door and the two of them were keeping as far apart from each other as possible she noticed.
Probably only willing to be in the same room as each other for her sake right now.
‘Someone clearly needs to take Maxim in hand.’
‘He reminded me of you, Seb,’ Portia said before she thought better of it.
He drew back, releasing her. ‘Well then, they’ll probably kick him out within a month. Milo can see to that. The sooner the better probably.’
So clearly that reunion was not going well. How could it?
‘Portia,’ said Ophelia sternly, her expression implacable. ‘What happened? Where is Iris?’
And to her eternal horror, Portia burst into tears.
It took a while for her to get the whole story out. About Virginia bespelling Noah. About the events in the arena. She’d only got as far as her escape when there was an uproar downstairs.
Esme appeared at the door, looking frantic. ‘There’s a troop of royal guards here. And a horrible shouty woman. Portia, they say they’re here for you.’
‘I’ll deal with this,’ August growled, his shoulders tightening dangerously.
‘I’ll help,’ Milo said. ‘They’re more likely to listen to me.’ And he might not make things worse as August was likely to do if his temper got the better of him.
‘Milo,’ she began, and then found she didn’t know what to say. She needed to ask why he’d done it, why he’d stolen her work and what he was doing here. If he felt as guilty as he looked, it was far too late now, wasn’t it?
‘We can talk later,’ he told her firmly and then he was gone, hurrying after the gathering storm that was August Starling.
Portia wilted.
‘What did he do this time?’ Seb asked darkly.
Portia shook her head. This was not the time. ‘I need to get up. I can’t make them deal with this for me. It’s Virginia Moorland, isn’t it? It has to be. Ophelia, will you keep Jade safe up here? That woman cannot be allowed near her.’
* * *
Lady Virginia Moorland sat in Iris’s best parlour as if she was a queen on her throne.
The glass doors leading to the terrace beyond stood open and several of the royal guards waited outside.
August, Milo and their captain were in a fierce standoff.
As Portia entered they fell quiet, staring.
She had dressed herself in the fitted jacket and long skirt she favoured when she wanted to make a good impression at the Academy.
It felt like donning armour. Ophelia and Seb had helped her wipe away all evidence of tears and exhaustion.
She looked every inch the scholar and the professor she knew herself to be.
It was something to hide behind.
Virginia rose from the chair she had claimed and pointed her finger dramatically, like some kind of avenging spirit.
‘Captain Zacarius, arrest her immediately.’
The captain of the royal guards drew in a deep breath, marshalling his patience, while beside him August bristled. Always ready for a fight, her big brother.
‘No one is arresting my sister,’ he rumbled.
‘I agree,’ Milo chimed in and Portia glared at him. August wasn’t the only one with a temper. The confusion that passed over Milo’s face just made her even angrier. That helped. That was something she could work with.
She had always been angry. As long as she could remember. She just pushed it down and used it to drive her forwards. She channelled it.
So, this time when she lifted her voice it was clear and strong. ‘If anyone should be arrested, Virginia, it’s you.’
Virginia’s face turned white as bone. ‘Where is my dragon, you thief?’
‘I’m not a thief. And Jade is safe. She belongs here. You are not taking her anywhere.’
‘I’ll take this whole sorry rescue apart if I have to.’
‘You’ll have to go through me to do it.’ Portia clenched her hands into fists.
‘Ladies, please,’ Captain Zacarius tried to interject. ‘I’m sure this can be resolved without any further recriminations. Lady Moorland has ownership papers for the dragon, Lady Starling. I have them here. I truly am sorry, but you must relinquish the beast.’
‘She’s not a beast,’ August told him and the captain glanced at her brother.
Dear lord, August was going to get himself in even worse trouble than she had if she didn’t put a stop to this right away. Championing her, and a teacup dragon.
She took a deep breath, readying herself for anything.
But Milo spoke first. ‘If you’ll allow me, Captain, there seems to be some confusion here.
Lady Moorland gave Jadis to Portia at the fundraising dinner.
I was there. We all heard her.’ He smiled at Virginia who looked fit to murder him.
And somehow Milo – who always folded, who didn’t stand up to anyone powerful, who Portia had always told to believe in himself and not let them push him around – Milo had the upper hand here.
‘I did no such thing!’
‘You said… let me see, I should be able to get this right…’ He spread his hands wide and closed his eyes.
The familiar wash of his magic swirled through the air.
If felt like spring rain, fresh and sharp and…
Virginia’s voice filled the air, not her voice now but her voice then.
Word for word. Every scathing tone, every vicious intonation.
‘Keep the cursed thing, if you want. Much good it will do you.’
Milo opened his eyes. ‘I think that was it. Do you concur, Portia?’
She almost laughed. She couldn’t help herself. It didn’t matter if she concurred or not. They had heard the truth spoken in Virginia’s own voice.
‘Is this true, your ladyship?’ asked Zacarius, his expression far more solemn now. The word of a member of the Academy was never doubted, especially not a newly minted golden boy like Milo. And he’d just used magic to pull her very words out of the air to use against her.
Virginia’s mouth opened and closed, but this time, for once, she couldn’t say anything at all.
‘There were a large number of people gathered there,’ Milo added. ‘I’m sure they would be more than happy to corroborate. The highest members of the Academy in fact.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Virginia went on. ‘This isn’t just about the dragon.
Hang the dragon. Portia Starling assaulted me.
She wanted to poison… I don’t know. Me probably.
Or Ambassador Gilden. Yes, probably the ambassador himself and then where would we have been?
She planned to do an outrage at the show.
She had that bottle of poison. She ran, clearly an admission of guilt, and her conspirator attacked the guards to aid her escape.
Isn’t that evidence enough? Do as I say, Zacarius, or you are going to regret it.
Your commanding officer is a close personal friend of mine, as is the general. ’
The poor man sighed. He didn’t look happy about any of this. ‘I am sworn to obey you in this, Lady Moorland, it is true. And events at the Royal Show must be answered for. We will unravel all of this back in Tesh. Lady Portia Starling, I must take you into custody to—’
A sound tore through the air all around them, a warbling song, high and sharp, which sent hearts racing. It was a sound of alarm.
‘What is that?’ Milo gasped.
‘The dragons,’ said Portia. ‘It’s the teacup dragons.’
The whole flight on Starling Island was crying out. Oh heavens, Portia thought, what now?
Suddenly the room was full of them, flying through the air, twisting, and turning.
They flew down from the snuggery and the orangery, in and out of the windows, along the corridors of the castle, bright and glittering, their hummingbird wings iridescent blurs.
They moved so fast they couldn’t be counted.
They darted and tumbled, calling out to the humans there, diving at the guards to scatter them outside.
They were… excited, Portia realised. Not angry, not agitated.
Not afraid. They were beside themselves with… delight?
A shadow passed over the terrace, huge and dark, blocking out the sun.
Everyone ran outside, staring up. Another dragon came into view, one she didn’t know, small at first, but only, Portia realised, because it was far away.
The air around it shimmered in the same way the air around Maxim’s Portal had, with that fractured light, almost painful to look on.
And then the dragon grew as it sped towards them, faster and faster, golden, and glorious, great wings creating a wind as it circled the castle, before heading for the terrace.
As it landed, its wingspan filled the entire space, driving those already there back several steps.
In its forearms it carried two figures, as carefully as if they were dolls and it set them down on the ground with the utmost care.
Iris, Portia realised in a great wave of relief, her great-aunt beaming like a child on their birthday – and – looking somewhat more frazzled about the whole thing – Noah.
The great golden dragon gave a trumpet of greeting to the teacup dragons which whirled gleefully around him, and then, even as Portia watched, he folded in on himself, the wings tucking away until they became a formal blue and gold brocade frock coat, the hands retracting into silk gloves and the crested head resolving into the eerily handsome face of Ambassador Gilden.
Jade alighted on his shoulder and he raised a hand in greeting. ‘Hello again, little cousin.’
Portia took one look at Noah and rushed towards him. He folded his arms around her, almost sagging with relief. ‘What happened to you?’ he asked. ‘Are you all right? Did they arrest you?’
‘No. Not yet. I mean – oh goodness, Noah, what happened to you?’
‘Well,’ said Iris, smoothing down her hair. ‘It seems we are not too late after all. Excellent. Captain, with the blessing of his majesty the king, the ambassador has evidence to present against Lady Moorland. Do you still have that vial of Dewsalt? I believe that will sort out everything.’