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Eha?

She is in the dark. But I am not.

Fox shook his head, trying to understand where the thoughts were coming from. There was a pounding in his skull, as if he’d swum too far underwater, and he had to step back and remind himself to breathe.

“Javi, grab some crates. We’re climbing on,” Sofia was barking orders and it took Fox a moment to realize what she was planning.

“Are you insane?”

“Yes,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

“You can’t ride a dragon.”

“Yes, I can. We all can.” Her tone brooked no argument.

Fox turned back to the dragon, her eyes sparkling with sharp intelligence. She’d come for him. She’d answered his prayer, not to bring destruction to Suvi, but to save him—to save the resistance. He didn’t think, reaching forward to run his hand along the scales of the dragon’s side, like a moth to the flame. They were hot to the touch, but not painful—hard, yet soft.

“You can take them?”

“I can hold most. Some. Probably.”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought the dragon might have been stuttering over her words. Or maybe even she wasn’t confident in what she could do.

“You better protect them,” he thought, hoping his tone was conveyed.

“Your tone is plenty clear, Pale Scales. I don’t need threats. I will protect them. I will protect her.”

He stepped back, his head swimming, but he shook it off. He didn’t know if he should trust a dragon, but then again, if he couldn’t trust a god—who could he trust?

The others who had remained in the street were growing braver, slowly stepping back toward the dragon when they realized she didn’t plan on eating them.

Fox helped Flor move a few crates to the side of the dragon to use as steps, her back higher than a donkey’s would be. Another rebel was already lining people up. Some were from the prison, but there were others, too. Civilians who hadn’t run and were now looking up at the dragon with awe.

“Not everyone will fit,” Ian said beside him before Fox could admit even the dragon didn’t think so. “It can hold a dozen at best and there are more than two times that many left.”

“I know.” Sofia bit her lip, doing the calculations herself. “We can take trips.”

“That won’t work,” Ian said, shaking his head.

“Then we prioritize the most injured and the children,” Sofia said, voice strained.

Flor stepped closer, keeping her voice low. “We can’t send children into the rainforest unprotected and the injured need to be looked after.”

“I can take the children and the civilians,” Ian said. “I can hide them in the city until we can find another way out. But Sofia, Micael, and those from the cenote, you need to get out now while you can.”

“Vato—if you get caught—” Sofia started.

“I’ve always been one step away from getting caught,” he said, and Fox was reminded once more how little he knew about his oldest friend—his only friend. “The king will punish the Dragonborn for tonight, but he can’t execute everyone or even most of the people that fought back tonight. He’ll be looking for you most of all. As long as you make it out, you can help us from the outside.”

Fox watched the exchange with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Ian’s right,” Fox said, stepping forward, resolute. “The soldiers won’t know who actually fought against them tonight and they can’t kill the entire work force of Suvi. Ian and I will keep the others safe until they’re able to escape.”

Sofia’s face went gray, the only color left the slight tinge of pink along her cheeks. “You’re staying.” It wasn’t a question.

Fox hadn’t made the decision until that moment. Or perhaps he had never made the decision at all because it had already been made for him. He couldn’t leave his mother behind. He couldn’t leave behind everything he’d built until this moment. He had a real chance of making a change—he had power here.

“I…I have to,” he said, hating himself as something broke in her eyes.