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“Is my Aunt Agatha really your sister?” Renya asked, trying to make conversation as they continued down the narrow path.

Cressida pursed her lips, and Renya wondered if she made a mistake bringing her up.

“Yes. How did you know that?”

Renya didn't miss a beat. “Her magic...it's dark like yours.”

“Smart girl,” Cressida said, looking intensely at Renya. “Yes, and she betrayed me.”

Renya didn't apologize, but she didn't defend her aunt either. “It was really miserable in the human world. I was isolated, and I felt like a part of me was missing.” This, at least, was the truth.

Cressida looked at her, and Renya thought for a second she detected a tiny amount of pity on her mother's face. “That's how I felt when you took my magic.”

“I never asked for it,” Renya said cautiously, treading a fine line between sympathy and defensiveness.

Cressida sighed and continued moving forward through the passageway, ducking her head as a large stalagmite protruded from the ceiling.

“Watch your head,” she warned Renya.

Renya tried another approach. “When I was in the human realm, a man attacked me. I got away, but it ruined my life. I lost my job, my friends and had to move away. If my magic wouldn't have been locked inside of me, it could have ended differently.”

Cressida stopped in her tracks, her shoulders slightly hunched. She didn't turn around, but continued walking. Renya wondered if she was gaining any sympathy from her mother. Surely, no mother could bear to hear that her child was attacked?

After a few more minutes, Cressida turned back to Renya. “Men can't be trusted,” she said, her indigo eyes flashing. “They'll betray you as soon as they get a better offer. Be glad you don't have to worry about having a mate anymore.”

Renya struggled to keep the disgust off her face. There was no one in this world that she trusted more than Grayden. “At least I don't have to worry about that,” Renya agreed, but the lie tasted like ash in her mouth.

Cressida looked pleased. Before Renya could say anything else, they turned the corner and entered a large antechamber. Two guards stood in front of a huge, heavy door. Renya could smell rotting flesh and could hear roars. The hair rose on the back of her neck, and for a second, she thought about turning and running.

This was where Cressida kept her dragons.

The guards opened the enormous doors, and Cressida slipped inside. “Come,” she ordered Renya.

She stepped inside hesitantly, not sure why Cressida would bring her here. Renya's eyes were as big as a dinner plate as she took in the sight before her.

Four dragons were encased in a large glass cage. The enclosure was massive, stretching from floor to ceiling and spanning the width of the cavern. Within, a miniature ecosystem had been created, with rocky outcroppings, a small pool of water, and even a few stunted trees. The glass was thick and cloudy in places, marred by claw marks.

Renya instantly recognized the reddish-colored one with the orange eyes that carried her into this realm. He wasn't the largest, though. As Renya carefully skirted alongside the wall, as far away from the glass dome as she could, another dragon, this one even larger and with fuchsia scales, snorted into the air. Renya's legs shook at the sound, and she was instantly transported back to the night where she was separated from Grayden. She held her breath and then inhaled deeply, trying to fight down the rising panic.

Cressida moved forward, closer to the encasement, and beckoned Renya to follow.

“Brutus, Belinia and Berline,” she said proudly, pointing to each as she named them.

Berline was a bit smaller than Brutus, with teal scales that shimmered under the glow from the torches.

Behind the juvenile, a tiny dragon, about the size of a miniature pony, poked its head out.

Renya let out a gasp, hardly believing her eyes. The littlest dragon crept closer to her, swishing its tail and keeping its pink eyes locked on Renya. Unlike the other dragons, it walked on all fours and reminded Renya of a tall alligator. Its scales were a midnight blue, and it didn't have wings.

Cressida gestured towards the smallest dragon. “She just hatched two days ago.”

The dragon finally approached the glass, and peered at Renya intently. Renya hesitantly touched her hand to the glass, and the dragon snorted and then made a deep noise that Renya swore was akin to purring.

“She likes you,” Cressida said, astonishment heavy in her tone.

Renya stood there, mesmerized by the baby dragon. The creature continued to pace in front of the glass, keeping her eyes locked on Renya. “Does she have a name?”

“No, not yet.” A voice came from the far corner of the enclosure. Renya jumped at the male's voice, while Cressida just groaned.