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“She does not know what you are. When I asked her about her time in the palace, she made no mention of a Dragon. It means she does not know of you. All she knew was that human soldiers took her. By Dragon law, I know I am not permitted to be free, since I have seen your human face and know what lies beneath it. She, on the other hand, still has a chance. She is a white Witch. My entire family is, and they have been for centuries. Let her go home to her family.”

She knows the laws of Dragonkind.That was puzzling; few Witches knew so much about them. There were only a handful of Dragon laws, and they were not to be broken unless one was prepared for punishment from the Elders.

Regardless, it was true; he never revealed to the child what he was. He also wasn’t the one who captured her. She’d been brought to Bradwick as a gift by some of his foot soldiers, who wished to gain favour with the king.

Geryon ended up being the one to take her instead.

“And what do I get in return?”

“I will allow you to permanently bind my witchcraft so that I cannot wield it.”

“There is no such magic,” he scoffed, waving his claws dismissively at her.

“Yes, there is, and I can help you do it. There are only three ways to break the spell: the holder of the magical key must unlock it, the caster must undo it, or I must be cleansed of magic.”

“And who would be the holder of this apparent key?”

“You would be.”

Geryon frowned at her suggestion. “You want me to have this power over you? Why would you allow your magic to be sealed away?”

“I want to take my sister home. I know you will not let me do so if you think I have the power to escape you. In giving you this power, it will guarantee that I am at your mercy.” Then she looked him directly in the eyes as she said, “Once that is done, you may kill me.”

She does not care if she dies?He eyed her curiously.She would truly let herself be powerless just to take this child home?

He would have to accompany them for the duration of their travel. He couldn’t fly them there, since the child would see him.

“How am I to trust what you tell me is true?”

“You will not need to approach me, nor change your form, but I will need your help in doing the spell. You may hold onto my sister until its completion and see its evidence for yourself.”

“And doing this as well as promising me your compliance is in exchange for me allowing your sister to return home? You must understand I find this peculiar.”

“Peculiar or not, it is what I am offering.” She slowly rose to stand. “It is that, or you and I may fight for her.”

She rolled her shoulders back with confidence while staring ahead with determination. She was daring him to deny her request.

She will really try to fight me!

The Witch was giving him the cold glare he’d come to desire in the first place. There had always been something about the defiance of it and, despite what she was and how much he detested her for it, that look gave him the same reaction.

He wanted to break it, and doing so could be accomplished in many ways. He almost wanted to fight her because of it.

“Fine. I will allow you to take her home once I have seen for myself that you cannot use your magic.”

I am curious to see this coven of Faerydaes.He also didn’t mind letting the child go free in exchange for the guarantee of Valerie’s will and life to be his to do with as he pleased.

The child has done nothing to warrant my wrath.Valerie, on the other hand, had.

Valerie knelt once more in front of the Dragon, knowing it would be less threatening if she did.

“I need you to repeat my song, but you must imbue your voice with magic.”

Geryon raised his brow from his position of safety. She was thankful she didn’t have to fight him, since she doubted she would have survived, and the idea of harming him brought her little joy.

“What will it do?” He was sceptical and hesitant – she understood why.

“It will call pixies to you.” Valerie looked to the tree line. A spike of shame hit her, but she made sure she hid the emotion in her features. “I have harmed them; they will no longer answer my call.”