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“I saved you because you are my baby sister, and you know that,” she answered before she broke the bread apart. “Do not throw accusations at me simply because you are upset and wish to hurt me. It... it is not fair.”

Then she leaned forward with the second half to give it to Kaeylyn. “Eat. You must gain your strength. We still have another day or two of walking before we are home.”

With a huff and a deep pout, Kaeylyn ate by shoving the bread into her face. Then she eventually curled up next to the fire on the left-hand side of it. She’d chosen to lie there because she wanted to be close to Valerie. She made her feel safe, but she also didn’t want to cuddle up to her because she was upset.

She leaned against the trunk of a fallen tree, some ways away from the heat of the flames. It meant she could look out for those who might stumble towards the light.

A shadowy figure headed towards her, and she placed her hand on the hilt of the sword she’d taken.

“Come, I wish to speak with you,” Geryon said quietly, and she relaxed.

“There is no need.” She motioned her hand towards Kaeylyn. “She sleeps like the dead. She will not awaken for any reason.” To demonstrate this, she yelled the girl’s name as loudly as she could. She made no move in reaction. “See? Useless when asleep.”

He stepped forward into the light of the fire, letting it dance over his scales just enough so she could see him on the other side. He was the same size as her: not small, but not large.

“Your scales are dark blue.”

This was the first time she’d seen him with any form of light in his Dragon form.

The longer he stood with the heat of the flames reaching him, the lighter his scales appeared. They began to turn a brighter shade of blue, and she couldn’t help looking in wonder as they reflected the light and almost sparkled.

He had a crown of spikes jutting up around his head, with smaller ones coming up from his shoulders all the way down to his tail. She eyed it tapping against the ground, noting his tail was crudely missing its tip, like someone had severed it – a stump. His wings rested tightly against his body.

He also had tiny spikes jutting from his snout up to his forehead and across what she thought might be his brows. They made the metallic blue of his eyes seem fiercer, but she noticed the light made them appear more silver.

“I am sure we have caused you offense with our lesson.”

Valerie drew her knee up so that she could rest her forearm against it while she laid back against the trunk. He eyed her sister laying down cautiously before he sat to make himself comfortable.

“No. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

She felt the twitch of a frown on her brow before it settled. She expected anger and disgust, and his response caused surprise to fill her. “How so?”

“It sounds as though you worship my kind and honour where you came from.” He looked to the fire before flicking his eyes towards her once more. “I have never heard a Witch speak like this. I found it peculiar, but not offensive.”

“Have you spoken to many, then?” She raised a brow in question.

“No. I often kill first and ask questions never.”

“I do not particularly blame you,” she answered. “There are more evil Witches than there are good. It is safer to be rid of one before it has the chance to kill you.”

“You have killed some, have you not?”

He was asking this because of her conversations throughout the day with Kaeylyn.

“Yes. A small group of dark Witches stole one of my sisters when she and I had been walking through the town closest to our home. I saw them take her, knew who and what they were, and went home to get my mother’s help to rescue her. I killed them because they deserved to die.” She clenched her fist tightly. “Especially since I had been too late to save her from their perverted ritual of sex and blood.”

This had been ten years ago. It was a disgusting and cruel act, and Valerie made sure to get redemption for her sister by murdering all those who hurt her.

“I am curious to know what you did to the real Lady Cecily.”

Valerie pursed her lips. “She is off somewhere in the forest with her real uncle and two soldiers.”

“I doubt that would be safe for her if you took over her mind. Are you truly so callous that you would let a human woman be harmed just for your sister’s safety?”

She didn’t understand the emotion behind the raise of one of his spiked brows. There was a long pause shared between them, while Valerie decided on whether she would tell him the truth or not.

“Lady Cecily would have been a terrible queen,” she told him. “She was also in love with another.”