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“It was peaceful, much like it is now. I would take in injured creatures such as animals, fairies, and pixies. I would heal them until they were well enough to be free. I would also help the humans near my cottage without them knowing. I helped women give birth, gave an old man whose back was hurting a tea that would lessen his pain.”

“Are you to tell me you have spent your life helping those which the others of your kind would pull apart?”

He sounded astonished, like it possibly couldn’t be true.

“Yes. That is why when the Dragon was brought to my home by my cat, injured and unconscious, I had not thought twice about healing him.” Then she giggled, “I did not know what he was though, and he was not like how you are now. He was small.”

She figured since Rurik told him of the birdcage then he at least knew this much already.

“It is a defence mechanism. Being able to change our size helps us to hide, if we need to. I must know, is there more of you then? Were your coven white wielders?”

His face softened, like he hoped for that very thing.

“I do not know. I did not have a coven.”

“You were a lone Witch? That is rather strange. What of your parents? Did they not show you magic, teach you?”

“My father was a human soldier who was killed when I was sixteen. My mother disappeared shortly after she was told.”

“Ah, so you are only the way you are because you have not been shown yet.”

“You are trying to find evil in me.”

She had to stem the want to fold her arms across her chest, but she did glare at him.

“It is hard to imagine that you are incorruptible. At least you will not be able to learn dark magic here, so hopefully you will never turn. But if you do, I hope Rurik does not fall prey to your hands.”

Amalia gave him a mocking smirk.

“So, it is not that you do not trust me, but you actually lack faith in him.”

His head reared back slightly, making it duck through the water. He brought it back with a growl.

“Excuse me? How dare you say something so offensive to me.”

“Is it not true? Should it not matter if I were harmless or not if you believed that he would be wise enough or strong enough against me? You do not trust me, but you also do not trust him in his decision.”

He opened his mouth with a puffed snout in the same way Rurik did when he was growing angry.

“If you had faith in him, you would not be threatening me or trying to convince me that I am some form of evil monster. You would be mocking me, laughing at the fact I am trapped here. You would tell me that there is no way for me to escape, and that even if I did, he would find me and kill me.”

Glov closed his mouth. She knew she’d gotten him to think on his own actions.

“I would like to leave now.”

Amalia rose to her feet and was thankful when he didn’t stop her, too stunned by her accusations to care. As quickly as her legs would take her, she retreated to her room.

Chapter 24

Rurik felt the treasure mound shift when Glov rose from it to leave. Even though he hadn’t wanted to let him, when Glov told him he wanted to lay under coin to rest, Rurik offered to let him sleep beside him.

He also had ulterior motives. It would have caused his brow to raise if Rurik laid at the entryway to the Witch’s room to protect her from Glov while she slept. Allowing him under his treasure meant he could keep an eye on him.

Something had happened while he was gone obtaining food. His snout crinkled in memory of having to do so. The only reason he went alone was because they tried to keep the humans from knowing about them if they could.

Two Dragons in the sky was more noticeable than one.

Upon his return, he’d noted that Amalia was in a good mood, which was unusual when the green Dragon was present. Whereas Glov had been in a foul mood, which was odd because he often didn’t hold onto his anger.