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I can feel myself blushing furiously as I realize my mistake. His crooked smile only makes my humiliation worse.

“The stone is very rare,” he says, mercifully not commenting further on my assumption that he got me a gift like a boyfriend who cares. “It turns black in the presence of poison.”

The reason for the “practicality” becomes clear. Someone in the palace tried to poison me. Although he doesn’t mention the incident outright, the threat hangs all too real and dark between us in the air.

“I didn’t oversee the cooking myself,” he explains. “I’m not taking any risks.”

I swallow away the sudden tightness of my throat. “Where did you find the stone?”

“I commissioned Kian with the task.” His lips quirk. “He has valuable contacts when it comes to stone trading.”

He serves a generous helping of each dish on a plate and places it in front of me.

I look down. The ruby-red stone continues pulsing gently with an inner light.

No poison here. Which is a relief, both for obvious reasons and because I would hate for this delectable-looking food to go to waste.

Despite the unpleasant memory of our mating ceremony, during which someone slipped a deadly substance into my drink, my curiosity gets the better of me. “How does it work? I mean, how does it really work when you break it down to science?”

He arches a brow. “To science?”

“To a logical explanation of its inner workings.”

“Ah. No one knows. Like the scrolls, it’s a mystery.”

A faint scratching noise on the other side of the wall that separates the bedroom from the hallway draws my attention. I prick up my ears.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, his relaxed features setting into concern in a heartbeat.

“I heard something. I think it’s a spiked pet.”

“They’re always on the prowl for food. If there are a few crumbs to be scavenged somewhere, you can count on finding them under the table.”

More than hearing the tuatara, I can feel it. At first, the connection is faint, but then it slowly grows in my chest, the presence of not only the tuatara but also of other living beings filling me until the feeling bleeds out to every cell of my body.

My heart lurches. Could my power be back? I’m afraid to find out. What if my ability to connect with animals is gone for good?

Aruan reaches over the table and takes my hand. “What is it, Elsie?”

“My power,” I whisper. “I think I feel something.”

He gives my fingers a squeeze. “Like Vitai said when he healed you, there’s only one way we’ll know.”

The first thought that pops into my head is Betty.

I’m frantic to know if she made it home in one piece.

I’m holding my breath, my face trained toward the window, when a piercing cry rips through the sky.

I sit like a statue, unable to speak or move as I wait for the verdict.

And then she dives straight up out of nowhere in front of the window and lands with a thud that shakes the balcony.

I’m on my feet and in front of the window in a blink, opening the latch with laughter bubbling from my lips. From somewhere behind me Aruan is calling my name, but I’m too ecstatic to acknowledge anything but the fact that Betty is here, safe and sound.

I make a beeline for the predator, who lowers her long neck to put her head at my eye level.

“Good girl,” I say, scratching her chin.

“Elsie,” Aruan says, this time with more warning than caution.

I turn around to face him like a giddy child, unable to squash my happiness and excitement.

“It’s back,” I cry out. “My power is back. Betty is safe.”

He holds out a hand, his arm stretched out toward me with the palm facing up. “Come to me, Elsie. Now.”

Understanding dawns. He thinks I’m going to fly off again.

He continues grimly. “Step away from that dragon?—”

I narrow my eyes. “Do not say ‘or,’ Aruan, not if you want whatever we’re trying to do here to work. I won’t allow you to threaten Betty or give me ultimatums.”

A muscle ticks in his temple. “You’re testing my patience, mate.”

“I can’t live with you if you threaten the animals I love.”

“You neglected to mention that detail of your terms when you negotiated the safety of your friends on the island. You should’ve thought about making a list of your requirements before you offered me a deal.”

My joy turns to anger. “Don’t be like that.”

“Like what?” He drops his arm and comes closer. “Honest? You obviously care more for the dragons than for your own mate.”

“Are you jealous of Betty ?”

The floor starts shaking, huge cracks that have nothing to do with Betty’s weight running up the walls.

“I just got you back, and I’m not losing you again,” he bites out.

“I’m not going anywhere.” To prove the point, I take a step toward him. “I just wanted to say hello to her. That’s all. Calm down, Aruan. Please.”

It takes a moment before the earthquake he brought on with his power passes, but it doesn’t completely stop until I place my hand in his. His grip around my fingers is almost painful.

I glance over my shoulder at Betty.

Catch you later, girl.

She takes off into the air with a screech, once more quaking the rock face of the palace.

“Come to the table,” Aruan says, pulling my attention back to him. “You have to eat.”

My hunger is all but forgotten. Giving my power a last test-drive, just to be sure, I reach out in my thoughts to Pip, the cute little anurognathus.

Aruan seats me at the table and pours water in my glass. Not a moment later, Pip plunges through the air and darts into the room through the open window. I squeal in delight when he perches on the edge of the table next to my place setting, eyeing the food on my plate with greedy little beady eyes.

“You did it,” Aruan says. “You summoned that pixie dragon.”

I meet his gaze, expecting an accusation there but only finding relief and pride.

“It seems the head injury only temporarily impaired your ability to use your power.”

I’m more relieved about that than disappointed that my plan to return to Earth failed.

And that makes me a selfish jerk because what I should be doing is thinking about my parents.

I mean, I am. I’m worried sick about them.

Of course I still want to see them. I haven’t lost sight of that goal.

The thought sobers me, putting a damper on my excitement, and as if reading my mood, Aruan turns broody.

We finish our meal in silence with me feeding bits and pieces of my food to Pip, who gobbles everything up before licking his paws and cleaning his whiskers like a cat. I dare to stroke his head and get away with petting him with all my fingers intact.

Once I’ve satisfied my hunger and thirst, I assure Aruan that I can’t take another bite, and then we walk to the quarters in the west wing of the palace.

Aruan stops at the end of a long hallway.

The stones sealing an archway vanish to reveal a room that resembles Aruan’s, only bigger.

Instead of one big sunken bed, several daybeds are lined up against the wall.

Stone benches with padded cushions run along the other walls.

An arched window with pink glass panes looks out over fields.

The haphazard roofs of a village are visible on top of a hill in the distance.

Sandy and the rest of the women sit huddled together on the benches. They jump to their feet when Aruan and I enter the room.

Shooting an apprehensive glance at Aruan, Sandy rushes to me. “We were worried about you. Is everything all right?”

“I’m good. How’s everyone doing here?” I frown. “Where’s Karl?”

“Next door. He has his own room.” Her gaze darts to Aruan, who’s observing us with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “Can he understand us?”

“He doesn’t speak English. I’ll translate for him.”

“You speak their language?” she asks, looking stung. “But how? You didn’t mention it.”

“It wasn’t relevant at the time. Let’s focus on the issue at hand, which is to make sure you’re all okay.”

The tense set of Sandy’s shoulders relaxes a little. “You said his mother can get us out of here.”

Having heard Aruan and his father arguing about that, I feel my stomach tighten with concern. What if the queen refuses to open a portal to Earth because the scrolls forbid it?

We’ll have to talk to her about it, but for now, I want to make sure everyone is fine.

“One thing at a time,” I say. “Have your needs been taken care of? Have you eaten?”

“They fed us well, don’t worry. A guy looking a lot like your companion here came to check our injuries.

” She glances at Eucabeth, who stares into the distance with a dreamy look and glowing cheeks.

“He cured Eucabeth.” She continues in a disbelieving tone.

“She can hear again.” Lowering her voice, she stresses, “Her deafness is simply gone.”

I smile. “That would’ve been Vitai.”

“How is that even possible?” Sandy exclaims. “Irina’s scars have disappeared, and for once, Maeva is calm.”

“Vitai has healing powers.”

“He was very kind to us. I like him. I can’t say the same about the guy who brought the food.

Now that one was scary. I swear he saw right into my mind.

I had this weird notion he knew exactly what I was thinking, which was that he was a frightening son of a bitch, because he looked me straight in the eye and gave me a diabolical smile. ”

“That sounds like Kian.”

“What is she saying?” Aruan asks.

I turn to him. “Sandy says Vitai healed them. Eucabeth was deaf, but now she can hear. Isn’t that amazing?” I’m all but jumping up and down from the elation. “Apparently, Kian was here as well. He brought them food.”

“Ask them if they need anything else,” Aruan instructs.

After I’ve done so and told him that they’re grateful for everything but eager to go home, Aruan tells me to explain to them that they have to be confined for safety reasons, and that we’ll be back when we’ve spoken to the queen.