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V ahly, Arc, Nix, Euskal, and Aitor remained standing straight under the heat of the dragonfire.

Eux had always been like this, showing off her prowess as a form of greeting.

But Cygnus and Zuzan ducked and shouted, Cygnus going so far as to draw his sword.

How little Vahly’s children knew about war with dragons.

A sword would be worthless if a highbeast such as Eux decided to fight.

Vahly waved a hand impatiently at her sons. “Stand down. It’s fine. This is a customary Jade show of prowess.”

The guard wiped a sneer from his face and turned from Cygnus and Zuzan to face Vahly and Arc. “Matriarch Eux will speak in my mind, and I will pass on what she has to say.”

Arc frowned. “She can’t shift and speak to us herself?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Nix muttered something, but Vahly only caught the words typical and dramatic .

Vahly swallowed and gave Eux a respectful nod. “I suspect she struggles with telepathy too. Matriarch Amona had the same trouble.”

“In some cases, yes. But you must understand.” the guard said. “None of us can shift. Not even the youngest or strongest of us. We’ve lost the ability. The rest shifted before this terrible change. I’m trapped in this smaller form forever.”

Eux’s large head turned, and her dull gaze studied the guard.

He nodded to her, then said to Vahly, “Matriarch Eux says that a great change has come over the world. Dragons are losing their elvish and human ways. You must see this as a sadness, a lessening, due to the fact that we can’t carry on as we did in the old days, but I see it as a shift into the kynd we were always meant to be. ”

Eux stretched her wings wide, and the Jades behind her mimicked the gesture.

The emerald and jade wings blocked out most of the torchlight and threw the room into near darkness.

A chilly wind blew through the room but was immediately heated by the steam rising from the earthblood vent.

Eux’s eyes were like yesterday’s coals, glowing weakly high above Vahly’s head.

The guard continued. “The matriarch says that we dragons will retreat further from elves’ and humans’ influence and reign over these northern mountains.

She requests that you refrain from sending envoys this way ever again.

” He glanced at Eux, and his jaw muscles worked like whatever she was saying troubled him.

“She says we will grow into being true dragons. Never shifting. Eating raw. No cares for the hierarchy of elves, humans, or sea folk. We will be brutal and deadly as we were born to be.”

“Don’t I get a vote in this?” Nix whispered under her breath.

“Matriarch Eux thanks you again for saving the dragons during the War of Balancing. She doesn’t regret having her warriors fly into battle or permit riders on their backs.

It was necessary. But now things must change.

None will be welcome in the northern mountains from this day forward, none but true dragons. ”

Nix stepped forward, her chest rising and falling quickly. “You’re going to throw off one entire half of who we are? How is that ‘true’? I feel as much at ease in this form as I do in my larger one.”

Eux had every right to punish Nix for speaking out of turn here in her court. Vahly started to step forward, to stand up for Nix, but Arc stayed her with a gentle hand.

Dragon business, my queen. Not ours.

He was most likely right. Nix enjoyed fighting her own battles of will and had rejected Vahly’s attempts to help her organize her Call Breakers into some version of the hierarchy Nix had once employed before the war.

“Mistress Nix,” the guard answered, “Matriarch Eux says you are free, of course, to do what you wish. She does believe dragons such as yourself will die out.” The guard looked Nix up and down, and a dismissive growl came from his throat.

Eux shot a glare at the guard, who swallowed and dipped his head to Nix.

Nix crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “How could she possibly know that?”

Nix hadn’t wanted younglings, or so she had told Vahly. In fact, none of the Call Breakers or Lapis had produced younglings in years.

“She feels the truth of it.”

Nix rolled her eyes but stepped back. “As if I can argue with that.”

“Matriarch Eux would like to give you a parting gift.” He put his hand in his trouser pocket, then withdrew a flat stone etched in symbols.

He handed it to Vahly. It was warm and made her hand itch.

“If you are ever in dire need, say the word Jade over the rune stone, and we will hear and fly out to help you. But only call if you are desperate, because we plan to live apart from the rest of civilization from this day forward.”

Vahly’s stomach knotted. None of this was what she’d expected. “We haven’t done anything to anger the Jades, have we?”

“No,” the guard said, glancing at Eux. “This is an evolution for us. It has nothing to do with you.”

“It does though. I consider Matriarch Eux an ally. And now she won’t speak to me.”

The guard looked at Eux, then relayed her words. “The war is over. Peace is here. You have no need for a dragon army. Leave us in this new peace, and we will leave you in yours.”

Sliding the rune stone into the pocket on her baldric, Vahly bowed one last time to Eux, who returned the gesture.

So ended the Earth Queen’s alliance with the mercurial Jade clan.

Then, from the pit in the center of the room, earthblood shot upward and turned the room to fire.