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Nix smiled at another male, a gangly fellow who looked like he should’ve been young but had the wear and tear of age.

The male scooted to the far side of the log he’d taken as a seat, and Nix settled herself beside him like it was the most normal thing in the world to cozy up to dangerous strangers.

“Why don’t you tell him about our deal and how it went for you, dear Luc?” she asked, a purr in her throat as she eyed the sage dragon. “He’d believe you over me, I presume.”

Every one of the dragons stared at Nix, their mouths slightly agape and their eyes half-slitted.

“She paid me handsomely, Baz.” Luc offered Nix a bladder of what smelled like alcohol, but it wasn’t cider or wine.

An acrid scent wafted from the container. The stuff could probably clean the rust off a one-hundred-year-old blade.

Nix took a swig without spilling a drop or blinking an eye. She nodded in thanks and handed the bladder back to Luc. Luc tied the bladder to the pack sitting at his feet, glancing at Baz with reticence in his eyes.

“Hmm.” Baz crossed his arms. The bronze-studded gauntlets on his forearms caught the fire’s light. “Make a heart oath that you won’t reveal our whereabouts to either the Jade or the Lapis matriarch.”

Vahly gritted her teeth. Nix couldn’t make that promise. Who knew when the information would be useful during their quest? It wasn’t worth the risk. But how could they get around making this oath?

Nix frowned and leaned forward. “Are you not Jades yourselves?” she asked Baz, then studied Luc, feigning ignorance of their identity as rogues, as Amona had informed. “Don’t tell me you are Call Breakers like myself now?” She widened her eyes and smiled.

“We are,” Baz said. “But we don’t care to work for you. With all due respect.” He shut his eyes for a moment and tipped his head in a nod that reeked of mockery.

Vahly’s teeth ground together. “Who says she would have you?” She stood ready to reach into the dirt at her feet, to access the earth’s power, but she hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because her head was spinning, and she’d most likely pass out before she proved anything to anyone.

Baz glared but otherwise ignored Vahly’s barb. “I suppose you’re Matriarch Amona’s fancy little pet, hmm? I heard about you when I was a lad, before I came to these mountains and broke the Call.”

So he definitely didn’t know she had washed in the Blackwater, nor did he seem to realize that every other dragon on the island had sworn allegiance to her.

Vahly looked at Nix. Should they try to explain who she was? Nix gave her a head bob.

Vahly blew out a breath, her palms sweating. “Baz, you’re a little behind on news. It sounds impossible, but I’m finally living up to this.” She pointed to the Blackwater mark between her eyebrows. “I think I can help us all fight the sea folk.”

Everyone froze.

Baz was the first to step toward Vahly, smoke drifting from his nostrils. “Do you think I’m a fool? That if you give me a sweet story about saving the world, I’ll feed you at my fire and welcome you in, bowing and scraping to gain your favor? Well, I’m not.”

Stones, he reminded her of Maur. Ugh.

“No bowing necessary.” Vahly set her palms on the damp ground. A stag beetle crawled past her thumb, and the sandy earth rubbed against her skin. Her ears rang, and she winced at the pain.

“I don’t mind your bowing, Baz, if you feel so inclined,” Nix said, giving him a wink.

Using Nix’s distraction, Vahly focused on the earth.

A rumble sounded from the ground below Baz’s feet.

He jumped back, throwing a curse at her. The dirt mounded into a shape, a fist perhaps.

An echo to Vahly’s own fist five steps away?

She raised her eyebrows at this new development even as fatigue, the ache of using magic, and her worry for the egg pushed her onto her backside.

“What is this?” Baz snarled.

“I told you. I’m the Earth Queen. I wasn’t lying in hopes for a bite of meat.”

Nix cleared her throat. “She is our savior and will make good on that mark she wears if we only support her. Now, Baz. I cannot make another heart promise. Is it all right if I call you by the name?” She didn’t wait for him to give her permission but soldiered on.

“I have three oaths upon me now. I won’t take another, but you know where I dwell.

At the cider house. On Dragon’s Back. You can find me and slay me any time you wish to try it should I reveal your territory.

Which I won’t. It wouldn’t serve me to begin snitching on dragons when I’m the worst criminal of you all. ”

“She makes good sense,” Luc said, his gaze straying to Nix’s hips.

“Why don’t we eat and talk more about it all?” the lean dragon beside Nix suggested, his face twisted in confusion and awe as he looked to Vahly, then to his leader. He gestured toward the smoking ram with a hand that was missing two fingers. His youthful eyes and oddly aged face crinkled.

“Shut it, Roke,” Baz snapped at the dragon.

He paced around the fist shape in the dirt.

With a quick hand, Nix helped Vahly to stand.

“I don’t care if you are the supposed Earth Queen, human,” Baz spat. “A bump in the ground isn’t going to save anyone. We’ve already made our decision regarding the rising seas.”

“Aye,” Luc said. “We know death comes for us. It comes quickly. And we only wish to enjoy life’s pleasures until that day arrives. If you can promise us gold…” His eyes shone like wet stones.

Baz sucked a breath and stepped closer. “Three full bags, and I’ll consider keeping my rogues from bringing death to you immediately, and you too can enjoy the last of our days in this world.”

So Luc and Baz were indeed both bingers. Perfect.

“I can manage three full bags,” Nix said quietly. “But it’ll take me one cycle of the moon to get it to you. And if I fail, find me at the cider house, and I’ll submit to your payment in flesh and wing.”

Vahly’s stomach turned.

“You truly believe you can put your talons on that much gold in one moon cycle?” Baz rubbed his hands together, a binger’s gleam in his eye.

“She can and she will,” Vahly said, keeping her voice casual, confident.

Another male, this one with sea-green scales and ashen wings, turned away, toward the place where Vahly had killed their fellow. “Fedon?”

Vahly’s throat seized and she glanced to Nix, who had paled. Fedon had to be the dragon that Vahly had killed.

The sea-green male looked at Baz. “You don’t think Fedon tangled with that mountain lion, do you? I’m going to check on him.”

Sweat trickling down her temples, Vahly rushed to tug on the sea-green male’s wing. “Eh, don’t want to miss supper, do you? We have a great deal to discuss, and if I know dragons, there will be a lot of eating during the chat.”

The young one named Roke raised his good hand. Vahly squinted through the fire’s smoke as it drifted over the dragon.

“Aye, Tadeo,” Roke said to the sea-green dragon. “I even found an egg to add to our feast!”

No! Vahly gasped, then coughed to cover the agonized sound. She rallied her wits, recalling the plan as she glimpsed Arc at the edge of the turn in the pass.

I could run in and reclaim your familiar, Arc said inside her mind. Then you and Nix could flee. I doubt they could catch us. Not immediately, anyway. Do you want to alter the plan?

No. I still have to explore the ruins. We must make peace somehow. I can’t have dragons running around, ruining everything. This is such a mess. They’re going to discover the body, and they’ll know I killed him after seeing my magic.

“That is a gryphon egg.” Vahly swallowed, her throat burning. Sweat dripped down her neck. “And we just happen to know a youngling at the Jades’ palace who is keen on rarities such as that.”

Nix snatched the egg from Roke’s grasp. “I know the one you speak of, Vahly, darling.” She raised an eyebrow at Baz. “He has a noble father who owns all the looms in the Jade territory these days.”

“Druso? I know of him,” Luc said, his voice gruff. “Not an easy dragon. But he did have a male youngling on the way the day I broke the Call.”

“If you want five bags of gold,” Nix said, “allow us to sell him this gryphon egg and rest and dine with you all this evening. It’ll be perfect.”

“Five bags.” Baz’s stern features smoothed. “Aye. Agreed.”

I assume we’ll further inebriate these rogues, make the first dragon’s death appear to be an accident by way of rockfall or some such, then take our leave before sunrise?

Arc’s voice danced inside Vahly’s head. The pain began to recede as Nix tucked the egg safely into her own pack.

I am already mixing a potent beverage made of gold dust, air magic for fermentation, and these salt cedar blooms, Arc added.

This concoction actually smells rather tempting.

I’ll set the wineskin near the spot where you climbed the boulder, beneath the plank grasses.

You can act as though you left it there for a future occasion.

Vahly grinned. You are beautiful, Arc. That’s perfect.

You find alchemists attractive? Is that a human trait?

She knew he didn’t mean to sting her with a comment that would remind her that she was the last of her kynd. He was only curious.

Oh, yes. Alchemists were the best of companions, from what I’ve read in the dragons’ scrolls about my kynd. Always making gold and better drinks. Quite alluring. Well, when they didn’t smell of frog dust or eye of bat.

Arc’s laugh whisked through her head. I’ll endeavor to remain pleasantly scented, then.

Nix was chatting up Baz and Luc about the sharkstone smuggling job when she paused and turned her head, as if to listen. Vahly guessed Arc was filling her in on his concoction and possible ideas on how to proceed.

Vahly’s magic pushed inside her chest like invisible hands pressing her heart and speeding the rush of blood through her veins.

Her magic demanded that she claim the egg and go.

But she forced herself to fetch Arc’s powerful beverage, pass it around to the rogues, and sing four tavern songs as the dragons dropped, one by one, into a drunken sleep.

Then it was time to move the body.

Vahly winced, thinking of the grim duty. Pleasant evenings never started with corpses. Especially when said dead creature had fully armed dragon allies nearby.