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Vahly’s face flushed hotter than the hall’s pits. She should not have said that. She couldn’t believe she’d said it. It hadn’t sounded demeaning and base in her head, but now that she’d suggested riding on the back of a dragon like it was a pony, well…

She grabbed an eating knife, readying to defend herself from claws and teeth.

Even Amona stared at Vahly in shock at what she’d said.

Maur’s lip pulled away from his teeth. A growl purred in his throat. “Your kynd rode simplebeasts. Pack mules. Donkeys. We have never, and will never, lower ourselves to be your simplebeast, human.”

Anger flared through Vahly. “So you prefer to drown in spelled sea water?”

Amona gasped.

One table away, Linexa, the lean dragon that kept the younglings called out. “Please, Vahly. Please. Not in front of them.”

Linexa’s kind eyes went to the circle of young dragons at the back of the hall near the pulley system.

Most of them played, ignorant of the argument going on between the adults, but the eldest of the bunch, Ruda, blinked big eyes at Vahly.

She’d always liked Ruda. In the healer’s chambers, the youngling often padded around Helena’s feet while they bruised lavender for sleep aids and chamomile for nerves.

Vahly had taught Ruda where the best lavender grew in the Red Meadow. The youngling was a quick study.

Vahly’s heart quivered with guilt. Although death was in sight, there was no reason to keep reminding them. “I didn’t intend to frighten you.”

Ruda’s sky blue scales had paled to an icy color similar to Maur’s.

Amona calmly wiped her hands on a towel provided by a servant like it was any regular day. “Linexa, please take the younglings to their rooms.”

Once the young dragons were escorted out of the feasting hall, Amona stood and held her hands wide. “Today, the Sea Queen tested her power against our eastern coast.”

There were gasps and hushed whispers of the Sea Queen’s name Astraea .

Amona silenced them. “Vahly was on the cliffs gathering vivanias and saw the ocean heave and crash.” Her eyes locked on Maur as if driving the desperation of their status home. “The salt water reached three-fourths of the way up the cliffs.”

The arrogance on Maur’s face flew away. He broke eye contact with the matriarch and leaned back in his chair. But he glanced at Vahly and his look said his anger burned still.

“We must evacuate the lower two floors of the palace tonight. I hate to do this on such a special day for both Xabier and Vahly, but it must be done. We must be over-prepared for our enemy, in case she strikes. Tomorrow, I ask that Lord Maur take a message to the Jade clan concerning this development. We will confer with them, and I’ll let you know what we decide. ”

Amona left the hall with two of her servants, presumably to craft her letter for the Jades and oversee the evacuation plans.

Vahly knew she would want the story of the ocean’s attack again in detail, so as soon as she had eaten enough to keep her stomach from complaining, Vahly left the hall, too, heading first for the closet of bandages Helena kept nearby.

She cleaned her wounded finger with a pitcher of fresh water and a bowl, then wrapped the stinging digit in clean linen.

With an air of impending doom, the clan made their way through the tunnels. Each dragon and their mate, if they had one, possessed a den, forbidden to any other creature except upon invitation. Families gathered, rushing to secure their hoards. Ruda found her father and took his hand.

“Ruda?” Vahly swallowed, feeling bad about scaring her earlier. “Everything will be all right.”

Ruda half-smiled and clutched her father’s hand more tightly.

Vahly sighed, then hurried toward Amona’s double chambers on the highest floor of the palace.

Around the third turn, something blocked Vahly’s boot.

She fell hard on the rocky ground, hands out in time to save her chin. After years of dragons “accidentally” tripping her, she’d grown quite good at falling. It was tough to get the jump on Vahly.

When she gathered herself and looked up, Maur was there with a couple of his closest friends. Huge surprise, she thought wryly.

“My apologies, Earth Queen,” Maur hissed. “I didn’t notice you.”

Vahly brushed herself off, doing her best to retain her dignity.

“Listen, Lord Maur. I don’t want to fight with you.

Or to disrespect you. I truly don’t. I’d be an idiot to try, and although I’m the incarnation of everyone’s lost hopes for the future,” she said sarcastically, “I’m no idiot.

I realize what I suggested could be seen as insulting but—”

Maur was suddenly in her face. “Could be seen? Could be?”

The scent of dragonfire simmered from his partially open maw. It smelled like a mix of charcoal and something sharp like lemon. It wasn’t unpleasant. Except when the scent preceded being scorched to ash.

Vahly held up her hands in defense, doing her level best not to tremble. “Lord Maur.”

“You think,” he said, “you are destined to save us all, and you parade around here like you are next in line to be matriarch.”

Maur’s own third daughter in fact was next in line. She had been born Touched by the Blackwater mark like Amona. For dragons that meant she was the next matriarch. No bones about it.

“I could never be your leader,” Vahly said, “and well I know it. I have no desire to take such a role. I’ll fight the sea folk alongside—”

“Allow me to make your situation clear now that we’re clan.” Maur’s words dripped acid. “You are nothing but a mistake.”

Maur’s claw darted out and jabbed Vahly’s Blackwater mark. Pain burst to life, hot and bright. She held her ground and refused to flinch. Warm blood dribbled down her nose and fell into her mouth.

Okay. That was enough. She tasted salt and spit blood to the floor before stepping closer and raising her chin to meet his eyes.

“Are you so afraid of humbling yourself, Lord Maur, that you won’t at least support me in trying to amend this…

mistake, as you so aptly named me? One ride, one attempt at a power ritual—that is all I’m asking.

If it proves worthless, if it fails to give me any magic, then you can rip me up all you like.

For what difference will it make? We will all be dead by sea water in a month’s time! ”

She had backed the dragon up three steps.

Maur rose to his full height. The battle dragon’s light blue scales blinked in the sconce’s light and a deadly spark danced through his eyes. “If you think for one moment that any of us would permit you to—”

“Enough.” Amona appeared. Her eyes were half-lidded.

She clasped her hands gracefully and stared down her nose at both Vahly and Maur like the matriarch she was.

“My daughter, I would bow my head, take you upon my neck, and fly you to the heavens right this moment if I believed it would help. But it won’t.

Although the secrets of the human power ritual were lost—and I still hold that there never was one—in the great flood of Bihotzetik, our own dragon records are secure.

Never once has there been an instance when a human and a dragon shared a ritual.

But because you are sincere in your supplication, I’ll consider taking you up. ”

“Thank you, Matriarch. We are the first to create a dragon-human bond through the Call, so perhaps we will be first in this as well.”

Maur made a noise in his throat. “If the Jades hear of this, they will make war. They will attempt to absorb our clan and well you know it, Matriarch. The human spends half her days with Call Breakers at that cider house. It is shameful that she holds such a high place here.”

Lapis and Jade clan dragons oftentimes called clanless dragons Call Breakers.

Their matriarchs—Jade and Lapis both—had tried to bond with them when they were young; they had either fought the bonding and repelled it or they had broken the Call.

They claimed to be the only free kynd in the land.

Elves, if indeed they still existed, had their court.

Jades and Lapis, their Matriarchs. But the clanless had no leader and no leash as they liked to say.

Vahly enjoyed their company. They didn’t belong and neither did she. Even after her bonding, it seemed Vahly would never fit in.

Amona sniffed. “Lord Maur, I’m perfectly capable of handling my own reign. Thank you for your concern. Now Vahly, I believe you wished to speak with me?”

She had intended to do more planning and discussing, but now, now she only felt like doing something . Not running her mouth further to no effect. “Forgive me, Matriarch. I have a headache. I think I’ll retire.”

Maur huffed. “Matriarch, I’ll await your summons in my chambers, if it pleases you.”

“Of course,” Amona said.

Maur bowed slightly, then hurried away with his cohorts. Vahly was glad to see the back of that dragon.

“You’re certain?” Amona asked Vahly, her chamber door open behind her.

“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Amona nodded. “Indeed. We have much to talk about.” She disappeared into her rooms.

And Vahly headed straight for the library. If there was a hidden section, by Stones and Blackwater, she was going to find it.

It was time to stop avoiding possible strategies for survival simply because of age-old feuds or thoughts about what should or should not be a part of life.

If a ritual could be the key to unlocking Vahly’s power, then it only made good sense to break the chains off the scrolls that mentioned the forgotten kynd who loved ceremony, who if Nix’s stories were true, lived by such practices.

The elves.