Page 31 of Entwined

I do accept that I like to please Liz, even if I don’t quite understand why the bond has created that desire in me. Another twelve hours probably won’t make a huge difference.

We will do this human Thanksgiving tomorrow, early in the day, and then we’ll depart for Iceland tomorrow afternoon. Make preparations again, both for our departure and for tomorrow’s fête.

Liz’s jaw drops in a very satisfying manner. “But you said that tomorrow—” Her eyes cut downward at Gordon.

Gordon. I don’t bother bellowing on a private channel.

My good friend slinks toward me, showing at least twice as much respect for me as he does when he thinks I’m Axel. That irritates me more.

Axel tells me you were tasked with caring for the small human.

Gordon drops his head to the ground, pressing his belly flat too.

And yet, this is the second time I have seen him endangered today. Were you entrusted with a task that is beyond your skill?

I will care for him instead. Euphrasia steps forward. I’m quite good with errant hatchlings.

“No!” Sammy shouts and flings his arms around Gordon’s neck. His arms barely span a fraction of the width, but prostrate on the ground as Gordon is, Sammy’s close enough to rest his face against Gordon’s cheek. “He’s my best friend.”

Your friendship, odd though it may be, is not in question, Euphrasia says. It’s his capacity to keep you safe that we doubt, little one.

“He can keep me safe,” Sammy says. “In fact, last week, when one of the water dragons?—”

Gordon’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. It’s small, but it’s there.

Sammy frowns. “What I mean is, Gordon’s really big and scary and he keeps me safe.”

A much larger water blessed—Pilion—shoulders past Euphrasia. I request the honor of guarding and protecting the Recovery Leader’s bonded’s small kin.

Nice try. Callioch, strike blessed, flies over Pilion’s head to wedge himself between me and the water blessed. I demand that a strike blessed be chosen for the honor of protecting?—

“What’s going on?” Liz asks. “Why are they?—”

The earlier murmurs are nothing to the cacophony of demands that begin in that moment, all of them demanding the honor of protecting Sammy—and also of escorting him to Iceland when we do finally leave.

“None of you will escort or protect him,” Liz shouts. She turns toward me, meeting my eye to make sure I’m not upset. She really needs to learn to trust the bond more. “My brother’s already very fond of Gordon, and as Prince Axel’s closest confidante, we have total confidence in Gordon’s ability to protect him. I’m very grateful to hear that all of you will be eager to step in and help, should anything dangerous or threatening occur.”

That shuts them up impressively.

Come, I say. Let’s head back.

If I may ask, Euphrasia says. What’s this ‘Thanksgiving’ the hatchling is talking about?

“It’s a day for humans to celebrate all the things in our lives we’re grateful for.” Liz walks toward me. “So, for instance, I would give thanks that Azar and I have bonded and that now we’re entwined. I might also give thanks that Sammy wasn’t harmed today when he crashed through the side of the building.”

“Or,” Coral shouts from the edge of the gathered blessed. “We might celebrate that we’re all about to leave Houston and return the city to the humans.”

Every blessed in the area turns to look at her.

Liz closes her eyes. “Are they all here?” she mutters.

“Or I would give thanks that we were able to see our mother and that our whole family’s alive,” Jade says, from behind Coral.

“I might give thanks for those things, after I murder Rufus and Gordon,” Liz says.

You just refused to let another blessed take over for Gordon, I remind her.

“That was before I realized how stupid they both are.” She helps Sammy swing back up on Gordon’s back, and then she turns toward me.