Page 98 of Entwined

Phileas turns, his expression furious. The frill around his head ripples. We can’t stop. Not until we’ve reached Selfoss.

Gaia sets me down. I’m going no farther until I’ve made Prince Axel’s bonded a saddle. If I return her damaged, he’ll be very angry.

She’s not his bonded anymore, Phileas says. Prince Azar took her.

I heard she was bonded to both, Gaia says.

“Wait,” I say. “Is Axel still alive?”

Gaia frowns. Do you have cause to believe he perished?

“Did he?” I ask. “Have you seen him?”

We were captured in the conflict, Gaia says. Shortly after Prince Azar’s death. We don’t know—did the humans say he was dead?

My heart sinks. When I heard them mention Axel being alive. . .my hope surged. Which is stupid. If Azar died, so did Axel. If he didn’t. . . “Maybe Azar and Axel are both fine.”

Gaia’s eyes are sad. If Azar had survived, he would have come after you.

Maybe. Maybe not. Without our bond, how would he know if I was alive?

But the more I think about her words, the more they sink into my soul. If Azar was truly alive, would he wait to feel our bond? Or would he be searching everywhere for me?

If he were alive, he’d have come for me.

It feels true down in my soul.

The weight of that drops me to my rear in the dirt, and I start to bawl.

Leave her, Phileas says. Prince Axel’s better without her. They’ve broken the bond—I heard one of the scientists say it. His life will be better without a human to protect.

He can decide that for himself. Gaia shifts into a human form and back so quickly that I barely register it’s happened by the sound. Then she waits for a moment for me to get up, but when I don’t—too depressed to even try—she gives up on waiting for me. She snatches me up with her mouth again, and they move out.

Burrowing through the earth toward Selfoss is dirty, slow work. It gives me plenty of time to think. When they discover that Axel’s gone too, what will they do with me? Will they blame me for his disappearance too? And what have they done with Coral, Jade, and Sammy? If it weren’t for the three of them, I might just curl up and quit.

But Mom’s right.

I’m probably the only human who stands a chance at entering the settlement and trying to save them. The blades are barely still clutched in my hands, my muscles tired and cramping from holding them so long.

“Can you make something to hold my blades?” I finally ask. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold them.”

Humans aren’t designed well, Gaia accurately states. Your god should have given you talons.

So true. If I met the god who made me right now, I’d have some choice suggestions. Talons might not be the top of the list, but they would be on it.

A moment later, Gaia stops again. You seem to be in a better mood.

Not really, but I have renewed purpose, and maybe that’s the same thing.

I’ve made you a saddle. Are you strong enough to use it?

I demand my chance to bear her. The giant green snake’s eyes flash, and I realize it’s another girl.

She trusts me, Gaia says. I’ll keep her. She shifts again, this time more slowly. I’m shocked to see her move from her lovely dragon shape into the squattiest, roundest human shape I’ve ever seen in an earth dragon. It’s a big surprise, honestly. Clearly their human form doesn’t really tie to their dragon form. “Here.” Her voice is deep and gravelly, like my old high school gym teacher, who—antithetical to her job as a PE coach—smoked two packs a day. “Put this on.”

It’s not a very well-designed sword scabbard, but it was created by a dragon, so I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess. It’s large, heavy, and unwieldy, but I finally get the thick straps of blackish leather tied around my waist, and I slide the swords into place. They do appear to be at least secure, even if they’d take way too long to unsheathe, and there’s no real way for me to jog and wear them.

Before I can thank Gaia, the serpent shifts into a human shape that would make Jessica Rabbit jealous, complete with a shimmering green ballgown that’s slit almost up to her thigh. She winks at me before shifting back into her snake form, this time wearing a saddle that appears to be harnessed to her head so it can’t slide away.