Page 102 of Exquisite Monster

For all those things, I chose to be a monster.

If that was how I was remembered, then so be it.

“Good,” I finally said.

The only thing I felt from my mates was pride.

Pushing up from the sun-soaked stone, I retrieved some pants and put them on. “Let’s talk to the others. I think it’s time we made a plan, don’t you?”

I didn’t wait for them, heading for the stairs down the tower. In those woods, I told Endre the only choice I’d made was them. This was my next choice.

Smiling, I dragged my hands along the stone wall. If they hadn’t wanted me to turn into a monster, they should have been more careful to keep me in my cage.

Now they would see what happened when I was let out.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

________

SIRRUS

We chose the courtyard to meet. Large enough to be comfortable, and easy enough to make sure no one was spying. We didn’t believe anyone knew we were here, but we would never take that for granted.

Endre finished explaining what he’d learned, and the possibilities it offered.

The shock rolling through our dragon companions was about the same as what I’d just experienced. The anger too, though I didn’t think it held a candle to the three of us.

“It does solve one problem,” Karadi said. “But not the other.”

Belleo spoke from where she was tucked between her mates. Ravi had a hand almost indecently on her thigh, and Mesene was curled around her. They looked inevitable, like us with Lena. “What’s the other?”

“With thesheytenstill broken, the human lands are starving. Even if the Elders are overcome, the humans still rage against us and wish us ill, if only to take healthy land from us. Until they are healed, there is no chance of true peace.”

“Why haven’t you fixed them?” Lena asked.

Everyone came to stillness and looked at her. Mesene was the first to smile, as if they already knew the extent of her question.

“How do you mean?” Endre asked.

She gestured to everyone assembled. “Clearly a small number of dragons can move past your barrier. And I believe most of the humans are only agreeing to war because they’re desperate. They have no other choice. By rescuing the three of you, it’s been proven that dragons can get there and back without being detected, so why not fix them?”

I reached out and took her hand from where it rested and wove our fingers together before kissing the back of it. “You need every piece to heal asheyten.”

She nodded. “And they don’t break like stone. So we don’t have to concern ourselves with an errant pebble.”

“Correct,” Mesene said. “Smooth pieces. They are closer to metal than rock, though they are not fully of this world, so we do not know everything about them. The material can be shaped, if necessary. But such a thing is rare.”

“Oh.” She was relieved but cautious. “Then my question still stands.”

“Because after the humans cracked the stones, the broken pieces were hidden. They had to have been, because even scalefire could not destroy them. If we knew where they were and were sure we could retrieve them without being killed, we would have done so.”

“Oh,” she said again. Softer this time. Her soul was weary, and I hated it. “Part of me hoped it would be that simple. Heal the stones and the land so their reason for war had all motive taken from it.” Lena shook her head. “I should have known better. It’s been centuries. Surely you would have healed them long ago if you could have.”

“There are no bad questions,” I tugged her closer to murmur in her ear.

“We both know that’s not true. Have you met human men?”

It made me laugh despite the conversation. “A fair point. But no one here will fault you for asking things you had no way of knowing.”