Page 44 of Exquisite Monster

Below us, one of the rivers flowed toward the edge of the bowl, and we followed it. South and east, though not a deep enough angle to reach Skalisméra. Not that we would go there when my mates were in the exact opposite direction.

However, we aimed for the mountains. By the time hours had passed and we flew over them?—

Oh.

A crater spread out beneath us, bigger than I’d ever seen. Or even heard of. What caused this?

“What happened here?”

Idroal dove toward the center without speaking, toward a dark and shining stone at the center of the greater. It loomed larger and larger until it towered over us, tall as a palace. That now familiar silent vibration took hold of me. “This is asheyten?”

It is.

“Why aren’t the other craters so large?”

Some of them are. Thesheytenin Skalisméra is smaller. The one we just left behind was protected by the sheer volume of water. The rivers always pooled in the center of the bowl and drained away. It was a much larger lake before thesheyten.

Trees grew on the floor of the crater. I spotted a trickling stream too. This crater was so old that nature had reclaimed it for itself.

Idroal landed lightly. Down beyond their wing, I saw smoke floating through the trees and the flickering glow of a fire. “Who came with you?”

Friends.Go and find out.

I slid down to the ground, andVaríleapt into the air, flying ahead of me. “Wait for me.”

“The little one is in no danger.” Idroal pulled on a robe I hadn’t noticed, and their eyes danced when I looked surprised. “I keep it tied to my leg when flying away from home like this. Small magic.”

The light was still too bright, and everything was too real. Too vibrant. Too much.

Behind me, I heard exclamations of surprise. “Lena?” Belleo appeared from between the trees, running as soon as she saw me. “Thank the Fallen. You are alive.”

“I am alive.”

She pulled me into an embrace without hesitation. “I had hoped, but it was a dim hope. We are very glad you survived. How did you manage it?”

“I…” Clearing my throat, I glanced back at Idroal in question. “I didn’t.”

Idroal folded their arms within the sleeves of their robe as they approached. “Belleo is too young to remember your rescuer, Princess. But she will have heard the stories and can be trusted. Though,” they looked at Belleo, “this cannot be spoken of beyond our party.”

“Of course.”

“Gleym yet lives.”

Belleo’s mouth dropped open in shock. “It seems there is much to speak of.”

I laughed once. “Yes.”

She looped her arm through mine like she had when she first met me, and pulled me toward the trees and whoever else was waiting.

Faces I recognized. Mesene, Ravi, and Erryn. Two dragons stood back, and I didn’t recognize them.

Mesene pulled me into an embrace. “It is good to see you whole, Katalena.”

“Thank you.” Emotion was thick in my throat. These dragons barely knew me, yet they came looking for me and were grateful I was alive, though they owed me nothing.

“Katalena,” Idroal said. “This is Sotai, and Karadi. They’re from Doro Eche, and joined me at my request. They can be trusted and have no ill will toward humans.”

I looked at the two strangers. The first one, Sotai, had red hair that was much brighter than mine. As I watched, their face shifted and morphed much in the way Idroal’s did, not content to stay the same.