Page 105 of Spirit Rites

Farrah exchanges a glance with me. “Uh, yes.”

“Is the dragon talking back?” I ask, voice breathless.

“Yes!”

My eyes are wide. “What?”

She finally turns to me. “What do you think is happening, Kinsley?” she snaps.

Farrah turns to me, her eyes dancing. “I think Harper managed to bond herself to a dragon.”

“A dragon with an attitude problem,” Harper says in an irritated voice.

I look up at Kaldar and notice his smirk. I smile but try to wipe it off my face when Harper looks over at us. “Oh, just laugh it up, everybody.”

I sober up. “Why now?”

Harper stares at the dragon with her arms still crossed over her chest. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Apparently, this dragon is directionally challenged.” The dragon huffs again, and I get the distinct impression it’s not a happy huff. She rollsher eyes again before looking over at us. “She said every time she got a lock on my location, I wasn’t there.”

I think about how much Harper has moved around since the end of the Trials. “Well, she’s not wrong.”

Harper glares at me, but I ignore it. “Explains the dragon appearance in our kingdom,” Kaldar says in a low voice. He turns to Rysden. “Well, I guess it’s official. Now, we have to contact Rauk.”

Harper jerks her head our way and drops her arms. “Oh, no. Absolutely not. You are not contacting some dude you’re all terrified of. Nope. Not gonna happen. I’m just going to send this dragon back to happy dragon land where it belongs.” She takes a step towards the massive dragon. “Shoo. Go. Go back to where you came from.” The dragon huffs again, and this time smoke billows out of its nostrils.

“Harper, I don’t think you should do that,” Farrah says, taking a step forward. But Rysden tugs her back, away from the dragon.

Harper stares at the dragon, and I know she’s communicating with it. “Stubborn dragon,” she mumbles.

“Met her match,” Farrah mutters under her breath, and I can’t help but agree.

She turns to us and tries again. “Can you guys get it to go away?” Rysden and Kaldar both give her looks that don’t need any interpretation. “Come on. Please.”

I start towards her, but Kaldar stops me. His eyes are still on the dragon. “I’m just going to talk to her,” I tell him.

“It’s fine,” Harper says. “She said she won’t eat any of my friends or burn them alive.”

I swallow. “Oh. Good.”

“Everybody else is fair game?” Rysden asks in a low voice.

Harper frowns, turning to Rysden. “She says not to push her, King of Wolves.” Rysden doesn’t exactly like that answer, but he stays quiet.

Harper huffs. “Okay. She’s not going anywhere. What am I going to do with a huge dragon for a pet?”

“Um, Harper,” Farrah starts.

Harper puts up her hand. “Don’t say it because I amnotdoing it.”

“Doing what?” Farrah asks in an innocent voice.

Harper gives her a veryHarperlook. “I know what you’re thinking. I know what you’re all thinking. But it’s not going to happen. I am not going to the Dragon Kingdom. I’ve seen what’s happened to all of you. That isnothappening to me.”

“Okay,” Farrah says.

I nod as well. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Harper nods. “That settles it.”

When she turns back to the dragon, I meet Farrah’s eyes. We both grin because it is absolutely not settled. In fact, it's only the beginning.