“Yes, despite your missing finger.”
Mara elbowed Leah. “Go on, talk to the master healer.”
Leah took a bite of her bread. “All right, I will.”
If only Adelina’s own problems were as easy to solve. Her brother was missing. No one wanted to rescue him. Why hadn’t they gone already? She’d speak to Ezaara about it after breakfast.
A brittle voice from the table behind her cut through Adelina’s thoughts. “Ezaara isn’t the rightful Queen’s Rider. I tell you, it goes against Anakisha’s prophecy.”
Adelina raised her eyebrows at Mara and Leah.
Mara mouthed Sofia, and kept eating.
“Ezaara’s not of Anakisha’s bloodline. I told you, the prophecy says one of Anakisha’s kin will rule here at Dragons’ Hold.”
Adelina rolled her eyes. Not that old line again. Sofia’s babble was getting really old, fast.
“But Master Roberto tested her,” said another girl.
“Ssh, someone will hear you,” Sofia snapped. “Who says his test was true? You heard them at his trial. Even Master Tonio wasn’t sure whether he was lying. Roberto could’ve pretended Ezaara had imprinted well. You know he used to work for Master Zens.”
That sharding cow. Here was Roberto, laying his life on the line for the realm, and she was spreading lies about him. Adelina placed her fists on the table to stand up and blast Sofia, but Mara widened her eyes and shook her head.
Adelina hesitated. What more was Sofia saying? She stayed seated, chewing her bread, although it had lost its taste.
“For Zens? That’s terrible. But Zaarusha chose Ezaara.”
“That’s what Ezaara told us,” Sofia replied. “Now quiet, I don’t want everyone to—”
“Hey, there’s Adelina,” a male voice hissed. It was Alban, Sofia’s lover.
Adelina faked a laugh, grinning at the girls. “That was a great joke. Tell me another.”
Thankfully, Mara and Leah caught on quickly, and giggled.
“What’s big as a dragon but weighs nothing?” Mara asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I don’t know!” Although she was seething, Adelina forced mirth into her voice. “I give up. What’s as big as a dragon but weighs nothing?”
“His shadow.”
Adelina and Leah laughed again. “That was bad,” said Adelina, turning to Leah. “Do you have a better one?”
Behind them, chairs scraped as Sofia and her gossips got up to leave.
“They’ve gone,” breathed Mara. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“You mean it’s not the first time they’ve said those things about my brother?”
Mara broke crumbs off her bread roll, not meeting Adelina’s eyes.
“No, it’s not,” said Leah. “But I’d ignore them.”
Adelina glanced behind her. Although the rest of the mess cavern was still busy, the few tables nearby had emptied out. No one could hear them, but still, she whispered. “No, don’t ignore them. Listen in, then let me know what they’re saying.”
“But Alban …” Leah murmured.
“Is he hurting people?”
“Not sure, but there was a rumor that Sofia asked him to punch a girl.”
“When did that happen?”
The girls shrugged. “It might just be a rumor,” Mara said. “Is it true Ezaara knifed Sofia?”
Adelina sighed. “Yes, but it was an accident. Fleur’s dragon, Ajeuria, was on swayweed and sent Ezaara a vision of her being blasted by a dragon. It was so real that Ezaara thought her skin was on fire. She stumbled and her knife went into Sofia’s leg.”
“How could a dragon meld with Ezaara without her touching it?”
“She has special gifts. She can meld with any dragon, but not many know that, so keep it quiet. That’s one way we know she’s Queen’s Rider. Besides, my brother doesn’t lie.”
Leah still looked uncertain.
“What is it?”
“Did he really work for Master Zens?”
“Only because he was drugged with numlock and forced to, but Erob saved him.” Adelina shivered, remembering Roberto’s screams through her bedroom walls when he’d returned to Naobia.
§
Marlies stifled a yawn, and placed her hand on Erob’s forehead so she could mind-meld with him. His scales were a healthy hue, but a little cool. “How are you feeling?”
He opened an eye, his lid sliding over his slitted pupil. “A bit better. Still weak.”
“Sleep, then.”
“Thanks. I was until you woke me.” His lid closed again.
She checked Erob’s wound again. There was a slight mark along his scales, but otherwise not a blemish. Piaua juice was incredible. What they’d do without it, she had no idea.
After rescuing Erob and helping heal him, Hans had collapsed in bed. Marlies had been tending the blue dragon and the patients in the infirmary on her own—even though she’d also hardly slept. She wasn’t as hardy as she’d been when she left Lush Valley a few short moons ago. Death Valley had dealt her a raw card. But at least she was alive, with her family. More than she could guarantee for Roberto.
Strange, she’d expected Ezaara to pop in by now. She was probably sleeping too.
Marlies threw some blankets over his back, and then more on each of his limbs. If she could help him conserve heat, he’d use his energy for healing. Behind him, Maazini snuffled in his sleep. She threw some blankets on him too.
Liesar landed on the ledge and came inside the overhang where the dragons were dozing. “You’ve been up all night and half the day. You need rest.”
“Soon.” A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Marlies called, going back inside the infirmary and pulling the door shut. Although there were two exhausted dragons on the ledge, Erob was out of danger and it was freezing. She’d wake Hans so he could rug up and take the next shift, watching him.
A young blonde girl entered the infirmary, the one whose finger Ezaara had amputated. She was older than a littling but not a fully-fledged teen yet, shy wee thing. What was her name again? Lara or Lexi—no, Leah, that was it. “Good evening, Leah. How’s
