Fenni grinned. “I thought I was a goner, but I passed my trials. Seems they’d pitted me against some Naobian master mage.” Fenni blew his breath out. “Jael’s about our age, so I didn’t know he was a master. Even though I lost most of our duels, I still passed.”
Naobian? “What does he look like?”
“Our age, dark hair to his shoulders, dark eyes and skin.” Fenni shrugged. “You know, Naobian, I guess.”
Sounded like Roberto. Maybe that was the man Septimor had seen.
“There are a whole lot of Naobian mages here, and more from Spanglewood. Never knew there were so many wizards around. I thought most of them went through the world gate years ago. What about you? How long have you been a dragon rider?”
“Just a few days.”
“And they let you—Ssh, what’s that?” Suddenly alert, Fenni held a hand up, sparks flitting from his fingertips.
Kierion’s hand flew to his sword. A fox broke out of the underbrush and ran off. “Thank the Egg that wasn’t a tharuk. Come on, I don’t know what’s up with Adelina, but we’d better hurry. Things are way too quiet.”
“I prefer the quiet to those stinking beasts snarling,” Fenni said as they picked up their pace.
“Adelina’s just through those trees,” Riona melded.
“Any tharuks around?” Kierion asked.
“Just dead ones.” Riona’s tone was full of grim satisfaction—and worry.
Kierion and Fenni rounded a strongwood trunk. A huge tharuk was sprawled in the snow among a tangle of branches. It was dead, its neck bent. Beyond it lay Adelina. Face pale and lips tinged blue, she was unconscious. “Dragon’s teeth.” Kierion leaped over the beast and ran to her.
He held his fingers under her nose. Still breathing. Felt her pulse. Heart beating. Covered in scratches and bruises, she had gashes on her legs. He picked her up, cradling her against his chest.
“Wait.” Fenni took off his cloak and tucked it around her. “Hang on for a moment. She’s half frozen. You don’t want her to die on the way to Dragons’ Hold.” Fenni ran his hands over her limbs and face. Adelina’s skin lost that blue tinge. Her icy body grew warmer against Kierion’s chest.
Kierion raised an eyebrow. Useful skill. They had to get her home before more tharuks came.
They traipsed through the trees until they found somewhere the dragons could land. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that Adelina was hurt?” Kierion demanded of Riona.
“Quite frankly, you were in no position to help. You had tharuks breathing down your neck.”
Adelina’s head lolled against his shoulder. What if she didn’t survive? Anger surged in Kierion’s chest. “Don’t withhold information from me again,” he snapped at Riona. “Ever. If we’re partners, we can’t have secrets.”
“I realize now that I should have told you.”
Linaia nuzzled Adelina’s face, her breath gusting over Kierion’s neck.
“She’s worried about her rider,” said Riona.
“So am I,” Kierion admitted. Something fierce stirred in his chest. He wanted to protect Adelina, make sure she was never hurt again.
“Linaia wants to help,” Riona said.
The sapphire dragon sat on her haunches, holding out her front limbs. She wanted to hold Adelina. That made sense. He couldn’t climb into the saddle with Adelina in his arms. He passed her to Linaia and climbed on Riona’s back.
Fenni steadied Adelina as Linaia passed her back to Kierion. “Hang onto my cloak,” he said. “It might come in handy. It’s magicked to make you invisible.”
“I’ll get it back to you.”
“Nah, keep it. I have a spare.” Fenni hesitated.
“What is it?”
Fenni’s brow crinkled. “You know, we fought well together, back there. I think we should practice together. This dumb prejudice about wizards and riders stops us from being our best.”
Kierion tilted his head. “You’re right. I would’ve been dead without you. Besides, you need a ride on a dragon. I’ll meet you at dawn here, the day after tomorrow. Unless Adelina …” What if she didn’t recover?
An icy hole yawned in Kierion’s belly. She had to get better.
“She’ll be fine,” said Fenni. “See you then.”
Wings flapping, Riona lifted off. Linaia flew beside them, crooning. Kierion gazed down at Adelina’s tiny form, cradled against his chest. By the dragon gods, hopefully she’d be all right.
A chill wind sliced through his damp clothes, and he shivered.
Recovery
By the time they landed on the broad infirmary ledge, Kierion’s backside was numb and Adelina’s face was as pale as when he and Fenni had found her. The wizard cloak had protected her from the worst of the chill, but it hadn’t been enough.
“I’ve melded with Liesar, so Marlies is prepared,” Riona said.
Kierion sighed in relief. The master healer was the best in the realm. If she couldn’t heal Adelina, no one could. He swallowed. Gods, it had better not come to that.
The infirmary door opened and Marlies rushed onto the ledge. Riona landed and Linaia dropped to the snow beside them and held her forelegs out for Adelina. Kierion handed her over carefully, then slid to the ground.
Marlies frowned, her turquoise eyes flitting from Adelina to Kierion. “Let’s get her inside.”
Kierion lifted Adelina out of Linaia’s limbs and strode after Marlies into the infirmary. Warmth from a blazing fire hit him.
“Over here.” Marlies indicated a bed near the fire.
Kierion lay Adelina on it.
Whipping off the mage cloak, Marlies rolled it into a tight bundle and handed it to Kierion. “You’d better put this somewhere before someone sees it,” she said in a low voice, glancing at a patient in a nearby bed.
Possessing a mage cloak would get him into trouble? He’d known riders didn’t like mages, but things were worse than he’d thought. Kierion stowed it under the bed, and eased his aching body into a nearby chair.
Marlies examined Adelina’s eyes and ears and felt her
