A Naobian ran into the clearing. “I’m glad everything’s under control,” he said, gesturing at the dark pall created by the burning tharuk pyre. “What a beautiful dragon. Such glorious scales. It’s very rare to see a rolling gold.”
“A what?” Kierion asked.
“Rolling gold, also known as golden flash. It’s what the gold shimmer in her scales is called.”
“I’m rare, did you hear that?” Riona melded. “You’d better take care of me.”
Speaking of taking care of her … “Do you happen to have any piaua juice?” Kierion asked. “She’s wounded.”
“A little.” Master Giddi nodded. “But piaua juice is the least of your troubles. I’d be more worried about finding an excuse for Master Lars when you return to Dragons’ Hold.”
Jael
By the time Kierion landed outside his new dragon rider’s cavern, it was dusk and his kitchen duties had been long fulfilled by the people he’d organized. Keeping to little-used tunnels, he managed to sneak to the infirmary. “Ah, Master Marlies, do you have a moment?” He held Jael’s sack of healing supplies against his side, with his jerkin thrown over it—a clumsy disguise, but better than walking around with a sack emblazoned with a Naobian brand.
“Are you here to see Adelina?” she asked. “Sorry, she’s back in her cavern.”
He winced. In his excitement about the skirmish, he’d missed visiting her. “Um, I’ve been busy.”
Her eyes darted to his poorly-disguised bundle. “Ah, Kierion, I need a hand moving some remedies in my alcove. Would you mind helping me?”
“Sure.” Good, she’d found an excuse for them to talk alone.
Marlies took him to the alcove at the back of the infirmary, away from the patients, and pulled the curtain shut behind them. The shelves were half empty because Fleur—the last master healer and as corrupt as a den of thieves—had destroyed so many healing herbs.
The last time Kierion had been in here was when Zaarusha had been poisoned and he’d helped Adelina and Lars search for remedies. That had been a tough night. He’d accidentally bumped Ezaara and half a bottle of tonic had shot down Zaarusha’s throat. For a moment he’d thought he’d killed Queen Zaarusha. Luckily, everything had worked out.
“These are too high for my trainee to reach easily,” Marlies said in a voice that carried. “Could you help me move them lower?” She gestured at the sack.
Kierion tossed his jerkin on a shelf and opened the mouth of the sack. “I’ve got your wizard cloak too,” he whispered, pulling out pouches of herbs, vials and jars and placing them on the shelf. Marlies was clever. The clinks and thumps really did sound like they were re-sorting her supplies. He also passed her the wizard cloak from the bottom of the sack. “Oh, here’s another one.”
“Here, hold this,” Marlies said loudly. She narrowed her eyes, whispering, “Where did you get these?”
Under her penetrating turquoise gaze, Kierion had to be honest. “From Master Giddi,” he whispered back, rushing on to distract her. “Jael couldn’t find the last sackful of herbs when you visited them.”
“Thank you, Kierion,” she said, stowing the empty sack and wizard cloaks under the shelves, out of sight. She leaned close. “Don’t get caught consorting with wizards or the council will have your hide. For the Egg’s sake, make sure you bathe before someone notices that you reek of mage flame.” She passed him a small pouch of aromatic herbs. “These might help.”
“Marlies?” a man called from the infirmary.
She peeked through the curtain and drew back in alarm, holding a finger to her lips. She slipped out. “Hello, Tonio, how can I help you?” Her voice got further away as she moved along the infirmary.
“Cut my finger helping a young dragon corps’ member to slit his seams so he could hide his clear-mind berries. Sharding nuisance, because it’s my bow finger.”
“Let’s have a look where the light is better,” Marlies replied. “I remember slitting my seams for the first time. I nearly ruined my jerkin.”
“You were one of my best in dragon corps,” Tonio said. “A shame you had to …”
Kierion hadn’t known that Marlies had been one of Tonio’s spies, years before. He slipped out while their backs were turned and hurried along the tunnels to his cavern. He’d visit Adelina straight after he’d bathed.
When he got to his cavern, the door was ajar. Had he left it that way? He didn’t think so. Hand on his sword pommel, he entered the room.
Adelina was sitting, red-eyed, on a chair next his bed.
“Adelina? What’s wrong?”
“What isn’t?” She ran to him, flinging her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. Her shoulders shook. “My brother’s been captured, I got hurt by tharuks, and you were missing. Thank the Egg, you’re all right.”
Awkwardly he patted her back, but didn’t know quite where to put his arms, so he gave her a quick hug. She was so small her head only came up to his chest. So cute, so full of life and energy—and so young. Oh, gods, what was he doing? His face warm, he pulled away.
“You smell odd,” she said, “like …” Her mouth made an ‘oh’ shape and her eyes flew wide. Her eyes fell to the small herb pouch he was carrying. “You’re not sick, are you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
He placed the pouch by his bathtub in the corner of his room. “Ah, my cavern’s not usually this messy.” Kierion busied himself, tidying up his discarded boots, breeches and a shirt. Shards, why couldn’t he stop blushing. This was silly. She was only fourteen summers and he was seventeen. There was no way—
“You’ve been with Fenni again, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” He sighed.
“I know I can’t stop you, so be careful,” Adelina said. “I don’t want to lose someone else
