Pa laughed. “A fearsome beast, but it was already far away by the time we got there.”
Ernst slapped Tomaaz on the shoulder. “You’re a man now, too, Tomaaz, so we’ll be expecting you at the meet.”
Hans nodded. “We’ll be there.”
Ernst left to rejoin the folk heading to the settlement hub.
“You’ll have to come, Son,” Pa said, “otherwise they’ll be suspicious.”
Usually Tomaaz would jump at the chance to attend a menfolk meet, but tonight all he wanted was the truth.
§
During the rounds of the animals, Tomaaz clenched his jaw so hard it ached. His sister was gone. They were obviously feeding the stock to stop the neighbors from being suspicious. Afterward, Pa insisted on harvesting more vegetables, then they made their way inside.
Ma was ladling soup into wooden bowls. “Eat up and we’ll talk before you leave for the men folk meet.”
“Soup?” A bitter laugh escaped Tomaaz. He strode over and shoved his bowl. It slid across the tabletop and thunked to the floor, splattering his mother’s rucksack. “My sister’s gone and you give me soup?” He glared at Ma. “And why is your bag packed? Are you going, too?”
Ma glanced at Pa. “It’s time we told him.”
Pa picked up Tomaaz’s bowl and thumped it on the table. “Sit down, Son.”
Instead, Tomaaz paced by the fire.
“Ma and I came to Lush Valley, years ago, to keep you and Ezaara safe,” Pa said. “To give you a chance to grow up strong and learn survival skills. We chose Lush Valley, here among the foothills of the Grande Alps—”
“I don’t need a geography lesson,” Tomaaz snarled.
Pa ignored him. “Hemmed in by mountains and isolated from the rest of Dragons’ Realm, Lush Valley’s the only place where dragons are treated with suspicion. Across the rest of Dragons’ Realm, folk respect the dragons who protect us.”
“Protect us?” Tomaaz scowled. “That’s not likely. One just snatched Ezaara.” He picked up the poker and stabbed at the fire. Sparks flew up the chimney.
“Son, your mother and I are dragon folk.” Pa paused. “Actually, we’re dragon riders.”
Tomaaz whirled, the poker clanging to the floor. “What?!” Dragon folk? Riders? They had to be joking. “What’s that got to do with Ezaara?”
“Hear me out, Son.” Pa broke off a piece of bread and chewed it slowly. The wait was agonizing. “It was years ago. When I met Marlies, she worked for Dragon Corps, a secret group of riders. She was a spy, a fighter, an expert in herb lore.” He stroked Ma’s hand. Her eyes glinted. “She rode a silver dragon named Liesar, whose eyes were bright turquoise—as your mother’s now are, after years of riding her. Riders inherit other gifts from their dragons—sharpened senses and, sometimes, the ability to harness excess power. I was a dragon rider, too.”
“And not too bad at it,” Ma interjected.
Tomaaz snorted.
Pa’s mouth grew tight. “Marlies and I fought side by side to defeat the tharuks that were trying to overthrow the dragons and enslave our folk.”
Tomaaz stopped pacing. His neck prickled. “You fought tharuks? And Commander Zens?”
“Many times.” Pa nodded. “We married. Together with our dragons, Handel and Liesar, we achieved joint mind-meld. All four of us could hear each other’s thoughts. In the history of dragon folk, it had only happened once before.” He squeezed Ma’s hand. “I became the Master Seer—and Marlies, Master Healer—on the Dragon Council.”
Tomaaz shook his head. This was all too much.
“We had every reason to be happy,” said Pa. “Except one. We couldn’t have children.”
“We tried for years,” said Ma, “but never conceived. Then there was a grievous battle. We triumphed, but Zens and his tharuks killed many—including the dragon king, the King’s Rider, and the Queen’s Rider.
“Zaarusha, the dragon queen, was carrying four eggs. In the aftermath of battle, amid our wounded, she laid them and brooded on her nest.” Ma winced, lines appearing on her face. “One night I was looking after the eggs while Zaarusha was hunting …” She broke off, then blurted, “I killed a royal dragonet, Tomaaz. I accidentally killed one.”
The fire crackled.
“I—I touched an egg when I should’ve known better.” Her shoulders shook.
Pa put his arm around her. “But that’s not all,” he said. “Somehow, touching the dragonet’s egg allowed the baby dragon to pass its life force to Marlies, healing her. Shortly after, she became pregnant and we had you and Ezaara.” Pa ran a hand through his hair, tugging at his curls. “That dragonet sacrificed itself so we could have you.”
The fire’s flickering shadows danced across the lines on Ma’s face. “But there was a price.”
Ezaara—she was the price. “Will she survive?” Tomaaz’s throat was so tight, his voice cracked. He slumped into a chair.
Ma placed her hand on his shoulder. “Yes, Ezaara should be fine. The price was my guilt.”
Tomaaz shivered. The fire had dwindled. Red embers glared at him like angry dragon eyes. He threw a log on them.
Pa leaned forward. “Zens must have struck at the heart of Dragons’ Realm for Zaarusha to imprint with Ezaara.”
Tomaaz swallowed. So Ezaara had bonded with the dragon queen and flown away. So much for her promise not to leave him. That multi-colored beast hadn’t stolen her at all. And that same beast’s offspring was the only reason he existed.
§
“You’re going somewhere, aren’t you?” Tomaaz snapped, pointing at Marlies’ rucksack. His jaw was jutting out, his body tense with accusation.
Marlies’ family was being splintered, and her son’s heart shattered, but she had to go. Zaarusha’s son’s life depended upon her. “I am.” Marlies took a deep breath. “Years ago, I was too cowardly to face Zaarusha—even though I’d killed her baby. Now, I have to prove
