“Commoners?” I pointed to a painting of men and women harvesting wheat.
“I had that commissioned for Raul last year as a gift,” Shamino said. “He finds all humans fascinating. Most dragons do.”
At the end of the cavern, two enormous double doors opened to an outside platform for the dragon to land on. Sunlight—real light—bathed the cave golden. On the opposite mountain, dragons snoozed in the sunset, and in the valley a still lake reflected the pink-and-gold clouds above the peaks.
“I haven’t seen the outside since…” I swallowed. Hard. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could smell the green trees. A surge of homesickness hit me in the worst way. I’d never liked farming, but I’d always liked sunshine. I liked color. I loved the wind.
Just then, Raul moved.
His movement wasn’t large. It wasn’t threatening. He only twisted to look outside. Yet as he turned, another dragon formed:
The blood-red dragon snaps open his wings for flight. Hate radiates off him like heat. He will kill today; he will enjoy the deaths. Powerful wing-thrusts propel him upward into the sky, and upon his back sits a man in tan clothing. If they reach their destination...
Vaguely, I knew I had stood. And fallen. And screamed. But Raul’s cave didn’t become reality until the fire began.
Blue fire consumed the yellow cushion in front of Raul. Gift poured out of me, rushing everywhere, and instinctively I clamped down. Blue flashed orange and the cushion began to burn with regular fire.
“Adara!” Shamino cried. “You’re fine! Raul’s not going to hurt you.”
I shook. The dragon and his rider, they were going to do something terrible. They were going to kill—I gulped air, because the vision wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. I was here, safe…
“Shh.” Arms tightened around me. “That’s it.”
“It wasn’t Raul,” I choked out. My voice was hoarse.
“What?”
“You didn’t see them?” I turned my head—concerned green eyes were inches away. I had indeed fallen, and Shamino cradled me in his arms. “First One, I… I’m so sorry.”
Shamino held tight. “Not yet. You’re still shaking.”
Deep breath, came Orrik’s voice in my mind. Picture a place calm and familiar…
Meditation. For controlling my Gift. I’d always pictured the pasture, but it hurt to see my old home. From Shamino’s arms I caught the glint of the Kyer’s lake. Calm water, calm reflections. Sleeping dragons on the mountainside. Green trees, the scent of life. Sunset had muted to the pink of twilight. My muscles relaxed and my breathing slowed. My heart, however, beat harder as I grew increasingly aware of Shamino’s chest against my shoulder. His arms, like a lover’s, firm around me.
“I’m fine now,” I said. I soon wouldn’t be if he kept holding me.
Shamino helped me to my feet. “Raul shouldn’t have—”
“I told you, it wasn’t Raul.” The heat from Shamino’s arms seeped away, leaving me chill from their absence. “It was—I’m not sure, but I think it was a… vision. Is that a Talent?”
A Talent sounded much better than crazy.
“Vision?” Shamino looked me up and down as if he expected me to fall over again. “What did you see?”
“A dragon.” I hugged myself tightly, wishing he’d hold me again and whisper that visions were just part of being a mage. “Um, the dragon, he was as red as blood, and he just had so much hate. He wanted to kill and he was flying and, First One, I’m babbling.”
“There are no dragons like that here,” Shamino said, words slow. “Has this happened before?”
I nodded rather than babble again. How many times, now? Twice? At the Carthesian’s attack, there’d been the black mage throwing chairs. And the other vision had been worse. As I burned Garth’s hut, I’d seen myself bathed in blue fire, sobbing as I held a man. The man had been dying, and I’d been helpless.
Back in the sane world, I caught sight of the smoking remains of the yellow cushion. “Oh, no.”
Raul stayed a statue. Shamino waved at the seat. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I should go.” I turned to flee.
To my annoyance—and stupid thrill—Shamino grabbed my elbow. “You’re new to the Gift. It’s common to lose control at first. You don’t need to leave. Have some wine, or water. At least calm down further.”
I couldn’t be calm. Not with Shamino in the same room. I pulled away and made for the door. “Thank you, really, but I should leave.”
I made it out of Raul’s cave and into Shamino’s living room. Tears, hot and embarrassed, dripped down my cheeks. I’d had a crazy fit in front of the Seneschal, one of the most important people in my new life, who had a smile like…
First One above, Adara, a chicken has more control over its silliness than you.
I’d made Shamino yell at Raul, who only wanted to make me feel welcome, and I’d lost control of my magic, magic that had just failed to work with Zoland. How broken could I be?
Two steps from the hallway, an arm blocked my escape. “Hey. Look at me.”
I didn’t want to see Shamino’s judgment, or contempt, or pity. I wanted to shove past that nicely muscled arm and never see him again. But he was a noble, the Seneschal. Most of my life, I’d obeyed commands spoken like his.
I blinked back my tears and raised my chin.
All I saw was concern. Shamino said, with grave seriousness, “You did well. Honest. I don’t know what your vision means, or why it happened, but I have seen countless people meet their first dragon. It’s rare to see wonder stronger than fear.”
“I…” Shamino seemed to need some type of squeak that I wouldn’t, in fact, curl up and die once I reached my rooms. “Tell Raul I am sorry. I’ll do better. Next time.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “There
