“We hid because generations far older than you sought to protect something from the eyes of the Déchets’ king,” Siri growls, her enormous tail flicking with her aggravation. The rush of air behind me nearly knocks me to my knees. “You never saw us because we did not want to be found. We are only here because the time has come for us to make ourselves known. We’ve left the Pith because it is necessary.”
“There is a war brewing. We intend to be prepared for the battle, to protect the Ddraigs and the thing that they guard.” I pray that is enough of an explanation to appease the woman. Describing the Carreglas is far too complicated; it has to be seen to be understood.
“You still haven’t explained why we should believe this,” someone hiding under the stall tables shouts at me. “How do we know that you aren’t from Déchets yourself, trying to trick us into betraying our own kind?”
“Before I entered the Pith lands and discovered all of this new information, I came from the House of Vultures.” Heat rises to my cheeks in embarrassment at the mention of my old House. It seems a lifetime ago.
Murmurs break out among the crowds. “Who was the leader of that house?”
“Condor,” I reply without hesitation. “He’s also a Cadogan to one of the Ddraigs, though he is not with me right now.”
“Convenient,” the elderly leader quips as she totters closer to me. “You do not wear a mask, and your skin is peculiarly altered,” she observes without question.
“It’s a rite of bonding with my Ddraig.” Holding out my hands to her, I bend them so that the Dadeni lines gleam with their inner fire.
“I remember stories, though it has been many years since they were spoken of in this land. To believe in those tales was to be an outcast, even in the minor houses,” the woman murmurs as her gnarled fingers trace the lines on my left hand. “Tales of fire breathers and a weapon that no one should own. The storytellers always ended with lines that suggested everything was hidden away so that they did not draw the eye of the king over the mountains. That much of your tale is true.”
“And we stand before you as proof as well. There is trouble coming, and the Ddraigs mean to fight for us. Will you allow them to come closer? All they want to do is find their warriors, then we will be on our way.”
The woman glares at me, her heated gaze burrowing into my chest as though she can see into my heart and discern my motives. A billowing cry from above catches my attention. One of the Ddraigs dips lower to the earth, his keen eyes searching the ground. Some of the men raise their bows and fire, but the Ddraig outmaneuvers the arrows with ease despite their speed.
“She’s here! I can smell my Cadogan here!”
“Stay up there!” I command, waving him away. “They do not trust us yet, and they will not give us a chance if we do not keep our word!” Yet even as I speak the words, I notice a tall, slender woman staring up at the blue-green Ddraig. Her violet eyes blink wildly, their color a perfect match to the male’s overhead.
“Let that one come down,” the woman pleads with the leader. “I can’t explain it, but I think he’s meant for me.”
“What’s your name?” I inquire at the same time as the turquoise Ddraig. “Your true name, not your masked one,” I amend my request, watching the fear brew in her eyes.
“I can’t share that with you!” She startles, jumping further away from me.
“It’s the only way that you’ll know for certain if the Ddraig is meant for you. I understand your reservations about sharing your name. Unfortunately, the time has come for some of our old laws to change.” I bite my tongue when I see the way the people bristle in their hiding places. Pushing for so many changes while introducing the Ddraigs will only get us thrown out of this place. My heart sinks as I realize our mission will take much longer than expected. If we go through this much conflict with every group we meet, we’ll still be searching for Cadogans five years from now!
“People will become connected to me if I share my name aloud,” the woman protests, looking to her leader for answers. “I’ve seen what happens to people who cannot be near the ones that know their true names! I can’t do that to all my friends!”
Strange, I realize as I consider the woman’s concerns carefully. I have felt no side effects from my connection with Wolf. My fingers trace the corners of my lips as I recall my days in Wolf’s cavern after Falcon’s last beating. It had been the first day I’d kissed Wolf, I recall, immediately shoving the thought out of my mind. Now is hardly the time to dredge up the confusing emotions coursing through my veins.
I’d left Antero, the traitor I thought I could trust, in my room for a few days while I recovered under Fox’s care. During my last day before I returned to the House of Vultures, I’d awakened with a terrible headache. My scalp felt like a long glass shard was cutting its way into my brain. I’d never felt a pain so intense that it nearly blinded my vision. Yet ever since I bonded with Cane, I’ve never had to endure that ache. Why, Siri? What’s changed?
“It will not affect you the same way,” Siri interjects from behind me, smoke rising from her nostrils. “You will connect with your Ddraig, and he will be able to shield your mind from any other mental bonds. The Ddraigs and Cadogans view our connections as strength; they are a means of sharing information and
