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His frown deepened. Then he looked from me to where Stryek had disappeared into the distance and let out a long breath.
"You should stay in the village," he said, voice firm. "I'll set you up in your own house. Food, lodging, compensation — everything you need will be taken care of. I need to study that strange metal." His green eyes met mine, and my chest tightened. "And you could help me understand more about their curse. It —"
"Absolutely not," Jaiel interjected, stepping to our side. "Lady Frexin and her minions will not rest until she gets the damn relic she's sent Kaiya and I to retrieve. Maybe Kaiya can visit in the future, but Frexin is not someone to mess with. And you certainly don't want her focused on your village. Especially not if she's unhappy with me or Kaiya."
I turned to glare at Jaiel. "I can make my own decisions, thank you very much."
His jaw pulsed as his gaze slid between the two of us. That wasn't jealousy in those blue eyes, was it? No. That would be ridiculous.
Liam pushed past Jaiel and grasped my shoulder in his hands, staring at me with concern. "Kaiya, this is important. More important than you know. The dragons are dying out, and with them, my clan dwindles into nothingness. Dragon and rider alike were broken in the Twisting, and I fear that in another generation or two, there may be no one left in this place." Collecting himself, he let go of me and stepped back. "If you need to finish your mission first, fine. Do it. I'm even willing to offer some limited support, despite this being a mission for the Empire. But afterwards … I need you to return with your ring. Please."
I stared at him, heart twisting. "I —"
"Gods, man! You're either cold as ice or as intense as fire. At least let her think about it," Jaiel demanded, putting one hand on Liam's shoulder and one on mine.
Liam straightened, knocking the hand away, and nodded. "Yes, of course. Just think about it, Kaiya. We can talk more tonight after dinner. Let's say six o'clock, at my home."
Before I could reply, he turned on his heel and strode out, footsteps echoing in the cavern.
"Fuck. What happened to him?" I whispered under my breath, staring after him.
"Well," Jaiel said, putting a hand on my shoulder and leaning close enough that only I could hear him. "Perhaps that's what happens when you get rejected by the girl you love, take a knife to save her, lose the poor vrytra you just rescued as it gives its life to bring you back from the brink of death, then return home to have lost everyone you love." He shrugged. "Guilt is a cruel companion … something I'm sure you, of all people, understand all too well."
Chapter 25
Kaiya
My throat tightened as Jaiel's words repeated in my mind, over and over. He was right … I had — unintentionally — been responsible for the changes in Eli.
At least some of them.
"How did he lose the people he loved?" I asked, confusion knitting my brow.
"What's passed has passed," Jaiel said, awkwardly patting my shoulder with one hand as he gestured to the doorway back inside. "Liam can explain it when he's ready, but know that you can't go back and change anything. So, why don't we just embrace the moment and take some time to enjoy some baby dragons?" He wiggled his brows.
I gasped.
"Oh, did I forget to mention there are hatchlings?" He smirked.
"Hatchlings?!" My mind raced at the thought. "How — if they die so young?"
"The adults aren't that young," Mirrim said, jogging over and grabbing my elbow. "With the queen gone, most females have at least one clutch of eggs before they turn to stone. Stryek has fathered three clutches now. We're hoping the next generation inherits his resistance to the stone sickness." She looked over where he'd been sitting with a concerned gaze. "Who knows, maybe someday dragons will regain their long lives."
I thought about the corruption on Stryek's bonds and winced. It didn't seem like something that would improve with each generation. No. Liam's dire prediction seemed much more realistic.
"Anyways," she said, tugging me insistently toward the entrance. "You're going to love the hatchlings. They're adorable!"
Smiling, I let her pull me along, and Jaiel chuckled behind us.
We emerged into a large chamber with several stone nests scattered throughout. A slim golden dragon with ridges along her neck sat atop one, her wings tucked protectively around the clutch. The others stood empty.
"There aren't many right now," Mirrim said. "But Leya over there is sitting on six, and we think a few more are pregnant. By summer, a few more of these nests should be full — assuming everything goes well."
She let out a soft whistle, and there was a rustling at the back. Within seconds, a small herd of knee-height dragonlings came tumbling toward us. One with a long, deep blue neck led the herd, their eyes a beautiful swirling green. My breath caught as they reached my feet and nudged my hand with their snout.
Fuck. My heart melted, and I reached out to gently stroke the sides of their face. They tilted their head into my hand and made a soft purring sound. My heart melted.
I felt for the creature's korra and grinned. Their ribbon-like essences bounced and spun with the same level of energy as a human child.
