Page 83 of Ava's Love of the Dragons

Her heart clenched, her upper body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"You don't have to hold anything back, Ava. I'm here with you. We all appreciate your sacrifice."

She pressed her lips together."Thank you."

The first tear spilled over and traveled down her cheek. It left a salty trail. A trail of longing. A trail of melancholy. A trail of sorrow. Another tear followed, and another, and another, as Ava flew through the air on Draco. For the first time in her life, she held none of them back.

Eventually, the tears were spent, and she felt empty. Her limbs felt limp and drained, her energy depleted.

"You've mourned enough now, Ava. Let's look forward."

She wiped her face with the back of her hand and nodded."You're right."

"Where are we flying to?"

She cleared her throat. The sound brought her back to the present and helped her leave the pain behind."We're flying to Sanbell. There's a blacksmith there who can probably answer some questions about my origins."And perhaps also the more pressing question of why Elora had spared her. Because she could certainly rule out that it had been a spontaneous emotional impulse.