The puzzlement grew, as the creature tasted the word 'dragon.' And then it shifted.
At first Darcy was not sure, but then his imaginary hands could feel it. The egg was shrinking under his touch. Smaller, smaller. Now it was the size of the others, and he said,Enough.And heaped on praise, hoping the presence would understand.
But was any of this real?
Then another wave of pressure rippled down the birthing tube. And this time it pushed the egg forward, and the one behind it as well. Had he done it?
A giddy excitement washed through him. He had helped Coquelicot!
Then his training reasserted itself. Giddiness meant danger. He had overdrawn his life forces, his magical reserves. He had to stop, this very instant.
He forced his mind to go blank, all quiet and restful. Then he slowly found his way back to his own body, which now seemed so tiny in comparison, but it was his, and familiar. Breathe in, breathe out. He tried opening his eyes, only to find the iridescent ruby scales swimming through his vision, so he closed them again.
Another ripple through the giant body he leaned against, and Coquelicot announced,There! Oh, well done, Little One!
He dared not use his Talent to respond, so he stayed silent. That must have caught her attention, for then a stream of power began to feed into him. Dragon magic.
It swirled through his body strangely, but the world stopped spinning around him, and the giddiness thankfully began to fade. Strength returned to his stiff limbs, and he breathed more easily.
“An excellent clutch,” announced Rana Akshaya aloud. “Who is the sire?”
“Renoncule,” Coquelicot responded sadly. “He is, or was, the finest sculptor in the Vosges Nest, perhaps the best in Europe, and our most powerful Talent. When we realized our great risk, he regretted never producing young of his own. I offered to try for him, although I am old forit. They will have his memories; he imprinted the eggs within me before I left.”
Satisfaction rolled from Rana Akshaya. “A fine choice, then, for these first eggs of our new Nest.”
Chapter 18
Whenshereachedtheclearing, Elizabeth went directly to William, who was slumped against Coquelicot’s side. Cerridwen had been right to call her here. She touched his arm and said, “Are you well?”
He opened his eyes and then rose to his feet, rubbing his lower back. “Apart from having nearly exhausted my life forces, yes. Coquelicot just gave me some energy. I have been...doing things.” His eyes were dilated. “Dragon magic is strange.”
She wanted to ask him what he meant, but if he had been comfortable saying more here, in front of all the dragons, he would have. Instead she reached into the pocket pinned inside her pelisse, the one she took to her trainings, and gave him one of her boiled sweets. “Some sugar for the exhaustion.”
He did not argue, whether because he agreed with her or because he was too tired to disagree. That worried her, too, and she managed a sending to Frederica, asking for sugared tea and cakes to be sent. A boiled sweet could only go so far in countering magical exhaustion. Instead she said, “I see Coquelicot has laid her eggs. Did you watch?”
His mouth twisted. “Not precisely. But I would be glad of a closer look at them now.”
She threaded her hand through his, just in case walking was difficult for him, and together they made their way past Coquelicot to the pile of eggs, still steaming in the sun. At least two dozen of them, each nearly a foot across, ranging from grey to white. One had odd splotchy markings in brick red. “Do you see that one? It looks almost like two human hands, does it not?”
Darcy's eyes widened. He dropped her hand and knelt beside the egg. He covered the marks with his palms, his head bent almost as if in prayer.
And a slow smile curved his lips.
Then Rana Akshaya's voice boomed out. “You. Darcy. Come here.” It was a command.
He straightened slowly, then turned deliberately to Elizabeth. In a voice pitched to carry, he said, “I believe our guest wishes to speak to me, my love. Shall we go to her?”
She wanted to smile because it was so clear what he was doing. He was not going to set the precedent of obeying orders from anyone. Even if Rana Akshaya was immense, had Talent far beyond his own, and could scorch him with dragonfire. “That would be only polite,” she agreed.
He held out his arm to her, and they threaded their way between the dragons until they stood a short distance before Rana Akshaya. The dragon from India stared at him intently, and Elizabeth could feel dragon magic rolling past her. What was she doing to him?
Darcy said, “You wished to speak to me.”
“I was told you held the lesser bond.” It was an accusation, but why? Darcy had been open about it all along.
He nodded. “That is correct.”
Her crest rose. “It is not true. That is not the lesser bond.” Annoyance and suspicion filled her words.
