James shifts, tucking the blanket closer. “I could never have imagined this. A Rimback. AgoldenRimback.”
I glance sideways at him, fully absorbed in the hatchlings eating and scampering about. The eldest golden dragon tackles the young silver and they playfully tumble into a heap. For once, he catches me staring instead of the other way around. “I won’t tell a soul,” he promises.
I start. That’s exactly what I was about to demand. “Good, because no one can find out.”
“I know.” He says it simply, like him stumbling into this cave didn’t change everything, connect us beyond rivals, interns, or friends. For as long as Nity remains here, I will have to trust him.
“Forever, Murphy. We are talking about keeping this secretforever.”
“I can do forever.” His voice deep and self-assured.
Why my mind deviates into thinking those four words would be nice wedding vows is beyond me. But I shove that intrusive thought away and try to calm down, to be like James, who remains certain and steadfast that the idea of forever, of never messing up, is not only reasonable, it’s easy.
James turns fully toward me like he knows I can’t do calm or easy. “What will make you trust me?”
“Tell me a secret.” The request tumbles from me so fast it’s like the thought has been yanked from my subconscious.
He stares and it’s that piercing, searching expression. “Tell you a secret? So, you can hold it over me to keep me in line? That isn’t quite creating the best foundation for trust.”
“Yet, you see the imbalance here? With one word to your parents you could destroy everything in this cave, including me.”
“And I’m telling you I won’t allow that.”
“But why…?” I can’t find my words. “Why would you have more loyalty to me, us, than—”
“Because I’m not like my father and I’d do anything to never be.”
Silence builds around us at his admission. James runs a hand over his formerly broken arm. “A few weeks before that race, my father demanded I begin my training to descale.”
I inhale so sharply a burst of cold air engulfs my lungs.
James continues examining his hands. “I’d evade him. He’d yell. The process continued. Then a few days beforethatrace he had Hort tied up, told me I must learn if I wanted to be in this business. I readied myself for a fight. I just didn’t realize how angry he had gotten. I never before stood up to him. Never. He crafted metal around my arm to force me in place, to make me pull—” He stops as if it’s too much. “When I resisted, my arm broke…” James lightly points to his wrist, radius, and ulna.
“In three places,” I finish with a whisper, sick to my stomach. I scour my memories before that race. To me, James was just more stoic, more infuriating that morning. My father, however, understood when James had clenched his fist.
“When a few cups of silver wouldn’t mend the bones fast enough, my parents commanded me to crash Hort. Bail into the water and claim that’s where the injury came from. But I wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t leave Hort to possibly crumble against a rock formation and end up like Hendrix.” He finally looks at me. “Hort’s wing did spasm that day. Instead of steadying him out, I let us fall. I thought it would be okay.” James drops his head intohis hands. “I didn’t account for how hard it is to craft a sinking dragon and swim at the same time. With a broken arm.”
In some horrid way, that strange day makes sense now. An experienced rider like James crashing with no real explanation. But the explanation. This secret. Hatred rushes through me. How dare they. How dare his parents demand he conceal their own awfulness by putting him in further danger.
Shame gnaws at me, remembering how when James first got here, I joked I was only trying to save Hort. Before I think it through, I reach over and hug James Murphy. He stills, reacting much like my other hugs—confused. Only this time, it’s entirely my choice. No dragons hovering with hurt or hunger. Just me comforting a… friend? It feels like we might be friends now, especially when he straightens and hugs me back. The heat of his body seeps into mine. Maybe that whole cuddling for warmth thing wasn’t as ridiculous as it seemed.
“I wouldn’t have let either of you drown,” I say, my voice muffled in the wool covering his shoulder, but I know he hears me. Because the smallest “I know” ruffles my hair.
His hands squeeze my shoulders as he holds me tighter. And it’s nice. Like the warmest hug I’ve ever received. Then I remember James Murphy is shirtless and all that warmth is from his bare chest.
I lean back, pull my blanket around me as I clear my throat. “Hort was still my first priority, of course,” I joke to get rid of this fidgety desire to pull him close again.
“Of course.” His dimples flash and I glance away. “But I still owe you my life. You asked why I would be loyal to you over my own family?” He waits until I’m looking at him, his brown eyes glinting in the Feyling light. “Farren, yousavedme. I know exactly what’s at stake if my father were to find this cave. I know that better than anyone. So, when I say forever, I meanforever.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEENWHEN THE HATCHLINGS NEED NAMES
JAMES
“Ibelieve you,” Farren says. With those words, happiness warms my chest.
I didn’t think I would feel this much relief finally admitting the truth of my crash. But I’m glad the whole story is out. With it, I want to tell her more. For once in my life, I’m eager to talk, and even more surprisingly, it’s with Farren and I’m not getting tongue-tied. We even hugged and it felt normal, perfect.
“Is this the real reason you asked my dad to intern here?” she asks. “I thought it was to steal the Revers scholarship from me, but now—”
