Page 36 of Microburst

I felt better when Belinda snorted. I focused back on her and asked she get going with the lesson since it wasn’t a long flight and I wanted the distraction.

She winked at me and Eloise practically danced inside of me at getting to have some fun.

10

Sagan

“We’re going to work on cloaking, but what do you want to learn?” Belinda asked me.

My response was instant. “A new glamour. How to change into whoever I want even. When we were being tailed at the summer market, I should have changed into Myriam and handled it instead of her. It turned out fine, but—there are dragons who can kill her with a punch.”

I flinched when I saw movement and realized Benson had set autopilot on and was out of his seat but was silent because of Belinda’s magic. We both gave him a look to stuff it, and after a moment he chuffed and went back to the cockpit.

Yeah, I bet he had a lot to say learning I’d been tailed… And I would still hear about that later, but right then he could just be quiet.

“Excellent priority,” Belinda praised. “Okay, that does tap into the same kind of magic as cloaking, so we’ll have to limit the exercises to not drain you. Be patient, Eloise. I will make you a priority. I’ve been working hard so you get more attention as Iris is getting to fly.”

I had no idea what that meant, but all three of us were in because even if Iris wasn’t involved, she enjoyed fun just as Eloise enjoyed the flying Iris got to do.

The magic was intense to use, but I picked up how to do it fast. That impressed both the ancients as almost instantly I could cloak my thumb when Belinda walked me through how to do it. But it took me almost an hour of the flight to get my whole hand, not just a finger or two.

Yes, there were lots of breaks, but… We were rusty. Very rusty using magic or “playing” as Eloise called it. We just used the one glamour basically and that was about it.

And that was horrible for her. Iris reminded me that she didn’t get to walk around burning things and making fire was fun for her too. That they knew I did my best and even mystic dragons who were out like Belinda didn’t do magic all day.

That did help, especially when they reminded me that I was young still. A lot of mystic dragons nowadays didn’t get much training at all. Most dragons, no matter their type, didn’t train past the basics and just for control.

It was honestly pretty sad when we had so much potential.

Sad and lazy really.

Belinda switched, and by the time we reached the Gurren’s estate, I could change my hair to exactly like Myriam, Treena, and Velle’s. While looking like Sagan or Eloise’s persona. It just took focus, which I wasn’t used to, and I knew would become easier with time.

It just gave me something to practice when I was on my own.

I snapped out of my lesson when the compound denied us access to land. I was out of my seat and at the cockpit in a flash, taking the radio from Benson.

“It is afederal crimeto deny landing to that tail number. Anyone certified to work in aviation is required to know it. You let us land and do not announce it over radio, nor tell anyone there we are here or I will have you in my dungeon until you turn ancient, savvy?”

There was a pause and then the guy came back on. “You’re cleared to land, Your Majesty. I apologize. I misheard one of the numbers.”

Yeah, sure he did.

I shared a glance with Benson and neither of us was buying that. So either my grandfather worried I might do something like this and thought to try and block me or the people handling Darren’s flight safety were incompetent? Underqualified?

I wasn’t going to let that stand and risk another death because of that.

We landed and people couldn’t hide their shock as I stepped off the plane, guards coming up to us and having a range of reactions.

“Do not call it in if you like your lives,” I warned one who reached for the radio on his shoulder. “I don’t care your orders. I’m queen. That wins over all else.”

One stepped up in front of the others and formally bowed. “I assume this is an emergency. I’ll take you right to your uncle, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you,” I accepted, fine with them thinking that was what was happening.

It wasn’t really wrong after all. I didn’t know itwasn’tan emergency after all.

We were led to their reception hall, and I ignored the glances Benson kept giving me as if asking if I had a plan. The two ancients seemed amused and ready for entertainment.