Page 39 of The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps

“I never said it did.”

She gave me a flat look. “The anger in your voice is born of pain.”

“What do you know after… How many drinks was it?” Vaela didn’t answer. Instead, her gaze seemed to pick me apart. I spoke only to get it to stop. “My father was a dragon rider,” I admitted, toying with the pattern of wire I’d started crafting on the desk.

Vaela stopped rocking. “Judging by the look on your face, I can only assume his days as a rider ended in misfortune?”

I licked my lips, fending off the flames that began to swirl in my memories. “Isn’t that how all the stories end?”

“What happened?” she asked, rising to her feet. “Tell me. Please.”

I looked away, a hollow ache surfacing in the back of my chest. I didn’t want to talk about this, yet Vaela had shared so much with me today. She’d spoken about her brother. About her complicated relationship with her father. Wasn’t it only fair that I did the same?

“He died?” Vaela guessed, filling the silence.

“When I was twelve,” I said, letting the words settle between us. “A bad storm had blown through camp and a training exercise went wrong. His dragon became startled in the air, disoriented. She released a heavy bout of flame, but the sky had started swirling.” I couldn’t help picturing it in my mind—the vortex of flame. I painted that same image before me now, using my hands to tell the story of that horrible day.

Vaela came toward me, hovering just out of reach, her eyes on my hands. Silence nipped at my pain. It was as if she didn’t dare breathe again before I spoke.

“It was like the sky itself had caught fire,” I whispered, lowering my hands. “I’d spent my youth in rider camps, and I’d never seen anything like it. The flames burned brighter than any sunset I’d ever witnessed. My father’s entire section became trapped in that circle of flame. He had nothing but basic leathers on as protection.” My jaw trembled, and I bit down hard.

“That’s what frightens you,” she said, inching closer. “It’s not the dragons but dragon fire.”

I bit my cheek. I didn’t need to admit it out loud. She’d seen the look of horror on my face at the pub. I cleared my throat. “Anyway, no one could have survived an accident like that. Even the most talented rider… Well, you can’t fight a flame.” I shook my head. “The hardest part was that there wasn’t even anything to bury.”

“No,” Vaela said softly. She returned to the chair and started rocking again. “I suppose there wouldn’t be. I’m sorry, Eden.”

I lifted my shoulder, giving her a sad little smile. “It was a long time ago.”

“Things from long ago can still hurt,” she said.

I turned to my desk, fitting scales along the pattern of wire. “Since that night, I’ve been plagued with the need to craft something that might have saved his life. I’ve always been told that a dragon rider’s fate is inevitable. In the end, they burn. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if we could try harder to save them?”

“It’s hard to change the will of the king. Or any royalty for that matter. They’re very set in their ways, ruled by years of tradition.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it,” I said. “Look, I don’t expect to overhaul the kingdom, but maybe I could improve my small corner of Cai’amar. The world is an imperfect place, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to better it.”

Vaela was on her feet again. She came up behind me. I felt her presence like the heat Min gave off. Warm. Prickling. Everywhere. She touched my arm, fingers hooking around my elbow. I turned to her. “Let me help you,” she said.

“Help me how?”

“You’ll need access to more scales, won’t you?” She nodded at my prototype. “And actual dragon fire to test this armor?”

I swallowed hard and nodded. More than the scales, dragon fire was the one thing that had eluded me thus far.

“I can get you both,” she insisted. “Min will be happy to help.”

I jerked back. “Didn’t you say your brother works for the kingsguard? It’s one thing to pretend you have no idea about what I’m doing and completely another to get yourself roped into it. You’ll be committing treason, Vaela.”

She shot me a cheeky grin. “Only if I’m caught.”

“It’s treason either way. But if you are caught, it’s not just you who’ll face consequences. Your entire family name could be tarnished.” Not to mention the fact that she’d lose Min if she were tossed in some palace prison. “You can’t seriously be considering risking all that?”

An even sillier smile curled up the side of her face. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about me?”

I huffed. “I’m worried about your priorities.”

“My brother and the rest of his company will shortly be leaving Ember Ridge in pursuit of the Wretch,” she said. “Taking the threat of the kingsguard with them.”