Page 43 of The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps

“Morning,” I said.

“Mm-hmm, it is a good morning,” she agreed, eyes darting in the direction of the window. “I see everyone’s favorite dragon wrangler has paid you a visit again.”

“She was simply showing me something,” I said, brushing it off.

Seraphine got up and pressed her nose to the window, staring into the sky. “I’d like a sexy dragon wrangler to show me something. Or maybe one of those kingsguard. There’s that great, burly blond one in town. I’ve got my eye on him.”

“Honestly,” Talani muttered, looking disgusted. “The last thing you need is to get tangled up with a soldier.”

“Depends on the kind of tangling we’re doing,” Seraphine quipped.

Reo snorted and shook his head.

“What?” Seraphine said. “You know what they say. Easy on the eyes, great between the thighs.”

I felt myself go as red as a poinsettia plant.

“Seraphine!” Nisse howled, bunching up the fabric of her shawls and slamming it over Poppy’s ears as they appeared in the doorway of the hall.

Seraphine waved her off. “Oh, pfff. The girl has no idea what I’m talking about.”

“I do,” Poppy insisted, looking up at Nisse. “I really do.”

“And she doesn’t need to,” Nisse said, talking over her. She grabbed Poppy by the arm and dragged her down the hall to the apothecary, slamming the door behind them, leaving everyone else to snicker.

“Your wrangler does have a certain amount of swagger, doesn’t she?” Reo said, stopping at the window next to Seraphine.

My cheeks burned even hotter. I needed to get out of here and dunk my head in a water barrel.

“Uh-oh,” Reo said suddenly. The shift in his tone caught my attention.

“What is it?”

He lifted his hand to the sky. I glanced from the dragon tattoo on his forearm to the vaguely similar shapes floating in the distance. I squinted. “Are those more dragons?” I didn’t see the issue. Herds were passing nonstop.

“Not dragons. Kites,” Reo said. “They usually don’t allow them in town until the festival at the end of migration season. The passing dragons won’t take kindly to them.”

“Some tourist always thinks it’s funny to rile up the herds,” Seraphine said. “Not to worry. Vaela will take care of it.”

As if on cue, Min’s familiar shape swept low over town, circling the kites. Something roared in response, and all at once a dark shape dropped from the clouds above. I gasped, stumbling back from the window as a flash of orange flame cut across the sky. One of the kites plummeted to the ground like a fiery bird that had lost its wings.

Min flew on, meeting a swarm of dragons that appeared as the cloud cover shifted. There were at least five of them, darting between the kites, fires blazing. My heart dropped into my stomach.

“Oh my,” Seraphine said, stepping back, a hand pressed to her chest.

“I don’t suppose your broomstick is going to be much help here,” Reo said. He glanced at me. “We should get over there. People could be hurt.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

* * *

By the time we arrived, a crowd had gathered to watch the battle, oohing and ahhing, children shaking their wing-shaped cloaks as the dragons roared above.

“Ridiculous,” Matty muttered. He yanked me out of the way as the fiery frame of a kite fell from the sky.

“Thanks.”

“Oi! You lot,” he cried. “Move!” He shouldered his way through the crowd. “Go on. Get out of here! Are you trying to get injured?”