Page 87 of To Fight and To Fold

Foolish.

Thea checked the immediate area, but it wasn't like Starspark was hiding behind a skies-damned tree. She darted past foliage and rocks and the pond and the other well-behaved dragons lounging in the sun or greeting their Awakened for the day.

Vaelen would have Thea's ass if she'd let Aaryn run off with Starspark not even hours after she'd finally gotten here.

Thea's heart raced wildly in her chest as she skidded into the clearing… and sighed.

She bent over and placed her hands on her knees, breath sawing in and out of her lungs. As she stared at Aaryn, she eased down into a squat, captivated. In the morning light, Aaryn's pink hair shone, but it was no longer free around her shoulders. Instead it had been braided back in preparation of her task. Which apparently was digging the rock-like crust out of Starspark's eye.

"Oh, quit whining," she muttered to Starspark, who was indeed whining. He flinched whenever Aaryn's hand—armed with a glove that ended mid-forearm—wiped at his eye. "This would be easier if you just closed your eye. We do this every time." Starspark leaned away from her touch, groaning in annoyance and dread and mom, no, as Aaryn kept chasing his head.

Thea's lips curled as she watched them bicker, something swelling behind her ribs, pressing against all the bone and muscle there with this weird, squirmy feeling tucked in like it belonged.

As Aaryn finally swiped her glove into the corner of his eye, Thea's expression shifted abruptly to that of mild disgust as the chunk broke free and dropped into a bucket with a dull thud. It glimmered in the morning light.

"I know," she cooed to Starspark, who shook his head to rid himself of the sensation. "But doesn't that feel better already? Come on, let me—" And so the hunt began again.

Thea let her legs splay out in front of her as she watched, leaning back on her hands, head dropping to her shoulder as she watched Aaryn work. It was entirely adorable, the way she behaved with Starspark. As if instead of a potentially deadly creature, he was nothing more than a… pet.

He was practically the size of one, tinier than the other dragons—because in Evergale they were fed meat, not magic—who wandered near, curious about the newcomer who had finally come out of his shell, grumbling and playing and snorting cutely as Aaryn chased him across the field.

"You look deep in thought," Vaelen said, and Thea startled, sitting up. Legs crossed, back straight, as if she hadn't just been staring at Aaryn like… like something.

The archdruid's expression was carefully blank.

"I'm keeping an eye on her, like you said," Thea told her, voice flat.

"Clearly." Vaelen's eyes glimmered with fond mirth, and Thea felt the heat rush to her face. It had nothing to do with the warmth of the morning.

"I assume this isn't a social call?" Thea asked.

Vaelen smiled to herself, something fierce, something knowing.

"I heard there was a scream this morning," she said. "But everything looks fine now. I trust all is well?"

"I think she should talk to you," Thea said. "About Awakened things."

"She has questions you can't answer?"

With a quiet gulp, Thea resisted the urge to look away or fidget or any number of distracting things that might give away her nerves. "I'm not an Awakened," Thea said.

Vaelen narrowed her eyes. "Alright, then. I'm comfortable delivering scary information."

Thea breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the bucket was full, Aaryn brushed her hands off and total betrayal was captured in Starspark’s expression through clear green eyes. Aaryn rubbed Starspark's snout affectionately, utterly soft as she stared at him. "You feel better, don't deny it."

Finally, Aaryn turned, and found them awaiting her. Thea shot to her feet as she neared, Starspark's nose sniffing in curiosity.

"Hello," she greeted, eyes flicking to Thea briefly before returning to Vaelen. "Uhm, Archdruid. Do I—" She made to bow, and Vaelen let out a booming laugh.

"That is absolutely not necessary here, I assure you, though your manners are appreciated."

"Sorry," Aaryn said, cheeks flushing beneath the morning sun.

Thea was trying to be normal about her, but she was making it difficult.

"Aaryn," Vaelen called, and Aaryn straightened up, eyes wide as if she was being chastised. "I don’t bite," she said with a grin.