Page 9 of The Teacup Dragon Sanctuary

‘And you,’ said Starling. ‘I’ll just check in with David about your belongings and then⁠—’

His gaze shifted to the deck of the ship, as if looking for the captain and his face froze for a moment before transforming with obvious surprise.

‘Portia?’ Without another word he strode off, intent only on the young woman currently coming down the gangplank, Noah completely forgotten. ‘Portia, what the devil are you doing here? What happened?’

The young woman – that young woman – looked for a moment as if she was about to bolt back up the gangplank and hide behind the captain who was following her down to dry land. But even as Noah looked on, he saw her steel herself, fix her face into something resembling a stern glare and step onto the dock where August Starling swept her up into his arms and held her close. It wasn’t anger, that outburst, Noah realised. It was very real concern.

Just looking at the two of them he could see the resemblance. They had to be family. Which also accounted for the somewhat frantic argument which was unfolding before his eyes.

Captain Palmer rolled his eyes at the pair of them and then wandered down to join Noah. ‘They could be some time. They haven’t seen each other in months and that was only for a few days. Portia’s arrival is unexpected, and the Starlings have always been… what’s the right word? Volatile? Yes, let’s go with that. Siblings often are. He always tries to boss her around and she never listens. They’re too alike, the pair of them.’

Siblings, they were siblings. Iris Starling’s great-nephew and great-niece.

His new employer’s family.

Which meant that last night he had mortally insulted one of the Starlings, so much so she had fled the dining room and hidden from him for the rest of the evening and the entire voyage this morning. He had told her that she didn’t know how to care for her own teacup dragon. Iris Starling’s great-niece! A Starling! She could have got Jade under control if he had just given her a moment, now he thought about it. She knew the calls, clearly, and she had been intent on protecting the dragon as much as he had. But he’d been too busy taking over, just like Lee always said. His brother had warned him it would land him in trouble.

Noah’s stomach dropped like a stone to somewhere around his ankles.

‘Are you all right?’ Captain Palmer asked, obviously amused at whatever he saw in Noah’s face. ‘You look like you’re about to throw up. People normally go that colour at sea rather than on land.’

The wretched man huffed out a laugh as Noah turned his shocked expression on him, gave a somewhat mocking salute, and then went to see to the unloading of their luggage and the items of cargo he’d been carrying. Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that the captain had been looking forward to this moment. Or that maybe he deserved it.

4

The last thing Portia was expecting was to be accosted by August the moment she set foot back on Starling Island, but there he was, larger than life as ever, her bossy, thoroughly irritating, wonderful, big brother.

‘What happened?’ he asked and it was all she could do not to burst into tears and bury her face in his shoulder. Jade was already unsettled, starting to unfurl her wings in agitation. Portia kept a death grip on the jesses. She couldn’t afford to have her fly off again. Not here. Who knew what would happen.

‘It’s… it’s a long story. I have to… The board of the Academy insisted I leave while they… I didn’t mean to do it but now there’s an investigation and I… There was a dragon – this dragon and I…’

August looked so confused, but he raised a hand to let Jade sniff his fingers. She settled down again instantly, sensing the calm aura he always radiated, the innate magic he pretended he didn’t have, or perhaps simply recognising him as family. Anything was possible with a dragon. And August had always had a way with them whether he liked it or not.

‘It sounds messy,’ her brother said when she finally ran out of steam.

That was an understatement. ‘It is.’

‘Good idea to come home then.’ He sounded so certain of that. Was it? She wasn’t sure, but she was here anyway. She didn’t have anywhere else to go. ‘Are you staying with Iris?’

She was. That was the plan anyway. She had sent a letter ahead but she didn’t know if it had made it yet. With Iris, it was entirely possible she just hadn’t read it. Or if she had, she hadn’t thought it was necessary to inform anyone else. Like Portia’s siblings.

‘Yes,’ she said, trying to sound confident about that. August grinned at her.

‘Come on then. I’m heading up there now to deliver her new vet. I’ll get David to bring your luggage along with his.’

Something tripped up Portia’s exhausted brain. ‘Her new what?’

August nodded to someone standing behind her. ‘Vet. Him. Dr Noah Turner.’

Wenn beneath them, no. It couldn’t be. Portia almost took a step back but August didn’t seem to notice. ‘He’s here to work at the sanctuary?’

‘Well, why else would he be here? He’s an expert on dragons apparently. She’s very excited and we’re lucky to have him. You’ll hear all about it, I promise. We’ve heard about nothing else for weeks. At least there’ll be a new face for Sunday dinner, I guess. And company for you up there in the castle.’

Company in the castle? This couldn’t be happening. Not him.

‘Dr Turner?’ she said, unable to believe it. He was so… so rude. He was awful. And she was going to have to see him every day while she was here?

Because if he was working in the sanctuary, he’d be living up there in the castle too. It was all very well for August. He had his inn down by the harbour and he lived there. And though her other siblings lived with Great-Aunt Iris, Seb spent almost all his time at the shop and you would sooner prise Ophelia out of the library than you would a snail from its shell. But Portia didn’t have a job, not any more. She didn’t have anything. Not until the Academy decided whether to let her return or not.