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Chapter Nineteen
Wyn stroked a handover his mother’s brow.
Gia had felt Sorin’s message more than anything else. “The boy should have a chance to tell her good-bye.”
So she’d brought him back.
When she’d arrived, it had been to find a small crew of eleven men digging a line from the pond at the back of the property to the pit in front.
She’d given Sorin a speculative glance and he’d simply shrugged. “Wait. You’ll see.”
Now, he was off on the back edge of the property. She heard noise coming from the area and there was fire—a lot of it. He hadn’t disappeared until some time after she’d arrived and the first time those flames had burned high into the sky, several of the diggers had taken off running.
Gia had gone after them, but Sorin had beaten her to it, landing in front of them in all his scaled, golden glory, wings spread wide and fire spraying from both nostrils to burn twin paths into the earth.
One of the men had broken an ankle in his attempt to back away.
That man was now sitting on the edge of the pit, supervising and shooting Gia furtive glances and smiling whenever he saw her look his way, as if to show he was a happy team player.
She sensed Sorin approaching and wasn’t surprised when he put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
She also wasn’t surprised to see that he still wore that strange, and strangely beautiful half-form, his skin covered with odd, matte scales that rippled over his muscles while massive wings curved up and out from his back.
The hand he put on Wyn’s shoulder was tipped in black claws.
Gia gave Wyn a worried look but Wyn turned into Sorin and hugged him.
“She didn’t hurt,” the boy said.
“No, boy,” Sorin said, cupping his head in a massive, clawed hand with utter gentleness. “It was as if she went to sleep. She was very brave. I...I was wrong about your mother. I’m sorry you lost her.”
“I didn’t lose her.” Wyn gave Sorin a look too wise for his years. “She’s here.”
He touched a hand to his heart, then leaned over his mother and kissed her cheek.
“Indeed she is.” This time, Sorin spoke in an oddly husky voice. Offering a hand, he said, “Will you come with me? I’d like to show you something I’m working on.”
With utter trust, Wyn accepted Sorin’s hand.
As they walked away, Gia’s shade wavered into view next to Gia. “The poor boy. You will care for him now.”
“Yes. I promised his mother.”
“You would have done it regardless.”The shadow angled her head. “And the dragon will help you. I will help, too.”
Gia was still trying to figure out her response when her shade drifted away, not disappearing, but rather, appearing among the diggers. Gia pressed her lips together to keep from snickering. Her shadow wasn’t outright trying to frighten the humans. But she wasn’t taking care not to, either.
These people, after all, had likely been aware that Ronna had brought them to hunt somebody other than human.
Their saving grace was that they hadn’t realized Ronna had hunted children, that her unrelenting hatred had poisoned them.
Sorin seemed to be willing to let them learn from their mistakes.
But his mercy would only extend so far.
If they took another life, or even tried, they’d die.
And Gia would be watching as well. Gia, and her shadow.
