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“Usually, yes.”
“I fought against three of them, then Tzaria and Risomu defeated them.”
He shrugged. “Tzaria and Risomu were part of the higher council, and were once among our best. I’m not surprised they’d defeat three sentries. How you lasted so long against three dragons, I’m not sure. Got your father’s blood, I suppose.”
Fel wasn’t comfortable with the idea of simply inheriting magic, instead of practicing to hone it. “Or maybe I was lucky.”
He chuckled. “You were definitely lucky, there’s no question about it.” He shrugged. “I mean, don’t blame my mother for being suspicious.”
“Your mother?”
“Relia.”
Fel hadn’t gotten the impression that she and Ekateni were a couple. “Why don’t she and your father live together?”
“They are not married anymore.”
“You can stop being married?”
Siniari paused for a moment. “Right. Some humans don’t dissolve marriages. We do.”
“That’s sad.”
“If you saw my mother and father together, you wouldn’t say that.” He sighed. “But they both liked Ircantari very much. Seeing you is like getting a part of him back.”
“I’m not my father, though—and never met him.”
Siniari chuckled. “I know. Nobody’s expecting you to become a dragon mage—not that we’ll be upset if you decide to become one.”
“Don’t I need my human form to study magic?”
“I’m sure you’ll learn to swap eventually.” He looked away, as if deep in thought.
There was something about his hesitation… Like something he wasn’t sure about saying or not. It was odd that Fel thought he could sense some emotions, but he decided to trust his impression. “There’s an easier way to swap, isn’t there?”
Siniari’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t call it easy. Potentially fast, maybe. Possibly deadly. Incredibly reckless.”
“What is it?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “My parents are going to kill me if I tell you, cousin.”
“And yet you’re dying to tell me.”
Siniari stared at him, immersed in a cloud of indecision, confusion and fear. He sighed. “Promise you’ll pay a lot of attention to the risks, then.”
“I do have big ears.”
* * *
Naia openedher eyes and didn’t recognize where she was. Everything was dark, but a familiar smell lingered in the air, so familiar, soothing… River. He was lying beside her. Faint moonlight came from the window. She was in Fel’s room in the Royal fort, and the only candle had gone out.
No, no, no. Sleep had taken over her and she hadn’t checked on him. Touching his shoulder softly, she whispered, “River?”
“Naia?” He sounded surprised, but not hurt or in pain. “Where are we?”
“The fort.” She got up and lit a candle, then moved back to the bed to examine his wound. She blinked, then touched his stomach. There was nothing there. Well, there were muscles, his lovely soft skin, but no wound other than what looked like an old, faded scar. Had she dreamed it? “I… you were hurt, weren’t you?”
River pushed her hand away and closed his eyes. “I remember now. It was something silly. A giant spider.”
