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My pink gloves and scarf were laying on my bed, so I picked them up on my way out the door. I shivered, even in the warmth of the castle walls and my clothing. My body was going to need time to readjust to the temperature here, it seemed.
Greece had been very warm, indeed, in comparison.
I rushed along the hallway, wrapping the scarf around my neck and pulling on my gloves over my cold fingers.
The kitchen room was full of my family and the cousins I’d grown up with.
“Anselm! Vanya!” I called, running over to Stavrok’s oldest kids and wrapping my arms around Vanya’s shoulders. “It’s so good to see you.”
Vanya squeezed me so tight I squeaked with pain.
“Oh, sorry.” She stepped back.
“Tell me what happened,” I demanded, then stepped back to widen the circle. Jessa and Carlak stood beside me, then a hand on my shoulder had me turning around.
It was Anthony.
I couldn’t help it. The look on his face. The sadness. The pity...
My fingers curled into a fist and my arm launched out at his face. I hit Anthony, hard.
The sorcerer took it on the chin and reeled back.
“You son of a bitch,” I screamed at him. “How could you not protect them! How?”
Anselm grabbed me and hauled me back. “Veronica! Stop! It’s not Anthony’s fault.”
“My dad’s dying! Iain’s missing!” I screamed at my cousin. “How are you all not furious!”
“We are,” Vanya said, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at me. “But you don’t need to take it out on Anthony.”
I covered my face with my hands, certain I was about to burst into tears. My eyes burned and my throat ached. My breath heaved inside my chest, but I didn’t cry.
I dropped my hands and stared at the sorcerer, now standing far away. “I’m sorry.”
Anthony rubbed his chin. “It’s all good, dragon daughter.” His eyes shifted into that look again, the one that said he had a vision to share, and I glanced away.
“You can use me,” I told him. “To find Iain.”
Silence descended on the group and when I finally looked up again, my cheeks were aflame with a hot blush.
My cousins were all looking at each other, confused.
“Why would you...”
“How would that...”
Anthony walked toward me, straight through the middle of the circle. He didn’t speak and I quietly thanked him for not confirming my secret. Not yet anyway. I was still struggling with it myself.
“I don’t know if it’ll work.” He spoke quietly, reaching for my hands anyway. “You weren’t here when the accident happened.”
I still didn’t know what the details were, but I lifted my chin anyway. “Try. Please.”
Anthony, the youngest son of Queen Marienne, nodded his head and my eyes slid shut.
There was only darkness and pain.
I gasped out and Anthony’s hands squeezed my fingers tighter, as though he was going to stop me from pulling away, if that was my intention.
