As they started arguing, I stirred my stew listlessly. I should have been ravenous like my friends, but I could only manage a few bites before I pushed my bowl away. Claudette snatched it up and finished it without asking, which earned her another reprimand from her brother.
Leonid returned and demanded, “Where’s my stew?” Luckily the serving girl soon arrived with two more bowls, and he and Emile, crammed in on the other side of the bench with West, Aden, and Vernen, dug in. As he ate, Leonid explained that he’d had to pay for passage on two stagecoaches because we all couldn’t fit in one, even with Claudette and Emile following behind on their horses. “Lark, Vern and I will go in one,” Leonid said, “while you four can drive each other crazy in the other one.”
Quinn crossed her arms over her chest. “Good! Who wants to ride with you, anyway, Fancy Pants?”
As Leonid scowled, West started laughing and said, “I like this kid.”
Quinn beamed at him, which she quickly tried to hide. “Don’t you get any ideas, you big flirt. I’m loyal to Aden and only Aden!”
As Aden blushed, West shook his head. “I’m not a flirt!”
“Of course you are! Claudette, the girl over there, now me… You like everyone!”
West’s eyes went wide, and he gestured for Quinn to stop speaking. But it was too late. Choking on her bread, Claudette took a drink of water and said, “Excuse me?” Her hand went to the hilt of the sword strapped to her back, as if she dared West to confirm what Quinn had just said.
Paling, West stood. “I’m going to bed.” Picking up his satchel, he headed for the stairs to the second floor, shouting over his shoulder, “And I’m not a flirt!”
The others soon followed him, leaving until it was just me and Leonid sitting across from one another. As his spoon scraped the bottom of his bowl, I shredded my piece of bread into tiny crumbs. He watched me with hooded eyes.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked, scratching at the stubble on his cheek. It made him look older, and, paired with the bruises under his eyes, dangerous.
I was tired—exhausted—and sad, but moments alone with Leonid were few and precious, so I agreed and we stood, heading for the door.
The streets were quiet now. At Dusk, someone was always outside, hurrying to one place or another, but I imagined the people of Tyne settling in for the night, eating dinner around a table laden with food. It was a nice image, and I wondered if that would’ve been me, if I’d been born here instead of Dusk.
The smell of wood burning was thick in the air as we headed toward the square. “Are you taking me for a drink?” I asked when the tavern came into view.
“As much as I’d like to get drunk tonight, I need a clear head tomorrow.” Leonid guided me to a water well and we both sat down on the cool stones. We had a view of the tavern from here, and the sounds of people laughing and singing carried across the square. “I will take you up on that offer of a drink another day, Lark.” Leonid set his satchel down at his feet and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion when I didn’t hear the usual sound of his bottles of alcohol clinking together.
“Leonid?”
“I sold them,” he said, shrugging. “The people running the stagecoaches are taking advantage of the carnival camped outside of Fairfield—apparently everyone wants to go to the city. Getting tickets for all of us cost more than the coins I’d packed, but they gladly accepted the alcohol as payment. Besides, Claudette was right. The bottles were impractical.” Leonid grimaced. “I realized that about an hour after we left Dusk, but I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“Stubborn to the end,” I said.
He eyed me. “Who’s more stubborn than you?”
I pushed him and he pretended to stagger into the well. Even though I knew he was playing, I grabbed the front of Leonid’s coat and pulled him away from the edge.
“You saved me, Lark!” Planting a kiss on my forehead, he draped an arm around my shoulders.
I knew he was acting this way to make me smile and my heart warmed in gratitude. Burying my face in the folds of his coat, I whispered, “Thank you.”
His free hand folded around mine. “If I could take away all of your sadness and make it my burden to bear, I would. In a heartbeat, I would.”
“I know.” A tear trickled down my cheek and I brushed it away.
Leonid growled. “I’m going to punch that dragon in the nose when I see him again.”
I sputtered with laughter as I tried to imagine Leonid facing down the dragon, his scowl in place. “You can’t punch him! He’ll eat you!”
“He will not. He knows how much you love me.” Leonid nodded with confidence.
“Like he cares about how I feel.” As soon as I said that, the happy bubble Leonid had managed to create with his banter popped, and I was left feeling lousy again as I swiped tears from my cheeks.
“You’re wrong,” Leonid said after a few minutes of silence. “Jaegger does care for you.”
“Then why did he leave?” Even as I said that, I knew how selfish I sounded. He’d spent so much of his life thinking he was alone only to realize today that he was wrong. Of course he’d go after the other dragon. “I just wish he’d said goodbye.”
“Maybe he didn’t say goodbye because he doesn’t plan on it being goodbye.”
“You shouldn’t get my hopes up like that,” I said, staring across the square as the tavern’s door opened and two men, singing at the top of their lungs, toppled out the door and drunkenly lurched down one of the streets.
“What are you talking about?” Leonid let go of my hand to tap me on the nose. “I’m always right, remember?”
My lips twitched. “Oh, your stomach is telling you Jae is going to come back?”
“My stomach?” he repeated incredulously. “It’s my heart! I get a feeling in my heart when my instinct is telling me I’m right.”
“Oh, I thought it was your stomach. I always meant to ask how you could tell the difference between that and being hungry.” When Leonid scowled, I laughed. Instantly his scowl melted away and he pulled me into a hug.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured in my ear. “Inside and out. Jaegger would be an idiot to leave you, and we both know that’s the last word we’d used to describe him. He’ll be back. Once he realizes that other dragon can never compare to you, he’ll be back.”
I held on to Leonid tightly. Over his shoulder, a star blazed across the sky and I made a wish on it.
Please let Leonid be right.
WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE inn we found Vernen sitting at one of the tables. The rest of the room was deserted except for the serving girl, who leaned against the wall, yawning. She looked at us, but Leonid waved her off, telling her to get some sleep. With a grateful smile, the girl disappeared into the backroom, leaving the three of us alone.
“Can’t sleep?” Leonid greeted our friend.
Vernen ran a finger across the surface of the table. “I was waiting for you two.” With a concerned look in my direction, he asked, “Are you all right?”
Touched, I nodded. “Still sad, but we have to keep moving forward, right? I’m sorry he left before he could teach you anything.”
“He explained some things this morning,” Vernen said. “To help control my powers when I’m angry or scared.” Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. “Even if Jaegger isn’t here, I’m still going to practice them every day.”
“Good. I’m sure you’ll be able to control your powers in no time,” I said encouragingly.
Leonid, meanwhile, was waving his hand dismissively. “And you don’t need that dragon around to help you.” Pausing, he stared at the door for a heartbeat.
“Leonid?” I asked, wondering what he was looking at.
“Sorry.” Leonid gave us a sheepish smile. “Jaegger has a knack for showing up when I least expect it.” My cheeks burned as I remembered how he’d spied on the two of us when we were kissing. “I thought if I kept insulting him, he’d pop up.”
If o
nly it were that easy. “He’s busy. You’re the one who said we needed to find him a mate, remember?”
“I only suggested that because I thought it’d keep him from watching us.” At Vernen’s questioning look, Leonid shook his head. “No, you don’t want to know.”
“Do you want some help practicing those techniques?” I asked Vernen. “I don’t know what we’ll be able to do, but there’s no reason you have to do this alone.”
Vernen swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Actually, I—” He cut off at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and I turned around to see Emile.
“Oh. Hello.” Smiling, he lifted his hand to wave, his gaze darting to Vernen in confusion. Vernen, meanwhile, began blushing.
Understanding dawned on me and I grabbed Leonid by the elbow and shoved him toward the stairs. “We were just heading upstairs. Good night, Emile. Good night, Vernen.”
“Wait, Lark, Vern was saying something.” Leonid tried to wiggle his way out of my grip and I stepped on his foot, glaring at him. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Go. Upstairs,” I hissed, hearing Emile smothering his laughter as we passed him on our way to the stairs. Once we’d reached the second landing, I let go of Leonid and pointed a finger at his face. “Are you that dense?” I kept my voice low, fearful of waking up the other patrons, and poked Leonid first in the stomach, and then the heart. “Is your instinct broken?”
He grabbed my finger, stilling my movements. “What are you talking about? Oh.” Leonid blinked. Turning toward the stairs, he said, “Are they?”
“I have no idea, but let’s give them some privacy, all right?” I said, afraid he’d march downstairs to see what was going on. “Don’t be like Jae.”
“Don’t compare me to that perverted dragon!”
I laughed quietly, following Leonid to our rooms. “This one is yours,” he said. “But I’m right next door, so if you feel the urge to see me…” He trailed off, his eyes gleaming mischievously in the candlelight.
“I think I can handle sleeping in a different room from you,” I deadpanned.
He scooped me into his arms, nuzzling my neck. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, how will I be able to spend a few hours away from you?” I asked. Kissing him on the lips, I slipped out of his embrace before it really did become impossible to leave him. “I’m quite sure. Good night, Leonid.”
Watching me go with a wistful expression, Leonid murmured, “Night, Lark.”
I slipped into the room, wishing there’d been time to bathe. I was tired of being filthy, but I was also tired, so I crossed over to my bed, pulling back the covers and slipping in next to Claudette. Across from us Elyse and Quinn shared the other bed, their bodies facing opposite directions as they breathed steadily.
Claudette shifted, yawning. “Sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I was still awake.” She scooted over, making more room for me. “Did you have fun with Leonid?”
Lying on my back, I stared up at the ceiling as I thought about our talk, and how he’d managed to lift some of the sadness from my heart. “I did.”
“Good,” she said. There was a long pause, and I’d thought she’d fallen asleep when she murmured, “Does West have a sweetheart?”
I glanced at her, but she was facing the wall, making it impossible for me to see her face. I wondered if she was embarrassed or just curious. “Not that I know of.”
“Mmm,” she responded sleepily. “Good.”
I smiled, ready to tease her more, only to discover she’d already fallen asleep.
THE NEXT MORNING, BEFORE THE sun rose, I finally had a chance to bathe. It was just a small tub with heated water carried in by a different serving girl, but it was the best bath I’d ever had. I was actually embarrassed at how black the water was after I stepped out. Had I really been that dirty?
Downstairs I found the others gathered around the table, eating bowls of porridge. After skipping dinner, I was ravenous, and I dug in, enjoying my meal and a few cups of teas. Even after a night sleeping in beds, everyone still looked exhausted, and we all agreed that we couldn’t wait to go back to sleep in the stagecoach.
“Good luck with that,” Claudette said. “Those things bounce around so much, you’ll probably spend the whole ride puking.”
Everyone glared at her while Emile elbowed his sister in the side. He was sitting next to Vernen, who was studying his empty bowl of porridge with a look of deep concentration. Reaching across the table, I tapped Vernen on the wrist and he jumped.
“You all right?” I asked.
Blinking, he gave me a small smile. “Sorry. I’m tired.”
“And what were you up to late last night?” West said. “I noticed you weren’t in the room when Aden’s snoring woke me up.”
“Aden doesn’t snore!” Quinn cried. She seemed insulted by the mere thought of it.
“How would you know?” West asked. “Do you watch him while he sleeps?”
The girl blushed and muttered, “Maybe.”
“Be quiet,” Elyse said before West could comment on that. Aden, meanwhile, was sinking lower and lower in his seat, looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
“Yes,” Leonid said, rubbing his temple. He was clean-shaven and his dark hair was neatly slicked back, but his eyes were rimmed with red and he looked exhausted. The bruises under his eyes had faded to yellow, making him appear nauseated. “For the love of everything, please stop talking, West.”
West’s eyes gleamed as he honed in on Leonid. “And what’s the matter with you, Captain? Hungover? I have a tonic for that.” He paused, grinning. “Or is it something else entirely? Something involving a lady?”
I stood up, leaned across the table, and hit West in the head with my wooden spoon. As he cried out in pain, Leonid, who’d been in the middle of taking a sip from his tea, started laughing so hard he began choking. I dropped my spoon to pound him on the back, yelling at West at the same time.
“All right, we’re leaving.” Claudette stood, shaking her head. “I need a break from all of you.” Glancing at West, she said, “Especially you.”
“What does that mean?” He clambered after her. “Wait, Claudette, what does that even mean? Come on! Tell me!”
“I’ll tell you in Fairfield,” she said over her shoulder with a wink. “Maybe.”
West collapsed on the bench again, clutching his heart. “Maybe, she said.”
Emile, meanwhile, was holding a hand out for Vernen to shake. “See you at lunch?”
Vernen took the outstretched hand and they shook.
“Keep practicing those techniques,” Emile said. “You did great last night. Really great.”
Nodding, Vernen glanced away, a slight blush on his cheeks.
Watching him for a moment longer, Emile pursed his lips. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but then Claudette was hollering for him to hurry up, and he left the table to join his sister. The door banged shut behind them.
“I’d tease you about Emile, Vern,” West said, still rubbing his head, “but I’m afraid Irina would hit me again.”
“If she doesn’t, I will,” Leonid muttered.
“Oh, I will.” I raised the spoon and West flinched while
SOON AFTER WE GATHERED OUR belongings and headed to the stagecoaches. Just like Leonid said, it was crowded with townspeople desperate to journey to Fairfield to see the carnival. People were cramming into the coaches, and we even saw a fight break out between two couples who both swore they’d been sold tickets for the same passage. Leonid steered us away from the commotion, leading us to two fancy-looking coaches being pulled by four horses each. “This is us,” he said.
West whistled. “Talk about traveling in style. What’d you use to pay for passage on these, Captain?”
Leonid grimaced and pointed to his mostly empty satchel.
The others exchanged guilty looks. “We’ll pay you back,” Aden started, but Leonid waved him
off and approached one of the drivers.
I turned to Elyse, Quinn, Aden, and West. “I guess we’ll see you at lunch?” They nodded. During breakfast Leonid had explained the journey to the city would take around eight hours, which included stopping for lunch and to change horses. After spending the last few days with them, it felt wrong to be splitting up the group, but this was the best way to reach our destination in time. Aeonia had been in possession of the stone for too long; what if it’d started talking to her already? I pushed that thought aside. There was nothing I could do about it, except to continue moving north.
Kneeling in front of Quinn, I quietly asked her about the amplifier. “It’s right here,” she said, opening her coat to show me the string around her neck. “I asked Claudette if she wanted it back, but she said I should still hold on to it.” Quinn’s dark eyes were very serious as she regarded me. “Does that mean Jae will be back?”
I swallowed against a sudden rush of tears. “I hope so.”
As if sensing my sadness, Quinn threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “See you in a few hours!” she said, pulling away and racing up to the stagecoach. I watched as she practically danced with delight. To Quinn, who’d grown up knowing how difficult life could be, this was an adventure.
“Ready?” Leonid appeared by my side. We climbed into our own stagecoach; it was beautifully furnished with leather seats, fancy curtains covering the windows, and a wood floor polished until it shone. I gave Leonid a look; no wonder the tickets had been so expensive! He shrugged sheepishly and settled back into his seat, his eyes already drifting closed. “Wake me when it’s time for lunch.”
UNFORTUNATELY CLAUDETTE’S PREDICTION ABOUT the bumpy road was correct, and Leonid, who’d only been asleep for a few minutes, woke up with a startled curse as the coach jolted painfully. “Are we deliberately driving over rocks?” he asked, running a hand through his hair as he continued to swear. I would’ve laughed, but I was too busy gripping my seat, desperately hoping my breakfast wouldn’t make a return appearance.
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