We circle again, slowly, and I’m brimming with impatience by the time Dakh folds in his wings and lands gently on the ledge. The other gold dragon lands next to him a moment later, and I’m momentarily freaked out at the sight of another dragon so close. This one’s a paler gold than my Dakh, though, and has a scar on his muzzle. I stare at him for a moment, but his eyes are a cool gold, so I relax.
“Sasha!”
My name is practically ripped away on the high winds, but I don’t need to hear it. I see Claudia standing below, her red hair whipping in the breeze. She’s thinner than I remember, and pale. My heart squeezes at the sight of her, and I hate that I ever doubted her for a moment. She’s my friend. Tears spring to my eyes, and by the time Dakh gently sets me down, I’m openly weeping.
That’s okay, because Claudia’s crying, too. “Sash!” she cries out, flinging her arms wide as she staggers toward me.
“Claud! Oh my God. It’s so good to see you!” I hug her close, burying my face against her neck. She smells…different. Spicy. Her skin feels warm against mine, and I know she’s been changed like I have.
She squeezes me tight and then gives a little hiss of pain. “The side’s still healing.” When I pull back in surprise, she rubs her ribs and makes a little grimace. “Got shot by the mayor when our little visit to Fort Dallas went south.”
I gasp, a hand going to my mouth. “You’re okay though? And you got Amy?”
“I lived, though Kael brought Melina out here for a few weeks. I’m just now getting out of bed again.” She gives me a wry smile. “You look amazing, though. Captivity agrees with you.” Her gaze moves over me, and she touches my arm. “No more sling?”
“No, I’m better now.” I give my arm a little flex and twist my wrist, just to show her. “Where’s Amy?”
“Downstairs in her bunker. Not safe for her to come up on high wind days. It’s probably better we go down there to talk.” Her smile is bright. “I can make you some coffee!”
I don’t point out that I have all the coffee I could possibly want back at the store, because that would be impolite. “I brought you a gift,” I tell her, thrusting the bag in her direction.
She looks surprised, and even more astonished when she pulls out the bottle of perfume.
“For Amy,” I explain. “Tell you more in a bit. The other part is for you. It’s tampons.”
A strange look crosses her face, and she glances over my shoulder, back to her dragon.
What’s that all about? I wonder.
She is with young, Dakh tells me. I can smell it.
Oh my God. I keep smiling, though. Seems impolite to point out that my dragon spilled her secret. Are you going to be okay if I go downstairs and have coffee with the girls?
I will wait here for you. His thoughts are full of affection.
Going to hang out with Kael and have some guy talk?
His thoughts are puzzled. No. Should we?
I smother my laughter. Not if you don’t want to. Is that not a thing with drakoni?
I…do not remember. His thoughts brighten. I should ask Kael what he remembers.
There you go. I’m a little wistful I won’t be able to pick those bits out of his mind, but Claudia’s putting a hand on my arm and gesturing that I should follow her, so I focus on my friend.
“You get used to it after a while,” Claudia says as we head down the stairs.
“What?” I ask, curious.
“The mental conversations. Juggling them. You’ve been quiet for almost a minute straight, and I recognize that thoughtful look on your face. Amy says I have it all the time.” Claudia grins. “Actually, she says I look constipated, but I thought I’d be nice.”
I laugh, and everything feels so bright and sunny.
34
SASHA
“I can’t believe you’re here and you’re well. I was so worried about you, Claud,” I exclaim. “You have no idea. I’ve been so stressed. For the longest time, I didn’t know if you or Amy made it out of Fort Dallas alive. All I knew was that I’d fallen and I woke up with a different dragon.”
Her expression is full of sympathy. “You must have been so scared. I’m so sorry, Sasha. If I had known that you would fall off of Kael’s back, I never would have tried to take you. They were just shooting at us, and I had to make a quick decision, and Dakh wasn’t paying attention to our battle plans—”
“He wasn’t?” I immediately feel defensive for Dakh. “He must have had a reason.”
“He forgot everything the moment he got close to the city.” She waves a hand. “I’m not trying to be accusing. It was just something we should have anticipated. Without a mate, their minds are like Swiss cheese—full of holes.” She gives me a curious look as we turn down the next flight of stairs. “How is Dakh, by the way? When I last saw him, he was super, super crazy.”
“He’s great,” I tell her. “Ever since we, ah, bonded, his mind has been really clear. The ravens have almost completely gone away.”
“Ravens?” Claudia looks confused. She pauses in front of a heavy iron door. “Is that what he sees? Kael shared his ‘crazy’ with me once, and it was just like a television with all the channels turned on at once. Just an endless flood. But Dakh sees ravens?”
I nod, curious about this. “He does. Says that they perch on his shoulders and tell him bad things. But they’ve gone away, more or less. He still has a hard time remembering anything about before he came through the Rift, though.”
“Kael, too.” She looks sad. “I feel like there’s so much we need to know, and it’s all missing.” She bites her lip, frustration evident on her face as she puts a hand on the door. “I’ve never said anything to Amy, but sometimes Kael will tell me something one day and forget it the next. It’s like all of his past, his history, it just slips out of his head without an anchor.”
It sounds heartbreakingly familiar. “The same with Dakh. I’ve been keeping a journal of everything Dakh tells me. I’m hoping I can piece it together.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh my God, that’s such a good idea. I need to get notebooks the next time Kael goes out.”