“I can bring you some,” I tell her.
Claudia beams and knocks on the door three times. “Amy’s going to be so shocked when she sees you!”
I feel a little uncomfortable at her praise. Do I look that different? I know I’ve filled out from my days back in Fort Dallas, when there was no money for food and no hope at all. With Dakh, I have fresh meat if I want it, and I’ve been steadily working away at the less-expired foods on the shelves back at the store. Heck, just the other day Emma and I got out a cookbook and made fresh bread in a Dutch oven over a fire. I feel a little guilty that I don’t have it harder anymore.
Do not be foolish, Dakh tells me from afar, his thoughts full of affection. A struggle to eat is not something to be proud of. And your body needs to be healthy so my seed can grow inside your body, like Kael’s mate.
Erm, one thing at a time please. I’m still getting used to the dragon-spouse thing. Let’s not throw a baby in the mix just yet. I’m not sure I’m ready to have an egg.
An egg? I can hear the laughter in his thoughts. Not likely. Drakoni children are dropped from the belly onto the hot sands and scream their anger at their mothers before the cord is even cut.
Well that sounds charming. Let’s hope they keep the fire-breathing to themselves until adulthood.
Not until they have the ritual. Dakh is amused. I cannot imagine we are much different than humans in that aspect.
Zero fire-breathing with humans, I can assure you. And I’m glad to hear that there are no fire-breathing babies.
Not at all. They take from the mother’s fire and it supports the child until he or she reaches an age to produce their own. Once our child is born, you will have to take my fires again to replenish yours, but it will be a pleasurable experience, I think.
“Boy, he’s a chatty one, isn’t he?” Claudia mentions, grinning at me. “Kael’s pretty quiet. I think he just likes to spy on my head.”
I can feel myself blushing. “There’s just a lot going on that he likes to comment on, I guess. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be rude.”
“You’re not at all.” The look on her face is knowing. “It’s hard to concentrate on the people around you sometimes when you have a very persistent dragon in your brain.”
“You aren’t kidding.”
I hear the sound of locks coming undone and then a deadbolt being slid back. A moment later, Amy peeps out the crack in the door. “Come in.”
“Amy,” I say warmly in greeting. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Go inside quickly,” Claudia tells me. “We’re trying to keep her scent to a minimum.”
We rush inside, and the women quickly latch the door behind us again. Immediately, Amy moves to a shelf and lights a scented candle with a long-stemmed lighter. “All good,” Amy says after a moment, and then extends her arms for a hug. “Now come and give me a proper greeting, Sasha!”
I give her an enthusiastic hug, mindful of her bad leg. “You look amazingly well, Amy! How is the new home?”
“Quiet,” she says in a soft voice, and her smile is bright but doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Uh oh.
Kael says the sister is troubled. She worries she is a burden, and their nest is attacked regularly. She must hide away constantly.
Poor Amy. “Well, it beats Fort Dallas, doesn’t it?” I take her hands in mine and squeeze them. “I don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying being away from that schoolbus we used to live in. It would get so darn hot on the sunny days. You’re nice and cool down here.” I gaze around me, admiring Amy’s living quarters. It’s a big room—maybe once a meeting room of some kind—and there’s a futon against one wall and a shelf full of books along another. There’s sewing and a few folding chairs scattered around, and scented candles. Lots of scented candles. Amy’s always loved pretty things, so I see bright, colorful scarves draped along the walls in a riot of random color and a bunch of cheery throw pillows on her bed. “I see you guys have been scavenging for decorations,” I tease. “I like the pops of color.”
“I like it,” Amy says shyly. “It helps that it’s pretty down here when it’s sunny and nice outside and I can’t go.”
“But you’re safe here,” I say firmly. “That’s what’s important. You’re with family and you’re safe.” Over to one side, Claudia looks relieved that I’m agreeing with her. Amy must be feeling a little stir-crazy trapped here. I don’t blame her, but it’s about survival right now. “Have you guys been back to Fort Dallas since you left?”
“Nope,” Claudia says, and rubs her ribs again. “Been busy healing. I’m fine with never going back, though. There’s nothing for me there. Here, sit down and let’s make some coffee, shall we?”
I sit down in the seat Amy gestures at, curious how they’re going to make coffee without electricity. There’s no fire down here, which is how Dakh, Emma and I normally make our coffee back at the store. But Claudia grabs the coffee pot and fills it with water, then gestures at the door. “I’m going to run up and have Kael blow some fire on this. Be back in a jiffy.”
Well, that’s how, it seems. “All right.”
She disappears out the door, shutting it quickly behind her once more, and I turn to Amy. “Your sister looks thin. Is everything all right?”
Amy’s smile is tremulous. “It’s better than it was. She was touch and go for a while.”
I hate hearing that. “So she was injured that badly?”
“Yeah, she was.” Amy twists her hands in her lap. “Kael made sure she had a doctor, though. He takes really good care of her. I don’t want you to worry over Claudia. She’s doing much better, I promise.”
“I know Kael will take fantastic care of her if he’s anything like my Dakh.” I feel sad for Amy, because she seems a little lost. Funny how I’ve always been a little jealous of the bond she and Claudia had, and now that Claudia’s with her dragon, Amy probably feels a little edged out. Added in with the strange circumstances of her place here outside of Fort Dallas and she probably doesn’t feel like she is safe anywhere. Not that Claudia would let any harm come to her baby sister, but I absolutely understand the uncertainty she must be feeling. “And how are you? How are you coping?”