It was hard to think too far ahead when I was trying to live through each day. I had my parents and Goose and Trey. For now, that was enough.
I’d been staring at the pool so long that at first I didn’t notice it was changing. The water was growing darker, cloudier, and I could no longer see the bottom. Sucking in a sharp breath, I blinked rapidly, trying to focus on what was happening. I was afraid if I pulled back or moved even an inch, whatever was happening would stop.
An image appeared in the murky surface. A brilliant flash of red—was that hair? Yes, curly red hair that behaved much better than my own waves. The picture grew sharper and drew back to show me a girl dressed in a simple white shirt and a long, flowing skirt over dusty boots. Her skin was pale—nearly translucent—so much lighter than my brown skin.
I couldn’t see her face. The vision kept focusing on her hair, on the city behind her with its tall, crowded buildings and cobblestoned streets, or the bird necklace around her neck. Why was the scrying pool showing me this girl? Who was she?
The vision pulled away, taking me high, like I was on Goose’s back, soaring over the city. It was circular, enclosed in a stone wall with a river running through the southern part of the city. I leaned closer to the water, my nose practically touching the surface as I drank in the details, trying to commit them to memory.
But then there was a flash of light and an angry voice in my head shouting, No! Get out! I ripped away from the pool, my chest heaving. Already the images of the city were fading away. Pain seared in my head as I tried to grab hold of them, forcing me to give up. Within moments, I’d forgotten what I’d seen or why it was so important.
Except for the girl with the pale skin and the red hair. I remembered her. But why? And why hadn’t the pool let me see her face if she was so important?
I glanced at the pool again, wary this time. The pain in my head was receding, but I wasn’t keen on it returning.
The pool wasn’t done with me, though. The surface grew darker once more before being replaced with an image of a different girl this time. Again I couldn’t see her face, but the pool showed me her messy dirty-blond hair, her tanned skin, her rumpled shirt and pants that looked like she’d slept in them, and a short sword strapped to her back. And in her right hand… I squinted, pleading with the pool to show me what the girl was holding.
There! The image focused on a flat, golden disc hanging from a string. The girl lifted it in front of her and my stomach dropped. It felt wrong, evil. Whatever that disc was, it had no place here in the mountains.
As soon as I thought that, the image faded and the pool went back to its clear, glassy surface. I sat back, knowing it was done showing me things. Sweat coated every inch of my skin, but I shivered in the crisp night air.
Wait—night? It’d been afternoon when we’d arrived in the mountains, but now the sky was pitch black and smeared with stars. “Senia?” I called, scrambling to my feet. “Goose?”
The dragons poked their heads around the corner, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. I made for them and tripped over my own two feet, going down hard. Goose was at my side in a flash, making a high-pitched noise of concern.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said, waving him off.
“If you’re fine, then why are you crying?” Senia asked, her face close to mine.
“Because,” I sobbed, “it didn’t work, Senia. I didn’t see Maya. No matter how hard I thought about her, I didn’t see my sister!”
***
We were quiet on the flight home. I clung to Goose’s neck harder than was necessary, but if the dragon was uncomfortable, he never voiced a noise of complaint. Senia flew close, keeping one eye on me, as if she expected me to let go and plummet to my death.
As awful as I felt, I still wouldn’t do that. Still, it was nice that she cared so much. Or did she feel guilty? I didn’t want that. None of this was her fault. The reason I didn’t see Maya in the pool… That was because of me, wasn’t it? My need to see her wasn’t strong enough, maybe?
That was enough to set me off again, my tears soaking into Goose’s scales. He moaned softly, the sound rumbling through his body.
When we landed in front of my house, I slid off Goose’s back, my body numb. I was having a hard time walking away from Goose when Senia said, “Goose will stay here tonight.”
Both dragon and I looked at her in surprise. “What?”
Senia’s nostrils flared. “I hurt you tonight, Nerine, and for that I apologize. I do not know how to make this better, but I believe having my nephew close by will offer you some form of comfort.”
“Senia…” I twisted my hands together. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”
“Then whose was it? I shouldn’t have taken you to the pool, Nerine. I should have warned you at least.”
“No, I…” I trailed off, exhausted. Today felt like it was a thousand years long and I yearned for the comfort of my bed. “I’m glad you brought me. I’m just mad at myself.”
The dragon cocked her head. “Why?”
“Because isn’t it my fault that I didn’t see Maya?” I asked. “You said the pool would show me what I needed to see. Have I gotten over her death? Is that why I don’t need to see her anymore?”
“No, I don’t think that’s it at all.” Senia paused. “How would you have felt if you’d seen her? Happiness at first, right? But what would you have felt when you realized it was just an image, and that the Maya you saw in the pool wouldn’t be able to come home with you?”
I exhaled. “It would have felt like losing her all over again.”
“Exactly,” Senia said grimly.
“Did you see Aster when you looked?”
The red dragon closed her eyes. “I haven’t had the courage to look yet.”
“Oh.” Goose nudged his head against my hand and I scratched him behind his ear. “I don’t understand what I saw, Senia. Two girls. I’ve never seen them before, and yet they seemed important somehow.” There was something else I’d seen, but I couldn’t remember what it was. So I focused on the girls instead, and the small details the pond had showed me. The curly red hair, the golden disc with the dark aura… Who were they?
Why were they the ones I needed to see?
“I wish I could give you an answer, Nerine, but I don’t know. That pool is very old, very magical. And very mysterious,” she added.
“And important,” I said, remembering what Aristo had said about the dying magic in the mountains. “Senia? What will happen when the magic fades from the mountains?”
“Aster and I always believed we needed to branch out. Visit other parts of the world. This is why she wanted to take the hatchlings away from here once they were old enough. At the time I scoffed at her, but now I’m beginning to think it was a good idea.”
Pain seared through my heart at the thought of Goose leaving. “But it’s not safe out there! You can’t—”
“Nerine,” Senia said firmly, cutting me off. “I’m not. I won’t. Goose will remain here with you. I promise you that.” She sighed, sounding tired. “I can’t imagine what would take me away from these mountains. Nothing would be worth it…”
She stood quickly, her wings snapping. “Now. It’s been a long day, and the two of you need to rest. Goose, be good.”
He honked in response. Senia nuzzled her nephew goodbye before turning to me. “Nerine, again, I am sorry for what happened today. But do not take what the pool showed you lightly. Those girls that you saw… They are important.”
I nodded.
After wishing me happy birthday, Senia took to the skies, her wings beating a steady rhythm as she flew away. Goose sat on the lawn, his tail thumping against the ground. I looked at him, at my front door, and back to him again.
“I miss the days when you were so tiny I could carry you everywhere,” I said with a sigh. Flopping down on the ground I patted a patch of grass next to me. “Guess we’re camping outside tonight. Cover me with a wing, won’t you?”
&n
bsp; Goose was all too eager to comply. After he settled down next to me, he tucked his wing around my body, creating a warm and safe cocoon. I snuggled against him, using one of his feet as a pillow. It wasn’t terribly comfortable, but I could already feel myself growing drowsy.
My birthday might have taken an unpredictable turn, but I couldn’t think of a better way to end it.
Until Goose started chewing on my hair. “Quit it!” I said, pushing his head away. He chuckled softly in my ear before resting his head against the grass and closing his eyes. A soft hum reverberated from his chest, coursing through me and making me feel warm.
As I started to drift off, I thought once more of the red-haired girl and the blond girl. Who are you? I wondered. You’re supposed to be important, but how will I find you if I never leave Meradell?
Chapter Twenty-four
As the days passed, Goose and I settled into a routine, spending as much time together as possible. He’d arrive early in the morning, usually while I was still eating breakfast, and wait patiently while I fitted him with his saddle. Then we’d take to the skies, leaving Meradell far below us. I still didn’t like flying, nor did I believe I’d ever love it, but I learned to tolerate it. Eventually, I could keep my eyes open the entire flight, and I wasn’t a shaking mess when I slid off his back after Goose had landed.
It helped that I had company. After a week of solo flying, I grew tired of leaving Trey behind and asked Senia if there was anything we could do. I thought she’d offer to carry Trey on her back, but she wasn’t interested. She wasn’t even accompanying Goose and me, which was strange, but she’d grown distant since the incident at the scrying pool. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what I’d seen, or if the red dragon had finally glanced at the water herself, but either way, the more I saw of Goose, the less I seemed to see of Senia.
But she promised to help get Trey into the air, and she wasn’t one to back down on a promise. Three days after my request, when Goose and I were at the outskirts of the city readying to go flying, Senia appeared with a green female dragon in tow. Trey had stared at the dragon curiously while I stood there, fighting a grin. I hadn’t told him about what I’d asked Senia because I hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up.
The green dragon was taller than Senia, but she was slighter. Her wings were translucent, like an insect’s, and iridescent in the sunlight. Her eyes were a deep brown, nearly black, and they lit up when she saw Trey. “Is this my human, then?”
“Your w-what?” Trey sputtered. He turned to me accusingly. “Neri, what’s going on?”
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I thought you might like to go flying.”
After staring at me in shock for a few seconds, Trey let out a whoop and embraced me so enthusiastically that my feet left the ground. Once he’d put me down, he danced over to the dragon. “Hello! I’m Trey.”
The dragon dipped her head so she and Trey were eye level. “I’m Celes. Do you want to go for a ride?”
“Yes!”
“Not too high,” I warned, suddenly rethinking this whole thing. “You don’t have a saddle.”
“Don’t worry,” Celes said as she lowered her body to the ground so Trey could climb on. I envied his carefree demeanor. “I won’t drop him.”
“You better not!” I glanced at Senia, alarmed.
She smirked. “I thought they’d make a good pair.”
“I don’t know, he’s never flown before, are you sure this is a good idea—?” I broke off with a startled cry as Celes took to the air without a word of warning to Trey. He slipped backward and I cringed; was I about to see my best friend fall to his death?
But then Celes evened out and Trey wrapped his arms around her neck and started laughing. The emerald dragon joined in, their voices echoing off the buildings.
“They’re perfect for each other,” I said in wonder.
“I told you,” Senia said proudly.
Honking, Goose pushed me with his head, impatient to fly as well. I climbed up on his back, bade Senia goodbye, and then we were off, chasing after Trey and Celes.
After that first flight, Trey ordered a saddle, and we spent the rest of spring and all of summer flying with our dragons. While Trey and Celes weren’t bonded, they were still a perfect pair, taking to the skies easily, like they’d been flying together for years, not weeks. Senia had chosen well.
As for me, I was braver now with company, and I allowed Goose to go where he wanted to. We left Meradell far behind, traveling south down the coast. We packed lunches and ate in unfamiliar places, but we always made sure we were back in Meradell by the time the sun set. And we didn’t dare fly near other towns or cities. Celes was strong enough to shield us from prying human eyes with her magic, but we didn’t want to take a chance. The rest of the world thought the dragons were gone, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Sometimes Nicolas joined us, riding on Aristo’s back. The first day, the sight of him on that fearsome-looking dragon had taken my breath away. Even now, when I knew Aristo wasn’t nearly as frightening as I’d once believed, I was still nervous around him. I kept waiting for the moment when he’d tell me to leave his son alone. Or that he decided one morning that he actually hated the name Goose.
On those trips Goose was as nervous as I was. His eyes kept darting to his father, trying to impress him with his flying techniques or his control. I could feel Goose’s desire for his father’s approval, and at the end of the day, Aristo would always say something like, “Good flying, son,” and Goose’s eyes would light up as his delight washed over me. When Aristo flew away, I would hug my dragon hard and tell him, “I’m so happy for you.”
The more we saw of Aristo, the less we saw of Senia. It was like the two couldn’t be in the same place at the same time. I asked Goose about it, but he rolled his eyes and shook his head. I couldn’t possibly ask Aristo, and I didn’t want to bother Senia. When I did see her, she was usually in a dark mood, snapping at all of us and flying away to be by herself.
“What’s wrong with Senia?” Trey asked after one morning when the dragon had been particularly angry.
Nicolas, dumping a rock out of his boot, said, “Maybe she’s missing Aster. The anniversary is coming up.” He shot me a nervous look and I turned my head away, trying to pretend like I hadn’t heard him. But Nicolas was right; it had been almost a year since Maya and Aster had died.
A year already. How had time passed so quickly? It didn’t seem right. As the anniversary approached, I grew quieter, lost in my own thoughts of my sister. The others weren’t sure how to act around me and handled me carefully, like I was made of glass and the wrong word would shatter me.
When the day arrived, my parents and I went to the beach alone. My parents spoke to the gently-rolling waves as if Maya were standing there listening. I stood alone, brushing my hair out of my eyes and shifting from one foot to the other. When my parents asked me if I wanted to say anything, I shook my head. Hadn’t I said my goodbyes last year when we’d sent her body into the ocean? What else could I possibly say besides how much I missed her?
When my mom’s face fell, I blurted out, “I wish she were here.”
“Me too, sweetie.” Dad pulled both of us into his arms, which made me cry, which set my parents off as well.
I guess I did need to say something after all.
When we pulled apart, Goose was there, sitting a few yards down the beach and watching us. He cocked his head, asking me if I was all right. Brushing my cheeks with the back of my hand, I nodded and gestured for him to join us.
This might have been the day I’d lost my sister, but it was also the day I’d found my dragon. Who would have thought the two biggest things that would ever happen to me would occur on the same day?
“Maya would have loved you,” I told Goose as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “She would have scolded me for naming you after a bird, though.”
My parents laughed at that. “She definitely would have,�
� Mom said. “But I like his name. It suits him.”
Goose honked loudly in agreement.
My parents left us soon after that and I sat down in the sand, tucking my skirt around my legs so it wouldn’t blow in the wind. Goose settled behind me, wrapping his body around mine so that his face rested against my left side. Scratching behind his ear, I asked, “Have you seen Senia today?”
Goose whined softly and shook his head.
We all mourned differently. I knew that, but I still worried for the ruby dragon. She shouldn’t have been alone today. “What about your dad? Did you go visit him?”
This time Goose nodded and sent a cloud of sadness my way. I sighed. “I bet your dad misses your mom a lot. Has he talked to you about her?” Goose didn’t answer. “No, I guess he wouldn’t. Then it’s up to me. I didn’t know her as well as your dad or aunt did, but I knew her well enough to like and respect her. Did I ever tell you the story about how your mom and my sister met?”
As I started the story, Goose’s eyes locked on mine, his gaze unwavering as I talked until my voice grew hoarse and the sun began to set.
***
Summer turned into fall and the dragons were growing restless. We never saw Senia anymore, and the others were starting to leave the mountains, sometimes for days at a time, only to return to the mountains confused as to why they’d left in the first place. Goose, luckily, wasn’t affected, but both Celes and Aristo left without Trey and Nicolas, leaving my friends hurt and confused.
“What’s going on?” I asked them. “Have they said anything?”
Trey shook his head while Nicolas said, “I think something’s happening across the ocean.”
My stomach dropped. Across the ocean, where the dragons were originally from. “Something like what?”
“I don’t know. Aristo and another dragon stopped discussing it when I walked in.”
“Do you think they’re looking for magic?” And what if they found it and decided to leave the mountains forever?
What if they took Goose from me?
Run and Touch the Sky (Smoke and Mirrors Novella Book 2) Page 15
