The highlight of the rest of the day, not to be confused with the highlight of that evening, was when Barro and the two scholars emerged from the tunnels. They were moving all of their gear out and preparing to leave.

  “We’ve discovered so much!” Tavia gushed. Judging by how excited she was to have caught us before they left, she must have gotten her fear of me under control — and she’d had plenty of that, both from our first meeting and when I’d stormed off after they showed me the inscriptions they’d found. “Mostly ancient pottery, which matches what we’ve seen from pre-Collapse Mallin, and that’s interesting in itself—”

  “We have some truly marvelous examples, beautifully decorated and looking like they’re only weeks out of the kiln!” Ramban added.

  “—but those aren’t our most important finds!” Tavia continued without pause, either ignoring or not even noticing her colleague’s interjection. “We found— Ramban, you have one on you, right? I’m sure you do.”

  “Do you not?” Ramban asked, just as generally excited as Tavia. “We cannot possibly leave them all in the same place!”

  “No, no, of course not. Take it out, would you?”

  From inside his robe Ramban produced a large leather tube. From inside that tube he took out a smaller one, roughly the size of a regular message tube. “This,” he said, “contains a scroll!” He never opened the tube and only showed it for a moment before putting it back in the larger container, which he sealed carefully.

  “A letter!” Tavia practically squeaked the words, sounding twenty years younger than she looked. “A letter in elder Tekereteki, addressed to—!”

  She stopped suddenly, looking at me with frozen uncertainty. The recipient of that letter was clear enough from that alone. But I could handle it. Just the mention of his name wouldn’t set me off… I hoped. “It’s all right,” I told her. “I can guess. Go on. Please.”

  “To Sekteretesh,” she finished with a little less excitement. “And it’s one of three. We found them hidden in one of the ventilation shafts.”

  “Who’s this Sekritesh guy?” Ardek asked. “Sounds like the boss doesn’t like him much.”

  “I don’t, no,” I replied, and my voice was only a little tense with anger. “According to what the good scholars here have found, he killed my father.”

  Ardek didn’t quite flinch, but he was a little more solemn when he said, “Oh. That would do it, yeah. Sorry.”

  As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Ramban continued, having lost none of his boyish energy. “We’re not sure who he was, but it seems like he must exist in the historical record somewhere — if he truly claimed a dragon’s hoard, as he boasts in the inscriptions. Seeing if we can find anything about him is one of the reasons we’re planning to return to Karakan on the morrow, or the day after. That, and we need access to warded rooms where we dare expose the letters to air. Gods and Mercies, I cannot tell you how excited we are to translate them!”

  “Yeah, nah, I can tell. Just make sure to let me know what you find, yeah? Anything you can learn about He Who Darkens The Night or Sekteretesh, I want to know. You can leave any messages with Barro at the inn. Which reminds me… Barro? A word. Privately.”

  I led Barro into the forest. Herald and Mak had started herding the others away, but we’d been talking in the middle of the village, and making everyone else leave was just too awkward. I was proud, but I wasn’t that arrogant. Not yet, anyway.

  Barro took the news of my new Advancement in stride, no more bothered than Mak had been. I still told him not to worry, that I’d accept responsibility for anything I might see as long as he wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea, and that I wouldn’t use my new ability unless I felt it necessary. I also silently vowed to myself to ask Instinct to check first if I ever wanted to put myself in Barro’s head. I’d seen his dreams; that had been quite enough for me, thank you very much.

  I also took the opportunity to ask his opinion about the scholars.

  “Well,” he said pensively. “I like them, I suppose. They're good people. They could talk a stone to death, but they mean well. Just excited about sharing knowledge, you understand? But that’s the problem, isn’t it? They love to share their discoveries. And I know they promised not to publish anything they discovered here, but I just don’t know if they can keep quiet.”

  “So what do you think we should do?” I asked, ignoring Instinct’s demands that we return and claim the two scholars immediately, before they could betray us and endanger our hoard.

  Barro didn’t even hesitate. “Give them a chance. They can cause you some problems, but I don’t see how anything they might say could truly hurt you. And if they betray you, well… I know you have options.”

  “That, I do,” I agreed. I was a little distracted; I’d swear that I could feel Conscience’s attention on me, waiting to hear what I’d say. After a moment I said, “All right. Do you have any way of keeping an eye on them?”

  “I have a friend or two at the Academy who I can ask to keep their ears open, yeah,” he said.

  “Good. Do it,” I said, and I was relieved to feel Conscience’s satisfaction with that.

  When we got back to the others, though, I wasn’t so sure that it would be needed. Everyone was still gathered around the central firepit, unlit though it was, with one major change. Ramban and Tavia had lost some of their spark, and while they didn’t quite stink of fear, it was definitely in the air. Some of the others looked more than a little awkward. And Herald had a smile of the smuggest satisfaction on her face.

  A little later, when the group had broken up so everyone could do their own thing, I took Herald for a walk and asked her what she’d done.

  “Oh, nothing much,” she replied. That smug smile returned, and I knew with absolute certainty that to anyone who didn’t love her, it would have been absolutely insufferable. She continued, “I reminded them of their promise to you and of who you are. And then I showed them what I can do, and told them that it was not you they would need to worry about if they betrayed you. That is all.”

  “You’re sure that’s all?” I asked.

  “I may have also touched them with my shadows, just a little. To drive the point home.”

  “Right. And if they do talk carelessly, do you plan to make good on your threats?”

  “Absolutely,” she said seriously. “Though I would prefer to take them over killing them. I like them well enough, and I am sure that they would be useful. I could use their help in the library, if nothing else.”

  Again, it struck me how easily she talked about killing or dominating someone she saw as a possible threat or enemy to me. It was shocking how quickly she’d gotten used to the idea. After Soandel, she’d had some sort of minor existential crisis, with Sarina and Marvan she’d barely hesitated, and after she took Yakamo she’d been nothing but satisfied with herself! Now she sounded almost eager, like she hoped the scholars would give her an excuse.

  I still didn’t know how to feel about that. I loved her for how dedicated she was to me, but she’d gone too far with Yakamo. I also worried that she might one day act too rashly or impulsively and get discovered or hurt. And of course there was the ever present guilt I felt for my part — my very large, some might say absolutely massive, and Conscience might say, “It’s all your fault,” part — in how she’d changed.

  She insisted that she’d never been happier, and that she saw herself as the best version of herself that she could imagine. I still couldn’t help but wonder who she’d be if I hadn’t gone so completely all-in on our friendship — if I’d kept at least some kind of distance between us, rather than glomming onto her as hard as she did to me.

  But there was little to no point in wallowing in that. I got enough reminders from Conscience without bringing it up myself. Instead I chose to focus on the fact that she hadn’t immediately defaulted to permanently removing them as a possible threat.

  “Great,” I told her, instead of voicing any of my many concerns, which she’d just have dismissed with brutal efficiency. “Barro said the same thing. Well, not the same thing, but you know what I mean. He’s got people who can keep an eye on them, too.”

  “I thought he might. He is a soft man at heart, you know?”

  “I don’t actually know him as well as I want to,” I admitted.

  Herald smiled fondly. “You should. He is a lot of fun! A terrible flirt, but without being too serious about it, you know?”

  There was an ugly, possessive jealousy that I’d always had when it came to Herald. I’d kept it in check for a while, but now it flared to life again. “He flirted with you?” I asked, and she must have seen or heard how I felt because she answered quickly.

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  “No, no!” she laughed. “Not with me, nor Mak, nor Kira. Nor any of your girls, as far as I know. He knows that we are off limits.”

  “Please don’t say it like that,” I groaned. I felt guilty enough as it was without any creepy insinuations.

  “What?” she asked, all innocence. “I do not understand, Mistress. Do you want him flirting with your harem after all?”

  “Herald, please! You can’t call it a harem. Don’t even joke about that! And don’t ever call me ‘Mistress’ again! It’s bad enough when Mak does it.”

  “Spoilsport!” She giggled at my discomfort, and it somehow took the edge off.

  “Seriously, we talked about dragons and maidens like the day after we met,” I grumbled. “And it’s not like I haven’t added any fellas to my flock.”

  “Fine, yes, that is true,” she said, bumping her shoulder into me reassuringly. “But you do realize that people are talking? Word is that you are only ever seen in the company of a procession of young women.”

  “I don’t care what people are saying. Just… I know you don’t believe any of it, yeah? But hearing you say it actually gets to me.”

  In response, she grabbed the upper part of my wing and vaulted, easily and without warning, onto my back — with how tall I was it was a bloody impressive leap! Then she laid out along my back, arms around my neck and legs over my sides. Not even sitting up the way Kira or Ardek had, just effectively giving me a full-body hug while I hesitantly kept walking.

  It felt far too good for me to ask her to get off, though.

  “Sorry,” she said after a few seconds. “I should have thought of that. Do you forgive me?”

  “Of course,” I said reflexively. “Always. Anything.”

  “I will try not to abuse that.” After a pause she said, “Can you forgive me for Yakamo?”

  “You never needed my forgiveness for that,” I said, craning my neck around so I could look at her. “You never would have done it if not for me.”

  “But it hurt you,” she said, her voice growing so small. “Every time she is mentioned, I can tell. I still think it was the right thing to do, but I hate that. I hate that I did something to hurt you.”

  I sighed. I wanted so badly to lie to her, to tell her that everything was fine, but she deserved better than that. “It did hurt me,” I said softly. “But I never blamed you for it. Not really. But I need you to promise me something, all right?”

  “Anything,” she murmured into my neck.

  “Anyone who’s clearly an enemy, anyone who’s hurt us and meant it and who’ll keep hurting us, I’ll trust your judgement with your power. But if you’re the least bit uncertain whether I’d approve, you need to talk to me first, yeah? And if I say no…”

  “Then I will not do it,” she finished for me. “Okay. I promise.”

  “Thank you,” I said. It didn’t absolve me of what she’d done to Yakamo, but I knew that she’d keep her promise. It was something I knew I’d never need to worry about again, and the relief was immense. “For what it’s worth, if you’d needed to be forgiven, I would have. I’d forgive you anything.”

  “Thank you,” she said, tightening her grip around my neck for a moment. “I feel the same way. You know that. But it is not just the magic — not just your hold over me. I would feel the same way no matter what.”

  “You can’t know that,” I said sadly.

  “I can, and I do.” She released one arm from around my neck and ran her hand along my shoulder. “I know that I cannot be angry with you. I cannot even really imagine being so. But I know you. I see how you treat people. I would have forgiven you anything, with time.”

  “I enslaved your sister!” I protested, using a word that I hated because I knew how true it was.

  “Let us not use that word,” she said. “There is a certain amount of misery implied in slavery, and Mak has never been happier. ‘Enthralled’ perhaps?”

  “Whatever you call it, I took her freedom from her.”

  “And her crushing sense of responsibility with it. She is a different person now, Draka. She has changed, and for the better. Seeing that, how could I not forgive you? Once I had time to think, at least?”

  “You really think that,” I said, and though I knew that she couldn’t lie to me, there was still a kind of wonder to hearing her say that. I still didn’t agree — who in their right mind could truly forgive what I’d done to the two of them? — but mind whammy or no, there were limits to what I could convince her of.

  One day, and soon, I was going to have to bring up the subject of releasing people to my mother. If anyone might know if it was possible, it would be her. Even thinking about asking made Instinct furious, and there was no way that it wouldn’t make Mother concerned, if not downright suspicious, but I had to ask. Even though I couldn’t imagine doing it; even if my gut told me that there was something essential missing in these people now, a hole I’d carved out and filled with something of my own. I had to know if I had the option.

  I got so into that line of thinking that I almost missed what Herald said next, in a voice so soft that I wasn’t even sure that she meant for me to hear. “How could I not forgive you for what you have done, when it’s so easy to forgive myself?”

  The most exciting thing that happened after sunset was that my mother arrived.

  To be fair, that would be true of almost any day, night, week, month, or year. It was certainly exciting to everyone at Lady’s Rest, though some of us were excited for different reasons than others.

  Herald and I were excited because Mother had finally joined us. Nothing more, nothing less. We both enjoyed her company and were happy to have her with us, especially after she’d spent so long in the south. The happiest among us, of course, was Instinct, whom I let to the front almost as soon as Herald reported seeing Mother’s huge shadow against the sky. Nobody would ever be as happy to see Mother as Instinct was.

  Everyone else was excited because an enormous dragon had set down on the practice field south of the village. It didn’t matter much if you knew, intellectually, that the dragon was nominally friendly. She was still a creature who could kill everything she saw by accident, and nobody could take that lightly. It didn’t matter that Sower of Embers, Reaper of Flame was my mother. It didn’t matter that she’d promised not to take or destroy anything that was mine, which included this village and everyone currently present as far as she was concerned. It didn’t matter that Mak, Kira, and Ardek had met her and been given her approval. There were only two appropriate emotions when faced with a force of nature like my mother: fear, and awe. And those were the emotions that I saw on the faces of the humans surrounding me as Mother came in to land.

  “Herald,” Instinct said through my mouth, turning to her among the handful of people gathered around the fire. “I will go to welcome my mother. Gather everyone, then bring them to pay their respects.”

  “Of course,” she said, with a rare deference in her voice. She knew that I usually let Instinct take the lead when meeting Mother, and no doubt she could tell that I’d done so now. But no matter if Herald loved Instinct like she loved me, her first experiences with Instinct hadn’t been great. I couldn’t blame her for being uneasy.

  Instinct either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She just ducked her head in acknowledgement and took us padding away from the fire pit. That quickly increased to an excited trot as we left the small group of cabins behind and Mother came into view.

  “Daughter.” Mother rumbled a tired greeting as we approached. Tired. That was the only way I could describe it. She didn’t sit tall and proud the way she usually did, either; she lay down, almost sinking into the ground. Her head was still fifteen feet off the ground, but it was a worrying thing to see.

  Instinct didn’t pick up on that at all. “Mother!” we called happily as we approached. “Did that fool finally understand that he is not wanted?”

  “Do not worry,” she said, her eyes crinkling. “He will not cause us any trouble.”

  “I hope you tore his tail off for keeping you there,” we said. “It has been so long! I have not seen you for over a week!”

  She huffed with amusement. “Nothing quite so drastic! Though I did have to singe him a bit to get the message across. Ah, but there are your humans!”

  I’d felt Herald and Mak approaching, but Instinct turned around to look. She’d been so focused on Mother that she hadn’t even noticed, which I thought was very sweet. Honestly, any mother would be lucky to have a daughter who adored them the way Instinct did Embers.

  Every human in the village was approaching, but not quickly enough for Instinct. She was just too excited about showing off her little cult! Instead of waiting with patient dignity, perhaps exchanging a few more words with Mother, she had us trot back, anxiously herding the two dozen or so people forward — children and one baby included.

  It was a chilly meeting, tinged with fear. I hadn’t expected anything else; Mother was not about to let anyone get the wrong idea about their relative places, and with everyone there, even Herald was quietly respectful. Instinct happily had us introduce everyone — again, children and one baby included. Mother acknowledged their existence. She then stated her name, and encouraged them to be loyal servants. There was no need for someone like her to suggest that there might be consequences if they failed; her tone made it clear that obedience was the only option.

  Once released, the villagers left as quickly as respectfully possible. So did the scholars, but Barro stayed; he was our House’s head of security, after all.

  With the group reduced to mostly people she’d seen and properly instilled respect in before, Mother became a little more talkative again. “I see that you have brought all of your humans with you,” she said. “Is there a reason for this?”

  “Oh, these are not all!” we said proudly. “There are a few more still in the city, gathering gold for me.”

  “Are there, now?”

  “Yes! But these are all the ones who might be in danger when I leave, so I am taking them to Old Mallin to explore the ruins there.”

  “And they would not be in danger in the monster-filled ruins of a city?”

  “I will be with them most of the time.”

  “And when you are not?”

  “They can take care of themselves,” we said with complete confidence then added, a little less certainly, “And I hoped you might choose to return north for a time.”

  “Did you, now?”

  “Yes?”

  “And if I have things to take care of? If I do not have time to lay around, looking after your humans?”

  We looked at our family. Herald and Mak were both quietly confident, Mak nodding her encouragement as she felt our uncertainty. Val was stolidly determined; we knew that he looked forward to seeing both the temple and the library, as well as anything else we might explore. And Tam just gave us an excited grin, which probably meant that he was nervous as all hell.

  In fact, of the whole group, only Ardek and Kira weren’t cautiously excited, and I couldn’t blame either of them. I was so damn proud of them. We were going to the deadly north, and not one of them doubted our success.

  “They can take care of themselves,” we repeated.

  Mother must have seen or heard something she liked. She gave a long, “Hrrrrmmm,” of satisfaction then said, “Very well. I promise nothing, but I will try to be with them when you are not. And if I am busy, well… they can take care of themselves, as you say. Now, send them away. I will speak with you.”

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