Page 8 of Connor and the Dragons

He tried to ask more, but the doors closed on the rest of it.

I turned and found Delsy watching me. She tipped her head toward the window alcove, then stood and paced over there, looking out over the gardens, head held high. She shot a withering look at her ladies-in-waiting. “You are dismissed,” she said, and they bustled out.

The moment they were gone, I crossed to her, stepping close. “Are you all right? I understand he looks quite a lot like his brother and I know that must be distressing for you.”

“What is going on?” she interrupted. “You don’t leak frost onto doorknobs.”

“I’m worried about you, Delsy. About dangling the hope of Emberrick’s return too close.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “No. That’s not it.”

I turned away from her and blew out a breath, staring out the window for a long moment. “I don’t know.”

Delsy studied me. “Is it something about Oallian? He is quite… exuberant.”

I said nothing. She looked at me. I looked back, which could be considered impertinent with one’s queen.

“Is it the man who unsettles you, then?”

I frowned. “No, of course not. He is but a human.”

“Very well. You are assigned to them,” she said. “Both of them. It is your responsibility to see that they are safe, happy, and pleased with the outcome.”

“Please, no. The trade drafts require… there are seventeen items awaiting your seal, and the autumn audiences must be scheduled, and I am not…” I heard myself, and stopped. “They will not listen to me.”

Her left eyebrow shot up. “Oallian and his human landed here not twenty minutes ago. You have already learned this?”

“I am not suited to keeping them in check. They are too… chaotic.”

“You are suited to exactly this.” She smirked, and it was Delsy’s smirk, the one from before either of us had titles. “I need the person I trust the most here, with him.”

I looked out the window, at the north tower standing gold in the afternoon light with its comfortable, secure, freshly prepared apartments.

“Is it manageable?” I asked. “Seeing Emberrick’s brother.”

She was quiet for a moment. Her shoulders came down an inch, and for a moment she was only my oldest friend, tired and letting me see it.

“They look so much the same,” she said.

“Delsy.”

“He is alive.” Her voice stayed level and very soft. “My love is alive, but I don’t know where he is. If somebody put me in a room with him I could bring him back to himself inside a minute.” She turned her rings, one after another, which she did when she was choosing her words. “The difficulty is that nobody knows where the room is, and without that knowledge, his dragon owns him.

“Twenty-nine years of sightings and rumors and a burnt barn outside Clovermere that turned out to be lightning. No one understands what it means to look for a fire dragon.” She looked toward the doors the newcomers had gone through. “There is one creature alive who knows Korvanthos, Emberrick’s dragon, and it’s Oallian. Vyranthos always was more chaotic, and stronger willed, and from what I know of him, Oallian is a bit…”

“Goofy?”

She snorted. “Submissive. He allows his dragon to rule in ways Emberrick never did. I must find him, and there is one creature alive with a real chance of doing that. I intend for him to stay just as delighted as he seemed to be today. Which means I must let him keep Connor Liang.”

“You can’t just hand a person over to a dragon, Delsy,” I said.

“Which is why I need you, Kessrin. You shall make sure they form an attachment, that Connor Liang is invested in staying in Feravael and keeping Oallian’s dragon at bay.”

“I do not know how to—”

“This is not a request, this is the crown’s command. You have your orders.” She only used the royal phrasing on me when she was afraid I would refuse. Then her voice broke as she leaned closer and whispered, “Please. I need you to do this. He is my resonant, and every minute without him hurts.”

“I know, Delsy, I know. I will help however I can.” Their bond went deeper than love, they were united by magic.