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shelf, she took off for a moment of privacy in her room. At least there, she wouldn’t have to feel the handsome knight’s eyes on her.

    As Kaden walked back to Castleton after fetching a change of clothes from the Lair, he mentally kicked himself over and over, unable to understand how he and Rey had reached such a point where dragon and knight couldn’t even talk to each other. That should never happen in a partnership as deep as theirs. That night—his first in the tavern⎯Kaden was so tired from grief and worry, he fell into the bed in the small rented room and slept soundly until well after dawn. Breakfast awaited him in the common room, as did Rey.
    They talked little, both unable to articulate the problems between them, but just being near each other helped. Linea had spent the night, though Marcus was nowhere in sight. Kaden spent the afternoon gathering more of his belongings from the Lair and bringing them to the tavern. He needed clothes and some grooming supplies for Rey. Dragon scales could dry out when a dragon was ill and didn’t get enough exercise. Kaden spent the hours before dinner oiling and polishing Rey’s scales in the areas that didn’t pain him too much.
    Dinner was a quiet affair. Kaden sat at a table next to the dragons and ate in sullen silence while the tavern filled up around them. Most of the patrons were Jinn, as were the proprietor and the serving maids. They were of the working class, but not rough. Merchants, tradesmen and others mingled as a hearty dinner was served, followed by fine 22
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    Wings of Change
    ale and even some entertainment. The Jinn were noted for the talent of their minstrels and a few played in the background while the conversations of the customers hummed around them.
    Kaden drank a bit more than he probably should have, keeping vigil at Rey’s side. The other patrons moved around the tavern, most giving the dragons a wide berth, though some came over to pay their respects and offer melons or other large fruits to the dragons as snacks. Marcus joined Kaden after dinner and sat with him deep into the night. They’d always been friends and he found the other knight’s presence both comforting and reassuring.
    The only serving girl brave enough, it seemed, to serve the dragons and knights was Lucia. She brought tankards of ale after clearing away the remains of Kaden’s dinner. He watched her as the night wore on. Marcus sat with him, watching and speaking little, but it was a comfortable silence.
    Kaden noticed how Marcus’s gaze followed Lucy. Kaden couldn’t help but watch her himself. There was something appealing about the confidant way she moved, and she was a proven beauty—inside and out. No other woman had ever braved the castle gates to summon help for an injured dragon. Only Lucy.
    “She’s quite a woman,” Marcus commented, raising his tankard in Lucia’s direction. Kaden realized he’d been caught staring at her. Again.
    “I can’t figure her out.” Kaden sat back, trying to be nonchalant. “She seems comfortable in this atmosphere, but she speaks like a gentlewoman.”
    “She doesn’t really belong here,” Marcus agreed. “She was born a noblewoman, but fate has brought her here.”
    Marcus’s words seemed portentous. “For some reason, you think?”
    “I do.” Marcus lowered the tankard. “I believe she may well be our mate.”
    The idea shocked Kaden, but he felt an immediate warmth flood his midsection at the idea of bedding Lucia. A wife would be shared between them now it was clear Rey and Linea were mates. Such was the way with dragons. It was rare to find a woman who would willingly live in the Lair with dozens of dragons. Rarer still was the woman who could hear a dragon’s silent speech.
    “It feels right,” Kaden admitted. “She can bespeak dragons. Even in the Castle Lair, not all the women can do that.”

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    “It’s a gift,” Marcus agreed.