Chapter 11

Mother scowled at us over her breakfast cup of tea. Renata gripped her fork tightly and kept her gaze locked to her plate of bacon and eggs.

I maintained a frigid silence as I consumed my toast.

“You girls haven’t fought like this since you were dreadful teenagers.” Mother set her tea cup in its saucer.

“Loooove has turned Marley back into a teenager, if you ask me.” Renata tore a strip of bacon in half with her teeth and chewed loudly.

“I guess you have no excuse,” I remarked.

Renata sputtered incoherently for a moment. Our gazes met, and we burst into laughter, our anger forgotten.

Mother beamed at us and poured herself more tea.

I gathered my courage and said, “I am in love with him. I’m not repressing anything, either. It’s just the plain truth.”

When neither of them said anything, I continued. “And, no, it’s not all roses and sunny daydreams living on Zodiac Mountain, but I never thought it would be. It’s vastly different from here. Everything is stone, there are no windows, but the rooms are gigantic and the ceilings in most places are much higher. It takes some getting used to, is all.”

I heaved a huge sigh. “Renata, you have a point. Maybe I am resisting eating tubers now because I want Donovan to be happy someday, and I’m not sure I can do that for him. Is it wrong to want the person you love to be happy—even if it can’t be with you?”

“Why shouldn’t you be happy, too?” Renata asked. “Why does he always have to come first? You have a right to live a long, happy life. If you’re in love, doesn’t that mean he makes you happy? So why not allow yourself to be happy? Why have you always taken it upon yourself to be the only witch to bear the blame for what we supposedly did to the dragons?”

“Because nobody else will. None of you will even admit to the possibility that you handled things the wrong way. Instead of trying to work with the dragons, you alienated them. You never even considered the idea of not eating tubers anymore. You still had time to stop when the dragons first found out. You never even paused for a moment. In fact, you made sure to eat them more than six times just so you’d have an excuse to keep eating and growing them.” I pushed my plate into the center of the table because I could no longer stomach the idea of food.

Mother stirred a spoonful of sugar into her tea. “Think about the older women who had the chance to grow young again. You can’t understand their point of view. Maybe in twenty years you might get a glimpse. Maybe growing old and infirm will show you our side of it better than you’ve ever been able to grasp it.”

“I do see that side of it.” I shut my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see her reproachful expression. “I’ve even argued that with Donovan. All I’m saying is that things could have been handled better, but they weren’t. On both sides. I’m not just blaming the coven.

“But over the years dislike has crystalized into hatred, and grudges have sprouted legs and become long-distance runners. If we don’t stop this, I’ll have to live with people who despise me for the rest of my life.”

“You’re always welcome here, Marley.” Mother reached out to place her hand on mine. “And that damned dragon of yours, too, if you can ever convince him to visit. I can set aside my prejudices for a few days. Who knows? Maybe it’ll get easier to do it for longer and longer periods the better I get to know him.”

“What makes you think you’ll like him?” I asked, biting at my lower lip.

“Because you do, and you’ve always been a decent judge of character.”

“He gave me a field,” I blurted, trying not to cry. “My own field where I can grow whatever I like. So I don’t have to stay cooped up in stone all the time.”

“How thoughtful.” Mother’s smile was genuine. “I’m beginning to like him already. See?”

“I haven’t anything to grow, though.” I shrugged. “I was hoping I could take a few plants from the fields here. Some lavender and chamomile. Dragons have itchy hides. I wanted to see if I could make a salve that could soothe that.”

Mother patted my hand. “You may take anything you like. I’m sure your grandmother would allow you to take a few of her prized lavender plants. Of course, their magic isn’t quite as potent as in days gone by, but each generation is stronger than the last. You may have some luck as well.”

I thought of my passion-fueled field. I was certain whatever I grew there would develop heightened magical properties if properly tended.

“I’ll help you pot them,” Renata offered. “You get the lavender, I’ll get you some chamomile. Anything else? Some comfrey or basil perhaps?”

“I’ll take anything, but Donovan can only carry so much so don’t go overboard.”

“Me?” Renata’s smile rivaled the stars.

***

Hot sun prickled the back of my neck as I carefully dug around the roots of one of Grandmother’s lavender plants. Their sharp, soothing scent filled the air.

Concentrating as I was on transferring the plant to a small pot, I thought a summer breeze blew across me, scattering earth and lavender needles. It wasn’t until I glanced up that I saw a small, bright blue dragon hovering a few feet above me.

“I was wondering when you would see me,” the dragon rumbled in a distinctly feminine manner.

“Emily?” Her name escaped me before I could call it back. I scanned the skies for her parents, but saw no other dragon. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m tired of people telling me I’m too young to fly solo. I knew you were here, so I thought I would come see—” Her voice turned into a shriek when she triggered the protective spell covering the field.

A web-like net of pure magical energy ensnared her, fouling her wings and preventing her from flying. She crashed to the ground, crushing plants beneath her. The pungent scent of lavender became almost overpowering.

“Lie still,” I commanded. The more she struggled, the tighter the bonds became.

“It hurts,” she whined. “Help me!”

“This is why you shouldn’t have come here. Didn’t you know witches protected their fields?” I approached her cautiously, so as not to become tangled myself. I couldn’t trip the magic, but once activated I wasn’t immune to it.

“I thought we were all friends again,” Emily whimpered.

“How could you when you see how the dragons treat me?”

“But you don’t treat us badly. I thought all witches were like you.”

“Hold still and let me perform the counter-curse. I’m not sure I have the power. I may need to go get help.” Guilt swamped me. She’d thought all witches were like me. That should have filled me with elation, but now all I could feel was remorseful sorrow.

“No! Don’t leave me alone. I’m scared!” Emily cried, thrashing around until the bonds tightened so she could no longer move. “I can’t...breathe!”

“Dragon!” screamed Renata from the field of basil. “Dragon in the lavender!” She used a spell to amplify her voice, and everyone in the coven, including my murderous-looking grandmother, erupted from their cottages and ran toward us.

“Burn it!” Grandmother screamed. “Burn it just like it wanted to burn my field!”

Dragons couldn’t exactly shed tears, but Emily’s cries broke my heart.

“Stop!” I shouted, waving my arms around to capture their attention. “Stop and think about this! She’s just a child!”

“Burn her!” Grandmother shrieked, ignoring me. This lavender field was her pride and joy, and it had already been flamed once. Her rage knew no bounds.

Above us a dragon roared, shattering the sky with her fury. Bright blue. Val. A bigger dragon, also blue, flew beside her. Rabb. He opened his mouth and a flame burst out.

Six more dragons swooped down from the clouds. One of them was emerald green. Donovan.

“Kill that dragon!” Grandmother shrieked. “I’m tired of these games! I want them ended!”

Frantically, I called upon my magic. If I could only free Emily before the dragons and witches converged, maybe all this could be avoided.

“I’m not strong enough.” I gasped, clutching my side because I couldn’t breathe. “Emily, please don’t be scared. I won’t let them hurt you!”

Grandmother, Eleanora, and my cousin Eileen reached the field before the dragons. They held hands, their eyes dark with magic. Soon, they’d have enough power to cast fireballs at the magical net. It would ignite and burn Emily alive. There would be no going back from that. Not ever.

“Stop!” I screamed at them. “You’d murder a child over a field of lavender?”

“It’s not just lavender. It’s twenty years of burned crops and ruined magic!” Grandmother’s voice, amplified by her spell, was loud enough for every dragon to hear.

I enchanted my own voice so everyone could hear me, too. I had enough magic to do that.

“I won’t let you hurt her! She’s a child and my friend. The only dragon besides Donovan who showed me even a little kindness. You won’t do this, Grandmother!”

“Step aside,” Grandmother ordered, as if she hadn’t heard me. “This dragon was going to flame my field!”

“She wasn’t!” I cried. “She wanted to show me how independent she was. Young dragons do this. Rebel and go on solo flights. She came here to me because she thought all witches were like me. This is all my fault, and I can’t let you hurt her. Why can’t you find a shred of compassion and show her that witches aren’t spiteful, awful people? I know you’re angry, but she’s not your target. Please, Grandmother. I’m begging you.” I edged closer to Emily, mindful of the creeping tendrils of the magical web.

“You step aside now!” Grandmother demanded. “As your coven leader, I command you!”

Renata and Mother reached the edge of the field, their faces contorted with terror.

Above us the dragons bellowed with rage, arrowing down, their breath aflame.

Grandmother raised her hand, fire crackling in her palm.

Paralyzing fear gripped me. I couldn’t do anything to stop her—I wasn’t powerful enough on my own.

“Marley!” Renata screamed.

“I can’t let you do it,” I said, and took a deliberate step backward. The magical web curled around my ankle and yanked me off my feet. The agony was incredible. This was no mere entanglement spell; they’d spiked it with pain as well.

I bit back a scream as the tendrils sank into my flesh, binding me into immobility.

Grandmother stared at me, but abruptly broke contact with Eleanora and Eileen. Their magic fizzled and died.

Dragons swooped around us. One of the blue ones grabbed Grandmother by the hair and hauled her off the ground.

“No!” I shrieked, struggling against my bonds, which only tightened agonizingly. “No, please! Don’t hurt her!”

“Put her down!” thundered a huge, silver dragon. Balthasar. Val obeyed immediately, but was none too gentle. Grandmother collapsed in the field, and one of her leg bones snapped audibly. She bit back a groan, and defiantly glared up at the dragons.

“This has gone far enough!” Balthasar roared. “Dissolve the magic binding my people!” He hovered protectively above Emily and me. Tears of pain leaked from the corners of my eyes. The sheer cruelty of this spell both angered and saddened me.

“The brat’s yours, I’ll grant you, but Marley is mine,” Grandmother snarled, unable to get to her feet because of her broken leg.

“No,” Balthasar countered, “She’s mine now. The king gave her to us.”

“So you could abuse and degrade her!” Grandmother yelled. “We all heard what she said. None but this child and her husband have treated her with respect. If you won’t treat her right, give her back.”

“I have neither abused nor degraded her. I rather like her,” Balthasar declared. He gazed down at me, and I swear he winked. “She stands up for herself, and she has admirable principles. Why, she even refused to partake of our magical tubers because she respects our feelings.” He gave Grandmother a scathing look. “Which is more than I can say for you, Bess. Have you forgotten our long-ago summer tryst?”

Grandmother’s neck swelled with humiliated rage. “How dare you bring that up? That was eighty years ago.”

“I wanted to marry you once,” Balthasar said. “There is no higher honor a dragon can bestow upon someone than to offer her his treasure. You refused mine, then stole someone else’s. I have never understood you. You were angry when I offered to marry you because you were conflicted, weren’t you? If you married me, you would have had to give up your dream of leading this coven.

“You realized your dream, and you got the dragons’ magic. Why are you so full of spite still?”

“You wanted to marry me?” Grandmother scoffed, her beautiful face contorted with rage. “You couldn’t have been too heartbroken when I turned you down. I hear you were married a month later to someone else.”

“True,” agreed Balthasar. “You wanted to be coven leader. I wanted to lead my clan. What better way to do it than marry the clan leader’s daughter, our high priestess?”

Grandmother exhaled through her nose. “So you didn’t love her?”

“I learned to love her,” Balthasar replied. “But for a great many years, I only loved you.” He gazed down at the lavender field. “And here we are, your coven and my clan, suffering because of our old resentments. Can’t it be time to lay aside the bitterness, Bess?” He looked down at me again. “Your granddaughter thinks so. She has your determination and vision of how things should be. She’s not as ruthless as you are, but give her time.” He chuckled.

“You fly any lower and that entanglement spell will grab you, too,” Grandmother said, but an odd vulnerability lingered in her eyes.

“Then break it,” suggested Balthasar.

“Like my leg maybe?” Grandmother muttered.

“Renata, Eileen, help me,” Mother said, moving forward. They joined hands and focused their gazes on the magical web. Breathing deeply, they nearly hummed with power.

The dreadful pressure loosened. The pain became manageable. The wispy tendrils dissolved into the ether, and the worst leg cramp of my life seized my left calf.

I howled in agony, trying to bend my leg so I could massage the muscle.

Emily, looking dazed, rolled to her feet and tried to unfurl her wings, but they wouldn’t quite cooperate.

“What have you done to her?” Donovan roared, smashing several more plants when he landed beside me. “Marley, what’s wrong?”

“Just...a leg cramp,” I said between gritted teeth.

“After-effects of the spell,” Renata spoke up, staring at Donovan with fearful suspicion. “Are you Donovan?”

I winced and tried to speak through my pain. “Don’t...call him...by...his name! Damn it, I knew...this would happen. I’ve been...calling you Donovan the whole weekend. Don’t be...mad at her. Blame me!”

“What did I do?” Renata blinked in confusion.

“We don’t address dragons by their names unless the dragon shares their name with you. It’s a trust thing,” Balthasar told her kindly.

“He’s my brother-in-law,” Renata argued. “I can’t even call him by his name? What am I supposed to call him? Dragon?” She scrunched up her nose. “That seems very rude to me.”

“As calling him Donovan seems very rude to us,” Balthasar said. “If you don’t wish to be discourteous, perhaps avoid calling him anything. Just make eye contact when you speak to him so he’ll know you’re talking to him.”

“Weird,” Renata muttered, rolling her eyes. She grimaced and fixed her gaze on Donovan. “Okay, let’s try this one again, although by now I know the answer. Are you my brother-in-law?”

“Yes.” Donovan lowered his massive head so his snout was scant inches from Renata’s face. She trembled, but to her credit she held her ground.

“I’m terrified of dragons,” she confided. “But my sister loves you, so I figure I ought to try not to be scared. If she loves you, you can’t be all that bad.” She tried to smile and failed dismally. “Can you?”

“Loves me?” Donovan repeated in a dazed voice. “Did you say she loves me?”

“Whoops.” Renata shot me a remorseful look and mouthed the word ‘sorry.’ “I guess I should have let her say that, not me.”

I could only gape at her, robbed of my breath by the pain in my leg.

Donovan stared at her. Dragons didn’t blink, so Renata tried not to either and nearly went cross-eyed.

“You witches. I will never understand you. Not ever,” Donovan declared. “I think you’re more confusing than your sister, and that’s saying something.” He looked up at Balthasar. “Can I take my wife home now?”

“You may.” Balthasar nodded his huge silver head. “In fact, I think we should all go home. And if I hear of one more raid on the witches’ fields, there will be severe repercussions.”

“And we’ll stop the protections spells.” Grandmother grimaced as she shifted on the ground. Her mouth tightened. “But we won’t stop eating or growing the tubers. I’m not about to let myself die at this point, and you can’t make me.” A crafty grin spread across her face. “Balthasar.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Balthasar said cheerfully. “In fact, I wish you’d persuade your granddaughter that we dragons don’t mind if she eats them, too.” He looked around at Rabb, Val, and the other dragons hovering nearby. “Do we?”

“No,” said Rabb. “I don’t. I saw what she did for Emily. She deliberately ensnared herself to keep my daughter safe. I am in her debt.”

I massaged my aching calf. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for your daughter.”

“For Emily,” Rabb said, emphasizing her name. “And I’m Rabb.” His tone was not the least bit hostile, and I looked up at him. Could he mean it and not just be sucking up to his leader?

“You may talk to my daughter,” Val spoke up. Her voice clearly held resentment, but also a grudging respect. “And if you knew me at all, you’d know what that meant.”

“I’m grateful,” I said, and I was. “I like Emily.” I looked over to the little blue dragon who still was having trouble with her wings. “I’m sorry you got hurt, sweetie.”

“I’ve always liked witches,” she said. “They fascinate me because they can do magic. I never thought I’d get to meet one, let alone be friends with one. I’m sorry if I made you mad coming here.” She looked up at her parents. “Mother, I can’t make my wings work.”

“Shift, and I’ll carry you home,” Rabb told her. “Can you shift?”

“I haven’t any clothes.” Dragons couldn’t blush either, but her tone expressed her acute dismay.

“I’ll get you some of mine,” Renata offered, and turned toward the cottage. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Mother watched Renata go then nudged Eileen, who followed.

I rubbed my sore calf muscle, almost sure I could stand. The pain had given the exchange between Balthasar and my grandmother a surreal quality. Now that the pain was lessening, reality charged back, and I blinked in confusion as I tried to process all the revelations. My grandmother had refused a dragon’s marriage proposal? Rabb had invited me to call him by name? My idiot sister had told Donovan that I loved him?

“Are you all right?” Donovan lowered his head to peer at me with his huge eyes. Up close, the scent of hot cinnamon blended with lavender to produce a soothing scent. “Can you walk?”

“How am I getting home? You didn’t bring the chair mount.”

“Don’t tell me you’ll carry her with those claws of hers.” Mother stalked over to glare at Donovan, as if he’d suggested burying me alive. “I’ll get Gerald’s wagon and we’ll drive her.”

“All the way up Zodiac Mountain?” I shook my head. “Mother, that won’t work.”

“Perhaps your husband can go fetch that contraption you sit on and bring it back,” Mother suggested, giving Donovan a pointed look. “I’d introduce myself as your mother-in-law, but apparently it’s rude to exchange names with dragons.”

She frowned at him. “I’ll tell you what’s rude, dragon. Ignoring your new in-laws. Nobody ever knows what to call them, so the name awkwardness is no excuse. Call me ugly old witch if you want, but at least acknowledge me, and show me that you care about my daughter.”

“No one could ever call you ugly or old,” Donovan said gallantly. If I interpreted his tone correctly, he might be either irritated or amused. “I have no problem addressing you as Mother, and you can call me Son, if you’d like.”

Mother’s lips quirked. “You have no problem calling me Mother, but you won’t call me Kelly? You think you can’t figure out witches, let me tell you witches have nothing on dragons.”

“I have no objections to calling you Kelly if you prefer that,” Donovan said, so cheerfully I knew he was biting back laughter.

“Son, next time we have one of our lovely conversations, perhaps you would be good enough to be in human form. And in pants at least, but preferably pants and a shirt. Shoes are optional.”

Donovan rumbled softly. Dragon laughter. “I think I can manage that.”

“See that you do.” Mother crouched beside me, her brow furrowed with concern. “How’s the leg? I can get you a spelled poultice to draw out the pain.”

“No.” I gave my calf one final rub. “I think it’s okay. Help me up?”

Mother stood and obligingly gave me a hand up. Standing helped stretch the knotted muscle, and most of the pain slid away.

Donovan nudged me with his snout. “Do you want me to go get—” More dragon laughter. “—that contraption you sit on?”

Every bit of my remaining strength drained out of me, leaving me feeling like a curiously empty shell. And near tears for no reason. Everything was all right. Everyone was safe, so why did I feel like I was falling apart? Delayed shock perhaps. Whatever it was, all I wanted was Donovan in human form with his arms wrapped around me.

“I just want to go home,” I said plaintively. “I trust you. You won’t drop me. Will I be too heavy to carry in your claws all the way?”

Donovan snorted. “If you didn’t look so forlorn and bedraggled, I’d be insulted right now. Too heavy? I’m a dragon not a house cat, Marley.”

“I’m sure it won’t take that long to get the chair thing,” Mother said, worry puckering the skin between her eyes. “In the meantime, you can come to the kitchen and have a nice cup of tea.”

I sighed, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I’m not afraid, Mother, and I really want to go home.”

“But this is...” she trailed off, a look of hopeless resignation dawning in her eyes.

“I guess it’s really true,” she mumbled, not looking at me. “You really do love this dragon, and this isn’t your home anymore. Don’t mind me. I’m just a mother feeling low because one of her chicks has flown the nest. You’ll find out someday when your child grows up and leaves you.” Her eyes glistened and she wiped them with the back of her hand. “It’s difficult.”

“Mother.” I embraced her, feeling like our roles had been reversed because I was the one comforting her. “This is still my home. A person can have more than one home. Just because I belong with Donovan on Zodiac Mountain doesn’t mean I’ll never come see you. He has guard duty every weekend. I can come spend Saturdays and Sundays with you and the rest of the coven. You’ll hardly have time to miss me, and I’ll be back again. You’ll see.”

She hugged me back, nodding her head.

Renata and Eileen returned with a dress and four blankets. Mother and I took two of them and we formed a makeshift dressing room for Emily.

When she’d donned Renata’s dress, which was two sizes too big and swam on her, her poor face and arms were covered in welts left by the magical net.

I looked at my own arms and saw the same welts, only fainter because I hadn’t been trapped for so long, nor had I struggled half as much.

Mother put her hand on Emily’s shoulder and gave her a smile. “Those welts will fade. They won’t scar. If they hurt, I have some ointment in the cottage. Would you like to come inside? Maybe have some tea as well?”

“Mother, may I?” Emily looked at Val, still in dragon form. Val grumbled low in her throat, but Rabb nodded his huge head.

“Go ahead, child. But no exchanging names. Not yet. And be sure to thank the witch for everything she gives you.”

Val added, “And don’t think I don’t recognize this as a delaying tactic to avoid discussing your egregious behavior today. Solo flight at your age!” She snorted violently.

Rabb turned his attention to Mother. “No magic, please. Just plain ointment. Dragons don’t much like magic.”

“I’m sure that’s our fault,” Mother said, more graciously than I could have imagined. “Perhaps, in time, your opinion on the subject will change.”

“Perhaps,” Rabb said, but without much enthusiasm.

“We’ll wait right here,” Val promised as Mother led Emily toward the cottage.

“You’ll wait twenty feet to the left if you don’t mind. And watch the untrampled lavender plants as you get your big feet out of my field. No sense in killing the rest of them,” Grandmother grumbled. Clucking her tongue, she surveyed the lavender. “Look at this travesty. Half the plants crushed to death. You dragons couldn’t have been a little less clumsy?”

I stiffened, waiting for Val and Rabb to explode in fury. Instead, they hastily moved to stand in the grass verge between the lavender and basil fields.

“Incredible,” I murmured, sure I must be dreaming.

“You, too,” Grandmother yelled at Donovan, making shooing gestures with the hand she wasn’t using to hang onto Eleanora to keep upright. “Just because you’re married to my granddaughter doesn’t give you special privileges.”

“At least not with her,” Donovan whispered as close to my ear as his big snout could get. Then he winked.

“You bad dragon,” I cried, swatting him. “You bring me home right now. I’ll show you special privileges!”

“I’m counting on it.” Donovan winked again.