Page 50 of Retrograde

Darren caught on to whatever else was going on and lifted me in his arms before I realized what was going on.

“I’m in shock, right?” I mumbled.

“Yes, you’ve overloaded… Everything,” Belinda muttered. “We need to get training and fast.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was glad when we didn’t go to Father’s study and went to a benign room without memories for me.

“Hello, young one. I’m Emre,” the gorgeous ancient medicinal dragon greeted when we were covered by Belinda’s magic. Her deep golden streaks stood out against her light gray hair.

“It’s really pretty,” I muttered, focused on her hair. “I’ve never seen it on an ancient.”

“Hello, Eloise,” Belinda greeted, knowing when my mystic dragon came out. “Are you well?”

“Missed you,” I said, Eloise basically speaking for me really. “Sagan too sad and upset. More going on than you know, but she’s being better to me. Want to fly.”

“Ohhhhh, Belinda, when you warned the queen was special you didn’t tell me one of a kind—” Emre started to say.

“Freak,” I rasped. “You’re upset I’m a freak.”

“You’re not a freak, Sagan,” Darren argued.

“Your uncle is right, child,” Emre whispered as she ran her fingers over my hair. “You’re a… I don’t think evolution is the right word when the gods give us our dragons. I don’t know what you are, but you are not a freak.”

“Special. Perfect,” Eloise said for me. “That’s what we are. Hungry too. Want more street food.”

Oh fuck.

Belinda chuckled. “Did you use your mystic persona to go to the night markets?”

“Never been, and Sagan doesn’t know her own city. Never gets normal or fun,” Eloise defended. “Lots of fun. Tiger promised more but too much bullshit. Still like tiger. She laughs at my dancing.”

“When have you been dancing for Myriam to see?” Darren worried.

“Third form. Myriam knows but not the truth of two dragons,” Eloise answered as Iris and I begged her to be quiet.

Bigmouth. Loveable bigmouth but… Bigmouth.

“I’ll explain,” Belinda said to Darren, which appeased him.

Emre basically scanned me using her power and seemed like she wanted to lecture me about not taking better care of myself. “I’m going to need safe gardens and a flora dragon to assist me. You said one of her lovers was a medicinal dragon? He should learn a thing or two on how to watch over her.”

“No, he’s not staying,” I argued, Eloise settling back down so I could handle this. “He couldn’t live at court. He’s too—he needspeace. He’s just helping me keep the others in line and be the standard they need to work for.”

“Damn, I really liked him for you,” Darren muttered.

“Don’t bust him. He’s really been beat up,” I mumbled. “And he’s really good to me. You’ve seen it.”

“It’s why I wanted you to end up with him.”

Emre checked me out and canceled the rest of my day. I could receive updates and give orders but like from bed rest. I talked her into the couch on my laptop and she said fine as long as I made people get me fun. My dragons needed more happy over stress and sad.

“I’ve been flying more,” I defended.

“I’m not chastising you, Your Majesty,” she said gently. “You know what’s been going on and of course our leader is stressed when handling more than any one person should. But you know this is from years of not doing what you should.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” I rasped, my lower lip quivering and I realized it was Eloise again.

“No, no, it wasn’t, child,” Belinda said gently. “But we’re here to help you now, okay? What can we do?”