Page 41 of The Teacup Dragon Sanctuary

‘Not just the dragons. It’s a universal remedy. That’s what Art called it. Anyone could use it. It’s exactly what Milo and I were searching for. I’ll need to send him samples as well and – get those vials over there for me, will you? And a funnel? There’s almost a pint left and at most we’re looking at a tablespoon per dragon – less if Jade is anything to go by. I won’t have to make more yet. We need to get to work on treating them right away. Their situation is dire. I should even have some left to send to Milo so he can compare samples when he makes it. It has to be replicable. I’ll get to work on a second batch once we’re done.’

What could he do but obey? He couldn’t stop her and he wasn’t about to leave her alone for a second in case she had some kind of adverse reaction. He didn’t know what to do. Besides, she was right. They needed to treat the dragons straight away. That was the reason for all of this to begin with. With their condition deteriorating at an exponential rate, their lives were at stake.

Thankfully that was when August arrived. ‘Portia? What happened?’

She whirled around on her brother, eyes shining. ‘You felt it too? Tell me!’

He took a step back, almost colliding with the slender man behind him, carrying a lute and a look of surprise on his handsome face.

‘I felt something,’ he said. ‘So did Weir. We came as soon as… what are you doing?’

Nothing for it. He was going to have to turn her in. Maybe August could exert some kind of control.

‘She drank some of the elixir,’ Noah said. ‘I think it’s affecting her.’ Portia waved a dismissive hand at him and turned back to her work.

August huffed out a laugh. ‘Not that I can see. This is Portia when one of her experiments comes right. Perfectly normal. You get used to it. She’s always been like this. Weir, will you go and find my great-aunt? Tell the others we have a cure.’

His friend just nodded, gave Noah a helpless look, and left them to it. So at least Noah wasn’t the only one taken aback at her joy. Perfectly normal. For a Starling perhaps.

‘Vials,’ Portia snapped and Noah moved without thinking, handing her the equipment she wanted so she could decant the doses for the ailing flight of dragons.

‘I’ll go and see to the snuggery,’ Noah said, desperate to get away now. She was a whirlwind of action, afire with the joy of her work, and it was intoxicating. He wasn’t able to think straight around her. All he wanted to do was pull her back into his arms and kiss her again. And he couldn’t. Especially not with her brother watching them. August had that sense about him that he noticed far more than anyone else and right now, Noah wasn’t sure he wanted to be the subject of that scrutiny.

‘I’ll be up in a minute,’ she called out after him. ‘We’ll start with the sickest of the dragons. Will you gather them all together? It won’t take long once I have everything measured out.’

More frantic notes followed while Jade flew to August this time and showered him with affection. Noah headed for the door. Thankfully August didn’t seem to notice his hasty retreat.

‘You’re definitely feeling better,’ August told the little dragon gruffly, his voice gentling with pleasure. ‘Look at you. This is marvellous work, Portia. How much did you give her?’

‘She helped herself,’ Portia muttered. ‘You know what she’s like when she wants something.’

‘She’s not the only one,’ her brother told her slyly. Noah froze in the hall beyond the door, unable to avoid hearing the implication. He wasn’t far enough away to miss the rest of it either. ‘Portia Starling, whatever did you do to the poor man?’

16

Administering the elixir to the rest of the flight of teacup dragons was a far more careful affair, much to Noah’s obvious relief. Portia used a pipette to measure out the tiniest doses, one at a time, taking into account the dragon’s weight and build, a process which he and Iris supervised silently. Portia didn’t mention what had happened in her workroom and neither did he, but she was aware of August watching them both with a speculative gaze. Portia struggled to school her face to innocence. Nonetheless, she couldn’t stop herself stealing glances at the vet, and every time she did a warm flush coloured his cheeks.

The Universal Restorative elixir worked even more effectively than they could have hoped. The magical connections all the tiny dragons had with the world around them slid back into place, and were stronger than ever. Seb had slowly lowered the protective magic he’d tried to weave around the room as the threat to the dragons faded and they regained their own abilities.

‘It’s remarkable,’ her younger brother said, gazing up at the flight.

Portia herself was still on a high with her success. She couldn’t help it. ‘It’s groundbreaking. Wait until the Academy hears about this. They’re going to have to eat their words now, every last one of them. It’s exactly what Milo and I have been arguing for months. Now I have proof and a repeatable process. You wait, this will change everything.’

She’d be able to go back to the Academy. They would have to take her back now.

‘I wouldn’t bet on that,’ Seb told her solemnly. ‘Once they’ve made their minds up about something they don’t tend to change it. Be careful what you put in writing, Portia. I know you trust Milo but⁠—’

She rounded on him.

‘Why wouldn’t I trust Milo?’

‘I just mean… Academy politics do tend to get in the way. And there are secrets in that book⁠—’

‘I know,’ she said, delighted with the thought of it. So many secrets. Who knew what Uncle Art had squirreled away in there? It was a treasure trove. ‘We can use it, Seb. Think of the breakthroughs we can make. Art was a genius. With that book we can change the whole face of thaumaturgical studies, not to mention the study of⁠—’

‘No.’

Just that one word. Seb’s gentle and easy-going nature seemed to have fled in an instant.