Page 246 of The Reckoning of Starlight

The dragon hissed. “That is all I require of you.”

Serenna frowned. “You don’t want half as Stormstrikes?”

Five eggs already bore the faint trace of the Zephyrfang wind, leaving two eggs still Unbound.

Skylash lowered her head until one enormous eye filled Serenna’s view. “Send for the Bramblemaw’s scalebound.”

Serenna rose to her feet. “You want Jassyn to turn them?”

“Veyrix insisted that two from every clutch should carry earth for balance. I found no reason to object for now. We can raise them with wind and storm.” Skylash curled one wing claw around the three Stormstrike eggs and dragged them back against her belly. “Fire will multiply well enough without our aid. In time, if the Tidecrasher wishes for more whelps, we may leave two for the sea as well.”

In the Maw, Skylash had demanded every Unbound egg with her be made Stormstrike. Now she sheltered two of her own whose blood would carry earth instead. Blossom might never choose a mate or lay a clutch, yet earth would endure.

Serenna stared up at her. “You’ve grown sentimental.”

“I’ve grown weary of your presence.”

Serenna scoffed. Even Sharyne lied better than that.

Skylash had been summoning her more and more, using an especially obnoxious tactic—invading her dreams.

Sometimes lightning cleaved her sleep apart until Skylash’s voice thundered through her skull. More often, clouds blackened overhead and the dragon descended through them, jaws opening wide enough to swallow Serenna whole. She’d wake with her pulse hammering, static crawling over her skin, and Skylash’s demand already lodged behind her eyes.

At first, Serenna had assumed such a summons meant catastrophe.

Until she found Skylash limping on one rear leg with a thorn lodged under a talon, well within reach of the dragon’s own fangs. Another dream had dragged Serenna across the Aetherveil because a half-shed scale along Skylash’s spine had required immediate extraction.

Once these visits had become nearly weekly, Serenna understood Skylash would never simply ask for her company. Not when every invitation could be disguised as an emergency instead.

So Serenna made room, shifting her Starshard research at Centarya. Another instructor took her place at the flight trials when Skylash’s demands ran too long, and luncheons with her family in Vaelyn moved to different afternoon.

Serenna planted her hands on her hips. “You know, this would be easier if you had another druid. Veyrix has managed considerably better.”

“Veyrix lacks discernment.”

“Apparently. He chose you.”

Lightning cracked between Skylash’s fangs.

Serenna lifted both hands. “Fine. But you should consider at least one more.”

“No.”

“Someone to polish your scales?”

“No.”

“Remove rib bones from the hatchlings’ teeth?”

“I have you to do it.”

The answer came too quickly, and Serenna smothered a smile before Skylash could decide to strike her for it. “Then does my Warden require any further services?”

Skylash regarded her through squinted eyes. “You may depart.”

“How gracious.” Serenna picked her way to the cavern mouth. “I’m already late for the flight trials.”

“Then you should hurry.”