Page 64 of Dewpoint
“He loved her, Belinda.” I held her off. “I have so many issues with what Rhys and Amelia did. It’s worse than you or I know, and my soul breaks for the struggles Sagan suffers. Some she won’t even tell me because she worries about my memories and love for my brother, but—he loved her.”
She was quiet as she fixed our tea and then sat back in her chair. “Maybe. You knew him better, but I cannot see it. I could maybe forgive some of what he did because of how he was raised and the fact he didn’t know love either. But Amelia? She wasn’t a royal or trained as you were. She picked her mate over her child time and time again. That’s unforgivable.”
I swallowed loudly. “I don’t have children, so I cannot know that bond.”
She simply raised an eyebrow at me, obviously knowing I was trying to get information. I sighed. “I’m saying unless you have them, I’m not sure you can judge it either. I’m not on a fishing expedition here, Belinda.”
“No, but you are on an expedition,” she muttered as she studied me. Then she did a double take. “I never thought you would ask such insanity of me.”
I froze in lifting my tea up and studied her. “Then what did you think I came here for? Why would I search for you if not to ask you come be Sagan’s advisor and help her?”
She licked her lips and set down her drink. She was patient and didn’t even fidget with her hair as I struggled not to even after so many years in the spotlight and training. I did well mostly, but when someone as old and powerful as her stared at me like that, it was as if she was staring right into my soul.
So instead, I listened to my training and focused on her almost-white hair with the pretty violet streaks. She had most of them well hidden in braids, but there were glimpses of them peeking out when I looked.
“Why do you think I stopped working with Sagan? What were you told?”
Oh boy. What lies had I been told now? What rabbit hole was I about to jump into that I’d not known about?
“Sagan became too close and attached to you,” I answered when it was clear that she wouldn’t move on without hearingthe truth from me. “That she actually called you ‘Mother’ and you were allowing her to become too soft, babying her, and that wasn’t…” I glanced around when I saw cracks forming in the walls.
That was the only indicator Belinda was upset, and it had to be bad because she was always in control. She was ancient but clearly beyond powerful.
“What really happened?”
She let out a slow breath and instantly the damage was gone like it had never happened. “She didn’t call me ‘Mother.’ She wasn’t a baby and knew—Who told you that?”
“Rhys.” I thought back to the conversation. “He might not have said it exactly like that.” I frowned and then blew out a harsh breath. “No, she wanted you to be her mother—adopt her? I can’t remember what exactly he said. He was beyond upset and Amelia was crushed. I was mad atthemand—”
“They should have been her parents instead of her king and queen,” Belinda snapped, her power in her voice.
“Yes.” The coldness in my tone made her calm, understanding I was an ally. “Fraser and I—Darren too absolutely agree. We are crushed she had no clue how proud of her they were.”
Belinda snorted.
“All they did was brag about her. I heard it constantly that—”
“You never saw them perform before?” she drawled, snorting when I frowned. “I saw the truth.Sagansaw the truth and they were disgusted their child was different. They were horrified she was a freak with two dragons, Maple. I was dismissed and almost banished from Thovudin because I was teaching Sagan to control and use her mystic dragon’s abilities.
“They wanted me to suppress her dragon. They thought an ancient, powerful mystic dragon would know how to make it godormantso they could have a normal fire dragon daughter.They didn’t even try to figure out which dragon was stronger or she should be. They wanted a fire dragon because that would be easier for the royal family.
“For the future of Thovudin. A mystic dragon has never ruled, and we’re still seen with too much—envy. Call it whatever others do, but they’re envious of our power. We all have powers and abilities as dragons, but we’re the only ones with magic. We’re the rare few when even the ‘rare’ dragons aren’t that rare.”
I nodded. People could say they were skeptical or hesitant—a list of all kinds of bullshit. They were jealous. Even I’d fallen into the pit of being jealous at times when I saw how cool the abilities of a mystic dragon were.
Sagan could change herappearance. That was amazing and yeah, I wanted to be able to do that no matter how much I loved and valued my dragon.
“Who told you about her struggles?” Belinda asked.
I was going to push back and demand more about what really happened, but she was staring at me funny again, obviously seeing something. I sighed and thought back to my confrontation with Myriam Metcalf.
“Sagan met a tiger in her schooling. A mob boss’s daughter of all things. Whatever is going on that Sagan won’t discuss with us, it’s bad enough she called that woman in for help.”
“You learned something that worries you,” she guided.
I let out a long breath. “I was. Iamworried what people will say about her being Sagan’s aide when they are done going through the list they’re already criticizing her about.” I nodded when Belinda snorted. The media and sexist people of the nation would always find more. “But I’m not worried about Myriam’s loyalty. Not anymore.
“She—she knows Sagan is different. Not that she has two dragons, but she thinks—she knows Sagan can change her dragon to purple. The impression I have is that she thinks Saganis truly a mystic dragon and can hide as a fire dragon because of that power. I don’t know. It’s—her mind is sharp and she took the debt seriously.”
