Page 26 of Beaux and Dragons

“We’ll bring Natalia a souvenir.” Ana stepped into the arena in front of Emilio, Celestia, and the yellow dragon—who she could not remember his name. “Believe me, Natalia would chastise you for missing out on an opportunity like this one.”

Lucia’s shoulders caved in on herself beneath the attention of the two dragons. “I’ve never ridden atop,” she dropped her voice low, “a beast.”

Emilio said, “You can ride with me atop Chispas.”

“Oh no! I could never.” Lucia giggled and whipped out a fan from her wrist. “I’m sure you would keep me safe, but I could never ride with anyone but my husband.”

“He’s a dragon rider too?” Emilio cocked his head to the side.

Lucia’s giggles turned into a cackle and snort. “He always says he’s not crazy enough to trust his life to a sky demon.” As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she bit on her bottom lip and glanced over at Ana. Everyone who lived near the Montenegro Estate had seen Ana gliding through the air atop Celestia.

Ana placed the suitcases into a rough bag and handed the rope to Emilio. “You and I are going to ride Celestia and Emilio will take our luggage. Does that sound more appropriate to you?”

Lucia fanned herself all the more. “Does this mean we’ll get more time shopping?”

As Ana had imagined, Lucia screamed the entirety of the trip over the outskirts of Lourdes, over the straight, and above the towns on the Isle of Peris until Emilio’s dragon landed in a field outside a sleepy town. Afternoon sun coated the lush grasses and verdant trees with its peace. The cobblestone streets wound through the solid structures, all clustered together into a well-established village. Though many eyes drifted toward the visitors with moderate curiosity from their vending and errands, they quickly turned to other tasks as soon as the riders slid off their dragons’ backs.

“Go on ahead.” Emilio pointed up the main thoroughfare path. “There’s a pink inn at the end of the road with a white gate. Give them mybenefactor’s name, and they will treat you well.” He collected the luggage and set them on the road.

Lucia clung to Ana’s elbow, still trembling from the whole ordeal. “Who’s his benefactor?”

Ana whispered, “Señor Federico Vega Perez.”

“The stable boy?” Lucia asked loudly.

Though Ana could have crawled in a hole in that very moment, Emilio laughed through his racer mask. “The very one. I’ll be back.” He mounted Chispas and whistled to Celestia.

The dragon cocked her head and eyed Ana and Emilio again; Celestia’s face pinched in confusion.

Emilio’s dragon leaped into the air, taking off before Ana comprehended that he was gone. Celestia followed.

“Was this part of the plan?” Lucia asked.

Ana bit her bottom lip, not wanting to admit that she hadn’t a clue if they were stranded or if Emilio would return soon with their luggage. “I suppose we should find the inn.”

“You didn’t answer the question.” Panic stirred in Lucia’s shrieking tone.

“Of course he will return.”

Lucia crossed in front of Ana’s path with flailing arms and a beseeching tone. “Federico may have come into money, but that doesn’t mean he hadn’t been bitter towardyou since your rejection at your birthday. This could be his form of revenge on you for his heartbreak. Why do you suppose he ignored you for most of our trip? Why would you trust him?” Lucia clasped each side of Ana’s face, forcing her sister to stare at her crazed expression, exaggerated by bulging eyes, high eyebrows, and a severe frown. “We’ve been duped.”

Chapter nineteen

The Day

Ana couldn’t calm Lucia so she chose instead to obey Emilio’s command to go to the inn at the end of the road.

“This is ludicrous!” Lucia didn’t bother acknowledging the townspeople strolling on their daily tasks along the roadside. “What if he chooses to leave us here as some cruel joke? I should never have agreed to this trip with you. I should have refused the instant I found out we were traveling by beast.”

Tears swelled in Ana’s eyes, but she refused to let the sting of defeat slide down her cheeks. Ana had always been a mostly obedient daughter, with one weakness: Celestia and riding through the skies. Her first true rebellion had provena complete disaster. Yet the moment she saw the pink inn at the end of the path, she turned into the establishment without a glance back at Lucia.

Ana marched up to a skinny old man behind a counter who she took for being the innkeeper. “Good day, sir. She and I are here for a room on Federico Vega’s account.”

“Señor Vega!” The older man chuckled under his breath and patted his sleek white hairs back from his forehead. “Where is he? Is he racing again?”

An assault of thoughts clogged Ana’s mind.Racing again? Federico had never been part of the Santolaria races. He’d been an airman in the military who’d run into pirates and merfolk.

She shook her head in response to the innkeeper. “No, he sent his stableman, Emilio.”