Page 80 of To Fight and To Fold

As if Starspark understood her, he nudged into them both and closed his eyes.

"Aaryn," Thea breathed. "Holy scale, is he pretending to sleep?"

Amusement tickled her and she could've melted into a puddle at her affection. She turned big, round eyes up at Thea.

Her cheeks darkened and she looked away quickly. "I think that's answer enough," Thea said, motioning to the dragon. "Tonight we can stay here."

Starspark blinked out of his fake sleep, turning round eyes on Thea just like Aaryn had. "A—and tomorrow we can figure out the rest. I have to stay with you, like Vaelen said," she added.

Relief flowed through Aaryn and she patted Starspark. "I don't think you'll mind a sleepover, right?"

He huffed in agreement, and Aaryn's heart burst with love for him. Great scales, she'd missed him so much, and she placed an aggressive kiss on his snout. She just wanted to gobble him up.

Which was laughable, considering how large he was. Which was still not as big as Vaelen’s dragon had been. How did he get to be that size?

"But I can groom him whenever? Come visit whenever I want?"

Thea nodded, and waved a hand around. "The small cottages around here, those belong to the Awakened. They live on this isle to be closer to their dragons."

"Awakened?" Aaryn asked.

"They're like… our version of a Tethered," Thea explained.

Aaryn wondered how they differed. In fact, she had about a hundred questions, more spawning with each moment she spent here. But right now, Starspark was nuzzling into her hand, bright eyes locked on her as if he couldn't believe she was real. She felt much the same.

"Look at your eyes," she murmured, and squinted up at him. Since he'd been without grooming, the crusty bits that gathered at the corners were out of control. "You couldn't even groom yourself?"

She'd have to take care of him as soon as possible. Did they have brushes and gloves like the Tethered used?

"Is Carissa here?" she asked, glancing around for a familiar dragon.

Thea’s answering hum slid into a, "Yes? But no. She's honeymooning with Rolim."

So she was safe. Their dragons were safe. Cared for. Loved.

She'd spent a heart's beat here and already she wondered what Evergale found so threatening about the druids. Was it all an act? Were they hiding something?

What was Vaelen doing up here? The first Tethered to ever go missing… was right here. An archdruid.

Prince Jarrick would lose his mind if he found out.

Suddenly Aaryn wanted to know the whole story. How Vaelen went missing, what had happened to her, how she'd ended up here. And what had happened to Astrid? Had she truly chased after Vaelen? How had she ended up dead? Who killed her? Aaryn had questions, and Vaelen likely had all the answers. But should Aaryn trust them so wholeheartedly so soon?

Did it even matter anymore? Aaryn would never be returning to Evergale. Not when Starspark was right here.

She'd chosen her side.

The thought felt very final, and sudden exhaustion swamped her. She supposed leaving behind one’s whole life and running away to a druid's circle would do that to a person.

She was content to rest against Starpark, to have a sleepover under the stars. Something she'd never been able to do before, not when the dragons were expected to sleep in their caves, and the Tethered in their tower.

But her corset kept her stiff, and she glanced down at the flowing, sparkling fabric.

"I didn't even think to bring anything with me," she said. It only just occurred to her.

She had no clothes. No belongings.

Thea just shrugged while the reality of her situation landed hard. "You wouldn't be the first. Tomorrow we can go to the seamstresses and see what bits and bobs they have. For now, I probably have something you can wear. I live on a different part of the circle," she explained.