Though we must rely on Ryns for our protection, we must never forget that every dragonling has the right and the ability to defend themselves. We must not grow lazy or weak.

This is Our Law.

~ From the Dragonling Grimoire

"How long did you two know?" The night had passed quietly, with Gvrilla bringing food as she had promised. Mako had yet to make a reappearance and so I was left with Dmitri and Alek to stew over everything. Morning had come, and I was curled up with Dmitri on the pile of furs while Alek was seated at the desk, going over the records from yesterday.

"I've suspected for a long time." Alek replied, pushing up his glasses as they started to slide off his nose. "Cedric only confirmed it for me. Don't," he added, glancing over at me, "give me that look. Should I have gotten your hopes up for something that I didn't even know was true?"

"Yes!" I replied vehemently. "I would have wanted to know something that important so-"

"So that you could do something incredibly rash that could have landed all of us either dead or in exile?" Alek asked with a hard edge to his voice.

I opened my mouth, but shut it again sullenly. Alek was right. I probably would have tried to start a fight. And after all that effort in trying to fit in too... well, at least up until I attacked Lilith. I should probably apologize for that.

"As it stands," Dmitri continued on, "it doesn't matter. We need to figure out where to go from here."

Fear twisted in my chest as I thought about going back. Now that I knew what was happening to other Ryns like me... how lucky was I to escape? Was the queen hoping I'd die on the front lines? Who was watching me while we were fighting? Could one of my squadron members have been on her side the entire time?

"Anita?" Dmitri gently shook me and I realized I must have missed what he said next. He sighed and repeated it slowly. "Do you think your sister knows? Could she be in danger?"

Sister? I stared at Dmitri blankly. I had always been an only draggy. No clutchmates or- Clara!

My heart seized as I thought of Clara. I hadn't even bothered to write her the entire time I was gone... and now she might have strayed into the line of fire because of me. No, we weren't close, not by a long shot. I hadn't liked her enthusiasm or her excitability, but, now that I was looking back, I missed it.

"I don't know." I finally choked out. "Could... could I write to her? The mail Inas arrive daily."

"You have plenty of paper." Alek said, regarding me with curiosity. "But I thought you didn't-"

"I miss her." I blurted out suddenly, not quite sure where the sentiment came from. Yet, yes, I did know. Her chattiness and optimism, even after my eggs had been shattered, I had found it annoying. But now? I needed that in my life. I needed someone to tell me that everything would be alright. I needed someone to comfort me and keep the silence away with idle chatter. I needed... family.

Dmitri looked at me as if I had fallen from the moon. "Anita, I thought she annoyed you."

I crossed my arms, feeling embarrassed under the intense gazes of both my mates. "There's just something about her that I miss." I mumbled quietly. "It's not the same without her."

Dmitri looked like he was about to ask more questions, but Alek stood up and put on his overcoat. "Come on, you big oaf." He said briskly. "Let's go shopping for things we'll need and leave Anita in peace."

"But-"

Alek cut Dmitri off by throwing one of the nearby scrolls. It bounced off my mate's head, leaving him looking stunned and furious at the same time. With a small growl, he lunged up at Alek, who just sidestepped him and ran out of the room. Dmitri chased after him, the ice door sliding shut behind them with a dull click.

I gaped after the two, stunned into silence. What the hell was that?

Bell-like chirping dragged my gaze away from the door. Mishal had woken up and was perching on the brazier, liquid ebony eyes watching me intently. He chirped again before leaping over to the desk and pulling out a scroll with his talons. "Alright, alright." I muttered, shuffling to my feet. "Weren't you asleep when I asked about the letters?"

Mishal just chirped and flapped his wings.

I settled on the wooden chair and pulled up the ink pot. Mishal plucked one of his shoulder feathers and handed it over as a quill. "Thanks." Absently stroking the phoenix's back, I stared down at the blank scroll and debated on what I was going to say. What could I say? 'Hey sis, sorry for being a total bitch for most of the time we knew each other!'

Before I knew it, I began writing about everything that had happened since I left. Tears pricked at my eyes as I recalled Lilith and Barry, Alek, the war, Liza and the Kestreldive colony. And then I paused as I thought of Uncle Cedric. Did Clara know about him? Would she want to meet him? I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath as I finished her letter, skipping over the parts about the conspiracy with the Court. No need to get her involved. Reading over it, I cringed at the haphazard organization... but it was mine. Something I had written just for my sister.

I felt proud of it.

Without hesitation, I began a new letter, this one addressed to Liza. The words spilled out from my quill unbidden, appearing in the ink before my eyes. I hardly knew what I wrote, but it was at least more organized than Clara's - probably because it was a lot shorter. Most of it talked about meeting Gvrila and Cedric, but I made sure to ask her about how her astrology was doing and if she would visit for the summer festival.

I moved on to the next letter immediately, already picturing Jordan's face as I wrote. His messy hair and shining eyes, with that silly little grin as he read my letter asking how Phoenix was and if he liked his new professor. The words came faster for him than the others - I really did miss him, nervous laugh and all.

As I signed my name, I felt something missing. Someone missing. Jack. I remembered my promise to write to him before Dmitri and I had left. But I never had.

"I'm a shitty friend." I mumbled, pulling a fourth scroll out. Mishal churred quietly from his place on the corner of the desk.

Drumming my fingers against the wood, I tried to imagine what I would say. As sad as it was, Jack, who had pretty much been my only friend at Edgar's estate, was a total mystery to me. I could remember nothing about him aside from his dazzling green scales and languid attitude.

Damn. I soldiered through Jack's letter anyways, telling him about the war and how I ended up at the Iciclecrash colony. Just as I was ending with an apology, the door slid open and Dmitri and Alek walked in, arms full of groceries and bickering as loudly as possible.

"You're back already?" I asked, blowing a puff of smoky air onto the ink to dry it.

Dmitri snorted as he dropped the bags beside me. They were full of food. "We've been gone for almost an hour and a half now."

"Too distracted?" Alek asked, picking up my letter to Clara. He frowned. "You spelled my name wrong. There's a 'k,' not an 'x.'"

I snatched the scroll back and rolled it up, tying it with a string. "How was I supposed to know?"

"You were in my class for almost an entire-"

Heavy knocking stopped Alek mid-sentence. All three of us turned to the door as it slid open and Mako's grinning head popped in. "Ani, you won't believe this."

"You've turned straight and have come to profess your love for me?"

"Not even close, but thanks for trying." Mako sauntered in and flung his arm around my shoulder. "The royals have started to show up and there has to be a god out there watching over me because some of the fyns decided to drop their shirts and spar off. Let's go see."

"Honey, I have mates who'd likely lose their heads if I went to watch some hot, sweaty fyns fighting- actually, good plan. Let's go."

Dmitri cleared his throat. "We're right here, Ani." There was a low edge to his voice, but I waved my hand dismissively.

"Dmitri, two of you is enough. I was joking."

"But Ani!" Mako said dramatically, hugging me to his chest. "It'd be just like old times! On the prowl for young fyns, just you and me!"

To my utmost surprise, Alek was the one that spoke up next. "Why not?" I turned to him to make sure he wasn't having a stroke or something, but he was just sitting at the desk and flipping through the records Cedric had delivered yesterday. "Ani can control herself, right? We have to trust her at some point."

Dmitri looked stunned and I had to admit I felt the same. What was with the sudden change of heart?

Mako decided to strike while the iron was hot and grabbed my shoulders, practically hauling me out of the room before Alek could change his mind. "Come on, hurry up!" He said, pulling me by my wrist through the crowds. "I don't want them to get tired before we get there!"

"I'm sure they'll still be there, Mako!" I said, trying to keep my footing. "Slow down or I'll fall, and I'll drag your ass with me."

Mako sighed dramatically and let go of me, putting his hands on his hips. The crowd parted around us, a couple of dragonlings muttering angrily at the delay. "Ani, it's like those two have completely ruined your sense of... you know!" He pouted and waved his hand around like he was grasping for a word. "You're not you anymore! My mate didn't change me, you know."

"Your mate has a wife that she's very happy with." I said, copying Mako's stance in defiance. "Your mate doesn't expect you to love her."

"I love Tanya." Mako snorted. "Just... you know. The same way I love you. It's not my fault that I'm not attracted to her the same way you're attracted to Dmitri and Alek."

"She also doesn't look as good as them." I couldn't help adding, letting a grin slip.

Mako cracked up and slung his arm around my shoulders again. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll string you up by your ankles off the side of the glacier."

"Isn't Tanya in the south?" I asked, pushing my way through the crowd as best I could with Mako hanging off of me.

"Yeah. Annabelle's draggies just hatched and Tanya is guarding them as if she's the father herself." He shuddered. "They're quite the handful. Eighteen of them."

"If I ever have that many, do me a favor and throw me off a cliff."

"With your wings tied." Mako agreed solemnly. He paused at one of the food stalls selling roasted rabbit on a stick. The smell was delicious. "Ani, do you at least still have your appetite?"

I glanced at the stall before grinning up at my friend. "I'm always hungry if someone else is paying."

Mako snorted and patted my head. "There's the Anita I know and love." He turned to the stall's merchant with a smile as he pulled his coin purse from his pocket. "Two, please."

After we got our food, Mako was content to walk slower, admiring the bustle of the city. "It's never this crowded." He said, nibbling on the meat. "So much life! So many people!"

"So many possible thieves." I replied, sidestepping a couple of arguing wyks. My meat was already gone, devoured in a couple of hungry bites, but the delicious taste still lingered in my mouth.

"You're always ruining my fun." Mako sniffed. "Other dragonlings are good for the soul, Anita."

Before I could answer, a commotion exploded beside us. A fyn had accidentally collapsed a vendor's stall, sending spices and herbs flying everywhere. The vendor had begun arguing with the fyn over who was at fault, and, by the looks of it, they were close to blows.

Mako looked as if he wa about to step in, but another Lira beat him to it.

A lean, regal-looking fyn with auburn hair and piercing golden eyes stepped between them. He was wearing a cloak with the Watercress coat of arms, flowering watercress, emblazoned on the back. The annoyed look on his face made my skin crawl. "Jared," he said in a sharp, commanding voice to the fyn, "I'll deal with you later." He turned to the vendor, brandishing a smile that changed his face completely. It was as if the irritation had never been there and he was nothing but kind.

"My apologies, ma'am." Even the fyn's voice had changed; from a commander's voice who would accept nothing but obedience to a young lord with all the manners in the world. "I will make sure you get your money for all the wasted goods, as well as a new stall." The vendor stumbled over herself in thanking him, but he just patted her shoulder with a smile. "No, it's fine. It was my guard who did it, so it's my responsibility."

I watched, dumbfounded, as the fyn and his guard walked off. A young Ina with the Watercress symbol on her vest stayed behind, talking with the vendor.

"Who...?"

Mako's face lit up. "You don't know?" He said excitedly. "That was the young King Ray."

King Ray... I suddenly remembered my conversation with Jack a lifetime ago. 'He sounds brutal.' My skin crawled again, remembering how fast the fyn's face had changed. Which was the real one?

"Ani, let's go!" Mako grabbed my arm and started dragging me off. "He's one of the ones who's gonna be sparring. I'd love to see him all sweaty." He whisked me to the far end of the ice cavern, hot on the heels of the Watercress king.

"Mako," I hissed, "don't you know-"

I was cut off by the sight of a massive sparring ring that had been set up in the furthest corner of the cavern. Whoa. Racks of weapons, from swords to staffs, were set up in a large haphazard circle where dragonlings were sparring off. Some of them used the weapons while others opted to just use their fists. Beyond the ring of weapon racks, dragonlings in their beast forms were wrestling on the ice while their cohorts cheered them on. The dragonlings were mostly Ryns, but several Liras and Moras were among the ranks. I could even see a few Inas fighting just as fiercely as any Ryn.

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

Mako had the biggest grin on his face. "See? It's awesome. Go on and join them. I'll be watching." He practically sprinted over to the other bystanders, getting awfully close to one of the fyns, who began blushing furiously at whatever Mako was telling him. Typical.

My hand drifted to the belt of my tunic, only to realize that I had forgotten to grab it before I left my room. "Damn." I'd have to use one of the weapons offered here. After a moment of hesitation, I walked into the ring and selected a sturdy staff of polished oak. A few Ryns drifted over to chat and I found myself absorbed into talk about the best way to immobilize someone without lethal force. You know, normal conversation.

A snarl from above caught my attention. Breaking from the group, I looked up to see a Lira and Ryn engaged in aerial combat. The Ryn was much larger, an older, battle-scarred wyk, but the Lira was lean and swift, with some of his own scars. How odd. I'd never seen a Lira with scars before.

I'd also never seen one fight so well. The fyn dodged the Ryn's relentless attacks, sometimes just barely, while parrying with his tail and managing to get in a few blows of his own. Without warning, the fyn just disappeared! My heart skipped a beat as I tried to process what just happened. The wyk seemed to be having similar troubles. She roared and lashed out fiercely, but was suddenly knocked out of the air.

In an instant I realized what the Lira had done. How clever! I'd always thought a Lira's color-changing ability would be useful camouflage, but I never considered that it would be such a useful battle tactic.

Roars of approval erupted from the watching crowds as the Lira reappeared, his scales burning a celebratory crimson. He landed gracefully beside the Ryn and helped her to her paws. They both shifted in bursts of light, before the Ryn left to walk off her injuries.

My enthusiasm dimmed slightly when I realized the Lira had been none other than King Ray. The Lira was smiling and laughing with some of the other fighters that had come up to talk with him, but I had to wonder - was it a mask, like the one he was using with the spice merchant? The smile he wore seemed artificial, like it was practiced.

To my horror, the king's sharp golden gaze met mine. He looked faintly surprised, but made his way over anyways. My heart stumbled over itself as I stood straighter. Those eyes bore a striking resemblance to Queen Dominique's, both in color and intensity.

"You fight with a staff?" The Lira asked once he reached me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as he appraised me unabashedly. He sounds brutal. The words I had said so long ago now repeated in my head like a mantra.

My grip suddenly tightened on my weapon, forgetting for a brief moment that it was there. "No." I choked out after a moment. "My weapon is generally a sword, but I left it in my room this morning. I thought this would be a, ah, nice change of pace."

King Ray smiled at me and I distantly noticed his canine teeth were sharp, like a vampire's. Don't be stupid. I scolded myself. You saw him fight as a dragonling. He's one of us. Still. Something about his eyes made me uneasy.

"Ah, well then. Let's spar." The fyn walked to the nearest rack and selected a staff, weighing it briefly in his hands. "Most Ryns I've met usually use... heavier weapons. The staff is my personal favorite, though." He turned back to me and held out his hand, the unnatural smile still on his face. "Good luck."

As I took the Lira's hand, electricity raced up my arm from where our skin made contact. My heart began pounding as I jerked away from him, stumbling back a few steps. He looked just as stunned as I felt, the practiced smile falling away from his face as leaving utter disbelief. He looks better this way. I thought distantly as I dropped the staff, then I turned and ran as fast as I could.

Away from the ring, King Ray, and the Mate Spark that had just happened.