Page 86 of To Fight and To Fold

"That's why you said we weren't safe there. Because if they would do that to a dragon, who they're supposed to protect—" Aaryn's voice choked off.

Thea had wanted Aaryn to know the truth for so long, to rip back Evergale's curtain. Now that it was happening, Thea wished she could spare her the pain of that knowing. "I'm sorry," she offered, though it wasn't her place to apologize for the evil of others. It just felt right to say.

"What else did they do? What did they put you through?" Aaryn asked, voice tight as she stared up at Starspark. "Did they hurt you when they took you away?"

"It's doubtful," Thea said, at least offering this much comfort. "You would have noticed wounds, since you were in charge of his care. They knew better."

"What about when he was away for days? They heal fast. Would I have missed something so awful?"

"He was apart from you, so they wouldn't have risked the tentative hold they had on his attention. If they'd hurt him, he would've fled and abandoned his rider to find you. Likely it was just the once."

"Once is bad enough," she said, staring down at her own hand, and squeezing it into a fist.

"If that's what his… brand—" She grit the word. "—is for, I almost hate to ask what mine does."

She hesitated, and let the silence grow.

Thea was a coward. She didn't want to be the one to tear Aaryn's world apart.

"I think I'll leave that to Vaelen," Thea said.

Aaryn looked up. It was almost dawn, but the sky was still dark. "I'll wait, then."

Thea could have told her that Vaelen was likely already awake—the woman hardly slept. But she kept it to herself, because Aaryn was sitting down beside Starspark again.

"Sorry for startling you. You should sleep."

"Implying that you won't?" Thea presumed.

She tilted her head, smiling wistfully. "Probably not."

"Then I won't either," Thea said, and plopped down next to her. It was quiet for a moment, but it wasn't filled with waiting or expectation. Instead, the wind blew through the trees softly, and the crickets chirped around them.

"You know, it’s funny—I wondered why the moon had looked so big in my visions. But I guess being this close to it really makes a difference."

Skies above. How often had Thea sat out beneath the same moon and lamented to Starspark about missing Aaryn? About getting her back? How much had she overheard?

Aaryn shuffled against Starspark for a minute, head falling back to lean against his scales. Then she shuffled again, and sighed before leaning over. Her head landed on Thea's shoulder, and Thea stiffened like a piece of Evergale's armor.

"Relax," Aaryn said, and the amusement in her voice made Thea's stomach flip. "You owe me."

"Okay," Thea whispered, calmly and collectedly. Because she was both of those things, of course.

Eventually she did relax, and her lids grew heavy, and Aaryn was still and at ease beside her, so she was probably already asleep, right?

So Thea could just⁠—

It was… warm. Warmer than usual. The flush filled her body, awakening her all at once.

She winced at the bright sun, shading her eyes with her hand as she blinked the spots away.

She was flat on her back, which hadn't been exactly how she'd fallen asleep…

Thea sat up, alarm shooting through her like the strongest coffee. Her hands pressed into the soft ground. There was no Starspark beneath her, like when she'd fallen asleep.

Beside Aaryn.

"Fuck." Thea rushed to her feet, the last of sleep burned away beneath her panic.