The lord commander didn’t return until a bit before noon the next day. We’d had a messenger in the evening telling us, somewhat cryptically, that Barvon was “taking care of it,” but that was all. The Citadel staff fed us a well-received dinner, and when it got late most of the humans retired to sleep. Nahasia and her guards went to wherever the guards lived in the massive structure, while Tam and Val and Kira and Ardek returned to their cells — presumably one room per couple. Only Herald and Mak remained behind with me in the great hall, along with two night guards who kept themselves so inconspicuous as not to count.

  Breakfast was a friendly affair, followed by a long, slow morning that the guards treated as almost a day off. The lord commander’s arrival changed that — guards scrambled to come to order around him as he marched down the center aisle. “Lady Draka!” he said in a bone weary voice, long before he reached me. He held out a scroll before him. “The situation’s resolved. You’re all free to go.”

  “Care to tell me what happened?” I asked. I felt more than a little suspicious about the speed with which the Council had changed their minds.

  “Certainly; the criers are spreading the news as we speak. We were up all damn night nominating, electing, and swearing in Parvion Sardin as Lord Mercantile. Then, in the morning, we had another vote on rescinding the arrest order for yourself and the members of the House Drakonum. The lord mercantile voted in favor. Congratulations. You’re all free.”

  “All this on the off chance that I wasn’t bluffing?” I asked. I couldn’t keep either my amusement or my incredulity out of my voice.

  “Lady Draka,” the lord commander said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Our best guess puts your mother’s length at no less than sixty feet, and her wingspan at between eighty and a hundred, making her one of the largest dragons ever mentioned in any history available to us. A dragon matching her description, though smaller, is said to have laid the city of Sarkos to ruin in less than a day, some two hundred years ago. To put it simply: the cost of placating you is far less than the risk that you are being entirely honest, and we have no reason to doubt you.

  “Besides,” he added after a pause. “Without Soandel to block Parvion’s election, we’ve finally broken the deadlock that’s kept us from filling the empty seats. At least something good’s come of this fucking farce. So, Lady Draka, with this and my heartfelt apologies on behalf of the Council, are we done? I badly want to go home and sleep.”

  “Sure, Lord Commander. We’re done for now,” I said, rising and stretching to my full height until I towered above him. “But let’s be clear: the Council and me, we’re not friendly anymore. Certain councillors, perhaps. And I still intend to keep this city safe, but from now on, that’s contingent on you leaving me and mine alone. Do not try me again.”

  Barvon didn’t give an inch, but the weight of his regret settled on his face. “I’ll make sure to pass that on,” he said with a small shake of his head. “Not like I can even blame you. Good day, Lady Draka. Lady Drakonum, and family. Captain Nahasia, gather your guards and come with me.”

  Nahasia looked stricken at the displeasure in Barvon’s voice. Then Mak said, “Remember what we talked about, Alanna.”

  The captain nodded. Some hope found its way to her eyes, and I knew that I’d be seeing more of her in the future.

  Then we returned home. It was somewhat anticlimactic, really, to just walk down the streets back to the inn. But in some ways we weren’t the same as we’d been when we walked the other way. I had just made it clear to the lord commander that I would no longer accept my family being beholden to the law. The law clearly could not be trusted.

  The only real bright spot was that I was walking with everyone openly in the street. I didn’t give a damn about whispers and rumours anymore; it was us against the world at that point, as far as I was concerned, and with that in mind I was more of a shield between them and possible harm than I was a noose around their necks. Let everyone know that the Tekereteki House was under the protection of a dragon! Let us see if anyone dared to risk my still very present, if contained, anger.

  Tam was the one to bring up the topic on everyone’s minds. “So,” he said. “Parvion’s on the Council. We’re all familiar with his boy.”

  “We are,” I said. “The father seems tolerable at worst, though. Onur certainly seems to think the Parvion patriarch has nothing against us, if he was even aware of our existence until last night.”

  “Snakes spring from snakes, sister. I don’t see how we can trust this new councillor to be any better than the son he raised. One vote to your liking doesn’t make him an ally.”

  “Is that your intuition talking?” I asked seriously.

  He shook his head. “No. Just experience. I’m not saying we treat him as an enemy for as long as he lives, but let’s be careful, shall we?”

  “Yeah. I won’t argue with that.”

  “We should warn Zabra,” Mak said from my other side. “I don’t know if she and Kesra have acted on those documents Herald ‘found,’ but with Parvion as Lord Mercantile they’ll need to be careful.”

  I sighed. “They will, won’t they? Very well. Let’s go past, and… gods, who…? Tam, Val, would you talk to them? I’d ask Ardek, but Tammy’s there.”

  “Appreciate it, boss,” Ardek murmured from behind me.

  “It is no trouble,” Val said. “We will verify with Mak what needs to be said, and take care of it.”

  “Thank you. And…” I sighed. I was doing a lot of that lately. A few days where I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to would be nice. “And ask how Tammy’s doing. Ask about her hand — if Kira’s treatment worked. Which reminds me,” I craned my neck around so I was looking behind me. Kira was walking stiffly, no doubt at the mention of Tammy, and Ardek had a protective arm around her. “Kira,” I said, “we need to take you to fill your Heart. When would be a good time for you?”

  “When you please,” she said, a little more formally than we were used to.

  “Sure. But when would please you?”

  I was sure she’d shoot back something like, “I am pleased when you are,” or some other nonsense, but she didn’t. She was too mature for that. Instead she said, “Then: When Tam and Val are back, and we know the inn is safe.”

  “Tomorrow morning, then,” I decided. “And hey, Kira! Your Karakani’s coming along great!”

  “Thank you,” she said, with a lot more warmth. “Everyone teaching— is teaching me all the time. Harder not to learn!”

  “Love to hear it.”

  We proceeded slowly, giving Tam, Val, and Mak time to talk. Then we dropped the two men off at the Tesprils’ home, while the rest of us continued to the central guardhouse. It wasn’t exactly on our way, but neither was it a great detour. The clerks there took one look at Mak with her extremely official-looking scroll in her hand, then another at me blocking the entire doorway, and that was all it took. They didn’t give us any trouble.

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  We returned to the inn and a heroes’ welcome. That is to say, our Wolves and everyone else who knew that Mak and the others had been arrested were overflowing with relief to see them back, while most of the customers had no idea what was going on. They were far too busy gawping at the six-foot plus — at the shoulder — dragon that had followed the humans into the common room. The door had been a problem, and the roof was low enough that I finally had to just lay down to not have to bend my neck so much, but I wasn’t letting my people out of my sight.

  Among the gawpers were Yana and Baran, along with Jor and Gelven — also known only to me as Awesome Curls, Lover Boy, Big Beardy, and Short-and-Wide. There had been a time, long ago and before I met my family, that I’d considered approaching those four to see if I could befriend and work with them. As it was, once I’d connected with Herald I’d poured everything into connecting with and through her, and Yana and the others had just become part of the background. I knew that they and my family were friendly, and I knew that they were regulars here at the Favor. I’d just never looked them in the eyes before. Hell, as far as I knew they’d never seen me at all until I flew above the city in daytime.

  Now, there we were: me on the floor, them at a table, all looking at each other as the maids and other staff fussed over Mak and Kira, and Herald talked to Lalia and the other Wolves. I felt like I needed to say something; I’d creeped on these four often enough. What came out was, “So. Hunt any ‘wyverns’ lately?”

  Yana and Gelven, the two nearest me, shifted slowly to put the table between us.

  I snorted with amusement. “That clearly came out wrong. Let me try again. I’m Draka, a good friend of the proprietors. I’ve seen you around the forest before. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Traveller take me,” Jor muttered. “So there really is a dragon in the cellar?”

  “The girl’s ear-wrap isn’t just some joke!” Yana exclaimed, looking between me and Herald. “That’s you! That’s you on her ear!”

  I frowned at that. They weren’t wrong, but I was still angry enough at the city in general not to have much patience. “How about you all try again, too. I gave you my name. Normally, you’d do the same and give me yours. I already know them, but a bit of damn politeness and respect would be appropriate.”

  “Yana!” the woman replied quickly. “Apologies. I’m Yana. This is my husband Baran.”

  “Pleasure,” the man in question said, still looking half stunned.

  “And I’m Jor,” said the magnificently bearded man, “and this rude bugger’s my brother, Gelven.”

  “Right, milady. Sorry, just… you, right? You’re here. Not just a rumor.”

  “Nah, yeah. I am, and have been for a while. I’ve just been trying not to make my friends’ lives difficult, but it looks like that’s going to happen no matter what. So,” I raised my voice to make sure everyone would hear me. They were all looking at me, and no one else was speaking over a whisper, but it wouldn’t hurt to make sure. “I’d like to make it clear and official that this inn, its owners, and their staff are all under my protection. Try anything stupid at your own damn peril, and spread the word.”

  “Yeah,” Yana said. “We will. Just, milady, you said you’ve seen us in the forest? We’d like to ask…”

  She trailed off, unsure how to go on, but I could guess easily enough what it was she wanted to know. “Yeah,” I said. “I was the supposed wyvern, and I’m not offended that you were hunting me. A gold dragon is a gold dragon, after all. Just don’t try again, all right? Mak and the others like you. I’d rather not have to kill any of their friends.”

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Jor said, shaking his head. “We dropped that idea after what happened in the harbor.”

  “Love to hear it,” I told them. “Now, it looks like I’m in the way of the bar, and I’d rather not ruin Mak. Lina!”

  The maid looked up. “Yes, Lady Draka?”

  “Get the front door for me, would you? Then let me into the cellar. I don’t think the stairs can take me.”

  “Oh! Yes, of course!”

  She was so eager to please that I made it from the floor of the common room to the floor of the cellar directly below without ever breaking stride.

  I’d intended to take a short nap while waiting for Tam and Val to return. It ended up being so short as to be non-existent. Mak came down to tell me that I was needed at the Tesprils’ estate. Not because of any problem — quite the opposite. Or if it was a problem, then it was of the best kind. Quite simply, Zabra and Kesra had come up with the rest of the money they owed us. Together with our cut of their profits it was quite a sizeable sum, and Tam and Val weren’t comfortable transporting it on their own. At the same time Hardal wasn’t willing to spare any of his men who were guarding the Tesprils, and Tam and Val didn’t want to bring them to the inn unless absolutely necessary. Thus, their request for my presence.

  All this was set out very factually in a short message in Val’s flowing hand, at the bottom of which Tam had scrawled, barely legible, “Want to help bring a hundred and ninety of your cousins home?”

  I did want to. Very much. In fact, I could barely wait for Mak to open the cellar doors before I pushed my way out and took to the sky, returning to the high city in a fraction of the time it had taken to walk home. I saw no reason not to just land in their garden, so that was what I did. The alternative was to set down in a small nearby plaza and walking the last few hundred feet, or landing in the street, with people scrambling for cover. But there really was no way short of Shifting to make it less than obvious whom I was visiting, so why pretend?

  The poor woman watching the garden just about pissed herself when I dropped out of the sky. She was yelling for Hardal before she even got the back door open, slipping in the dust in her haste to disappear into the house. I watched the whole thing impatiently, amused at her reaction but wanting my gold in my possession five minutes ago. She literally couldn’t have alerted everyone in the house to my arrival any faster than she did, but the promise of that much gold did things to me.

  Fortunately for everyone involved, they must have been expecting me. Tam, Val, and both Tesprils came out quickly, with Tammy in tow.

  “Well, that was fast!” Tam said, a huge grin on his face. “Can’t say I’m surprised, though. See, Val? I said my note would get her moving!”

  “Truly, your powers of prediction are amazing,” Val deadpanned.

  “Yeah, haha, the dragon’s excited about gold,” I said, matching Val’s tone. I pointed at the small wooden chest in his hands. “Is that it?”

  “My Lady Draka,” Kesra said. “As promised when last we spoke, this chest contains the remaining sum we owe you, as well as your share of the last several weeks’ profits. I’ve included the relevant accounting for your people to look over and verify that everything is in order. I hope this will help convince you of our reliability.”

  “The two of you wouldn’t be standing here if I wasn’t already,” I told her frankly. “I never doubted that you’d follow through. You’re too smart. Speaking of which: what Tam and Val came to tell you. Was it in time?”

  “We haven’t done anything we can’t easily reverse,” Kesra said. “Though it was a close thing. I had some agreements lined up that might have caused serious issues. Thank you for the warning.”

  “Great. And the other thing we’ve talked about? Zabra? Is everything well?”

  “It is, my lady,” Zabra said. She took a half step that put her partially between her sister and me, so subtly that it might have been unconscious. “There is no cause for you to worry.”

  I looked at her skeptically, but she didn’t look away. I didn’t bother digging. She might be doing some mental gymnastics to justify her answer, but she couldn’t outright lie to me and I didn’t see anything wrong.

  “And Tammy?” I said, moving on to the last person of any interest. The woman in question perked up at her name, though I doubted she’d followed more than a word here and there. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care, but I felt compelled to ask nonetheless. “How are you doing?” I asked her, switching to her dialect of Tekereteki. “The Tesprils are treating you well, yeah?”

  “Very well, Great Lady,” she said. Her voice was bright and chipper, and her whole mien overflowed with happiness at my attention. “They’ve been nothing but kind. In truth, I live in greater comfort here than I ever have. I— I wish that I could have remained with you, Great Lady, but since I couldn’t, I’m grateful that you sent me to them.”

  “Good to hear that it worked out. And your…” I waved my right hand lamely.

  “Red, tender, and smooth as a baby’s bottom,” she said, holding up her stump. It was wrapped in some kind of fine cloth, which spoiled the demonstration, but her excitement told me more than seeing it could have. “Please, I hesitate to ask anything of you, Great Lady, but if she’ll hear it, would you give Bekiratag my gratitude? And tell her that I am trying to be better, as she said?”

  “If she’ll hear it,” I agreed. Then I switched back to Karakani and said, “All right! Tam, Val, it’s time to go! Who wants to ride, and who wants to be carried?”

  Tam was somewhat shaken when he slid off my back in the inn’s back yard. I don’t think the speed agreed with him. Val was laughing like he’d just had the time of his life.

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