Emberion’s response caught Theo by surprise, the wind snatching his words away almost as soon as they were spoken. “Your mother?”

  “Yes,” Emberion said. “She may have some guidance to offer.”

  Theo wasn’t sure what he had expected from the mother of a dragon—perhaps a larger, more ancient dragon? He had never given it any thought before, but then, he had never before thought much of dragons at all. The last few days had changed that. He settled back slightly, trying to find a comfortable position to hold his arm while still having a secure grip on Emberion.

  “Did he say we’re going to see another dragon?” Freya asked in his ear. Her tone of voice suggested she was less than thrilled about the idea.

  “Yes,” Theo said. “More dragons.”

  “So from giants to dragons,” Freya said. “And more hours flying.”

  “Indeed, knight Freya,” said Emberion. “Rest as best you can.”

  Freya snorted something about ‘rest’ and ‘dragon-back’ and ‘impossible’.

  Below, the landscape shifted from deep forests to rolling hills dotted with the occasional cluster of trees, the sun casting long shadows that stretched lazily across the ground.

  When they finally descended (at which point Theo’s arm wasn’t the only thing that ached, but also his butt and legs, because of the long hours sitting on hard scales) the terrain changed again, revealing a quaint cottage nestled atop a verdant hill surrounded by ancient trees and wildflowers. Theo frowned. There was no way a dragon would fit into the cottage—it was a very traditional little human-sized cottage with a thatched roof. Emberion, with his massive body, could hardly have a mother tiny enough to fit into a house like this? But Emberion circled once before landing smoothly right beside it.

  The transition from dragon-back to solid ground was a relief, and Theo wriggled his legs to stretch them out after the long journey, blood rushing back setting his nerve ends on fire. He winced, and turned to Emberion. “So, what are we doing here?”

  “My mother lives here,” Emberion said and motioned toward the cottage with his claw.

  Theo’s lack of understanding must have shown on his face, because Emberion gave a rumbling laugh that made the earth beneath Theo’s feet vibrate.

  “How—is she a… a very small dragon?” Theo asked.

  That only made Emberion laugh more.

  And then Emberion transformed before their eyes.

  His body shrank and reshaped, his wings retracting, and his hind legs elongating until he stood only on them. The thick black scales turned into smooth, sun-kissed skin, with a mane of black hair that somehow still reminded Theo of the scales. Where the magnificent dragon once stood, there now was a tall man with striking features. His eyes—amber as before, but with visible whites like any human’s—retained a hint of the dragon’s depth, an ancient and knowing gaze that made him no less formidable in human form.

  And he was naked, all rippling muscle and all the… features of a human male. Theo forced his eyes up to the beautiful face, cheeks going red. He was not used to seeing people naked, men or women.

  Finally, keeping his gaze intently on the man’s face, he stammered, “W-what?”

  The man—Emberion, obviously, but… seriously?—smiled. It was strange how it looked like the dragon, yet was in a human’s face.

  Theo glanced at Freya and Bruni, but they looked as gobsmacked as Theo felt. A trace of smugness passed through Theo, because, hah! Bruni didn’t know everything. When he looked down at Nibblet, however, the little glint didn’t look the least bit surprised.

  “Dragons can shapeshift,” Emberion said. “Dragon, human, animals—we do it at will.” His voice was reminiscent of his dragon voice, but not as deep, and with less echo to it. It was the sort of voice Theo could have listened to all day to, all smooth and velvety.

  Bruni closed his mouth and muttered, “Handy trick.”

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  Emberion chuckled. He was as handsome as they came, all high cheekbones and smooth skin, his black hair shiny in the sunlight. His long fingers were wrapped around something, and when Theo squinted, he realized it was the stones and the feather he had collected in the forest earlier. Huh.

  “It has its uses,” Emberion said to Bruni. “Though most prefer their dragon shape.”

  “Ember?” called a woman’s voice from inside the cottage. “Is that you?”

  Theo turned to the cottage. It was well kept with a charming exterior of climbing roses and ivy framing the doorway. The door opened, revealing a woman who, to Theo’s utter astonishment, looked nothing like a dragon. If Emberion had not informed them she was his mother, Theo would have assumed she was an ordinary old lady. She was slight, with soft dark hair going gray, and a kind smile, wearing a simple dress more suited to a village elder than a mother dragon. Her eyes were amber like Emberion’s, but with flecks of gold.

  “Ember, dear,” said the woman, her voice warm and inviting. “You brought friends. How many years since you did that last? Must be a hundred. Come in, come in. I’ve just made tea.” She gave Emberion a once-over. “And let’s get you some clothes, so your friends’ eyes don’t pop out of their sockets.” She chuckled to herself.

  “Oh, right,” Emberion said, like he hadn’t realized that he was naked—and it still didn’t sound as though he cared. Then again, he was always technically naked as a dragon.

  Theo glanced at the others. Freya looked dazed still, though her hand rested on the hilt of her sword—as though she could do anything if the two shapeshifters in front of them decided to eat them for dinner—while Bruni glared with renewed suspiciousness at the cottage. Nibblet sat calmly on Theo’s shoulder and licked her paw.

  Theo stepped inside, finding a cozy little cottage filled with an assortment of oddities—books in languages Theo didn’t recognize, and various herbs hung to dry from the rafters. Five crystals in different colors, one of them an orange that reminded Theo intensely of Emberion’s eyes, stood in a row on a small table, each pulsing softly with an internal light. In a bookcase, a beautiful chalice which looked like it was made of dragon scales stood.

  “I’m Glyssa,” the lady introduced herself as she ushered them into a small sitting area. She handed Emberion a shirt and pants as if her son showing up naked was a regular occurrence. Maybe it was. She raised an eyebrow at her son. “What’s that in your hand, dear?”

  To Theo’s surprise, Emberion’s cheeks gained some color. “Uh. They looked nice, so I…” He spoke quietly and trailed off, glancing toward Theo and then quickly back at his mother.

  Glyssa shook her head. “You should be able to control the urge.”

  “Yes.” Emberion stared at the floor.

  Glyssa sighed and turned to Theo, Freya, and Bruni. “I take it you’re here about the disturbances in the Weave?”

  “Yes,” Theo said. “Something is wrong with the magic.”

  Emberion pulled the shirt on, drawing Theo’s attention. The shirt was black and somehow made the muscles of his upper body even more obvious, even though they were now hidden beneath the fabric. Theo glanced down at his own slightly doughy physique, feeling wholly inadequate.

  “We believe it involves the dragon mage’s amulet,” Emberion said.

  Glyssa’s expression turned thoughtful as she poured tea into delicate cups. “The amulet, you say? That’s troubling indeed.” She handed one to Theo, giving him a sharp look, and it felt like she was assessing his very soul. “What’s your name, child?”

  “Theo,” he said, wanting to look away but finding it impossible. “Under sky, we meet,” he added breathlessly, because that was the greeting used in most of the realm, and he should remember it always, lest he disappoint his mother. Theo’s gaze was glued to Glyssa’s and he thought strangely that only when she decided to let him go would he be able to look away.

  “Theo,” she repeated. “And the little one?”

  She shifted her gaze to the animal, and Theo blinked, feeling like he was getting his mind back. He gave her a weak smile. “This is Nibblet. She decided to come along with us.”

  Glyssa smiled, reaching out to pet Nibblet. Nibblet sniffed her hand and then pressed her head into Glyssa’s palm, making the woman chuckle. “Yes, little one, you will surely have a role to play too.”

  Theo glanced at Emberion, whose lips turned up into an approving smile.

  “Under sky, we meet, Theo and Nibblet,” Glyssa said.

  Then she turned to Bruni. He opened his mouth—to be rude, or to protest, Theo was sure—but then stood there with his mouth hanging open, as if her gaze catching his meant he lost the ability to speak. Though she did not look like a dragon, now that they stood so close to her, Theo definitely felt something different in the air around her.

  “Bruni Thornroot of Silvershard Mountains,” Glyssa said, though Theo was certain Bruni never actually spoke. “Under sky, we meet.”

  To Theo’s surprise, Bruni gave a light bow. “Under sky, we meet.”

  Freya was at least somewhat prepared when the old woman turned to her and she gave her name without hesitation. “Freya Tarnell, knight of Astoria. Under sky, we meet.”

  Glyssa repeated the words back to her, then looked at Emberion. “An odd bunch you’ve picked up. But odd usually works better.”

  For what odd worked better, she didn’t specify.

  Theo exchanged a look with Freya, who might be as bewildered as he felt, but if she was, she was doing a better job of hiding it under her usual stoic facade. He sipped the tea, finding it sweetly fragrant, a soothing taste in the midst of ongoing chaos.

  Glyssa settled into a chair, her eyes keenly observing each of them. “Now, tell me everything. How did you come to suspect the amulet? And what exactly has been happening with the dragons and the earth?” She gave Bruni a long look. “And the dwarves.”

  As Theo began to explain, he felt a strange, growing sense of… hope? Here, in this unlikely place, with a dragon-turned-man and his human-but-really-a-dragon mother, perhaps they would find the answers they needed.

  Or perhaps they were just finding more ways to die painful deaths.