While others had walked off the sands with their dragon, and the injured, possibly dead, tributes were carried away – she had remained standing there staring at the new Queen in her arms. It was only until Sibilla had approached and touched her shoulder gently that Lady Denali seemed to break out of her trance.

“Her name is Priyana,” she whispered, not daring to raise her voice and startle the already yawning hatchling.

Sibilla smiled warmly at the pair. “Hello, Priyana. Welcome to Dragonspire.” Her eyes drifted towards the cave entrance where Shegil had appeared. The two, despite the distance, shared a look that could only be understood between them.

I shifted nervously not sure what to do. Were we supposed to just pick someone or be picked? Everyone had already left with their hatchlings except for Lady Denali and yet we remained standing here waiting. We weren’t all going to serve her…right? Sibilla, after speaking in hushed tones with Lady Denali and signaling for Ralph to lead her away, turned and studied us.

“As I’m sure you know,” she began, “you are here because you have been selected or recommended by others to become attendants to the newest riders. This is an honor and privilege awarded to those who have done magnificent work here.” I exchanged glances with Marigold. She raised an eyebrow down at me and I had the decency to look a little abashed. With me being so young, everyone would think I had gotten this position through favoritism or bribery. “Being an attendant is not without risk, however. Working around and with dragons is both tough and dangerous. If you do not wish to take on this risk, you may leave now.”

I hesitated. On one hand I didn’t want to risk my life but on the other I’d have an incredible opportunity to learn more about dragons and maybe even hone my gift. I glanced around to see if anyone would take up the offer, but no one else seemed interested in leaving. I steeled my nerves and stuck my chin out to hold my head up high. I wouldn’t back out either then! Sibilla’s eyes flitted towards me, and she gave a small encouraging smile.

“Chieftess Sibilla?” A male servant had stepped forward slightly, bowing quickly.

“Yes?”

“I…” The servant hesitated, glancing between us and her before sighing. “I apologize, but I really don’t think I can do this…” He bowed and remained in that position, awaiting her reaction and no doubt fearing the worst.

“I understand. You may leave,” she said simply, gesturing towards the double doors.

The servant hastily thanked her before quickly making his exit through them. She looked back at us only after they had shut behind him with finality; scanning the row of us with raised eyebrows to see if anyone else would also step forward. No one did and she nodded her head in satisfaction.

“Now then, I’m sure you are all curious as to how we will assign you to your riders. Generally, we like to pair attendants to the same gender. There is more of an ease and comfort between the two. So, if all male attendants can exit through the doors where the tributes came from – someone will guide you to the new male riders.” There were now only a handful of us left. “As for you girls…”

*~*

How unfortunate must I be to have ended up here. When Sibilla had led us to the bathing lake where the new female riders were, I had thought that I’d be attending to one of them. But as she assigned the last girl to the last rider there, I realized that Marigold and I had not been assigned yet. Before I could speak up and ask what was going on, she told us to follow her back to the fortress. We went inside and made our way up several flights of stairs, heading to a familiar location. As we stepped into the passage, I recognized this as being the floor where Lady Denali and the other Eastern continent tributes had stayed. A sinking feeling began to appear in my stomach. I could already anticipate what was going to happen.

“You two, as I’m sure you might have guessed by now, have been assigned to Lady Denali”–she raised a hand before I could protest– “and I won’t hear you saying otherwise. Serving a Queen rider is the highest privilege you can afford to have. My advice to you girls is that you should do everything to befriend her. It pays to have friends in high places and loyalty is often rewarded.”

Marigold and I exchanged glances and voiced our dutiful acknowledgement. As we reached Lady Denali’s door, Sibilla hesitated before turning to us. She put a hand on each of our shoulders and gave a firm squeeze. While she didn’t speak, her eyes communicated her expectations and reassurance. She let us go and turned, swiftly knocking on the door three times. It opened immediately, much to my surprise, and there stood Gina. My mouth dropped open in shock as she gave a hasty bow to Sibilla.

“Chieftess Sibilla,” she said dutifully before stepping aside. Sibilla entered and we followed though I was staring at Gina pointedly in the hopes of silent communication. She, however, kept her eyes down and refused to meet my attempts. I puffed my cheeks slightly in irritation. Why was she ignoring me?

As we stepped fully in, my stare was redirected towards Lady Denali who was currently sitting next to Priyana. At the sight of the new Queen, my irritation faded away as I stared in awe, mesmerized. Priyana appeared to be sleeping after having been bathed from what I could tell. The amniotic fluid that had coated her was completely gone and her golden scales were now shining under the glow of the lamps. A thin membrane covered her multi-faceted red eyes, dimming their glow. Lady Denali was staring lovingly at her sleeping charge, not even raising her head to look at us. To be honest, it seemed almost obsessive and scary. Maybe I was just not used to seeing anything but a scowl and sneer on her face for the most part.

“With these two, you should now have four attendants Lady Denali. Ashari and I highly recommend these two, they will serve you well,” Sibilla said.

Lady Denali finally looked up, her eyes narrowing when they fell on me. How unfortunate must I be to end up here indeed. I really thought she would speak up and protest this, demand for another but she simply nodded her head.

Marigold took the initiative in introductions. She stepped forward slightly, bowing. “I’m Marigold,” she said. It was quick, polite, and to the point. It was something I didn’t want to do.

Sibilla looked at me expectantly.

I stifled my groan and begrudgingly stepped forward. “I’m Raiya,” I said stiffly, bowing quickly. As I stood up, my eyes caught Eri standing in the corner meekly. She rather reminded me of a timid mouse.

Sibilla smiled and put a hand on each of our shoulders. “Your duties will be to take care of the needs of both Lady Denali and Priyana. There will be times where you will need to watch the new Queen as Lady Denali attends lessons with Ralph and me. Do your best girls” –she looked at Lady Denali here– “and Lady Denali, we will start lessons tomorrow. Be prepared.” My only shield left us then and we stood awkwardly awaiting instructions.

Lady Denali’s gaze drifted back down to the sleeping dragon, her eyes softening and a smile creeping back onto her face. Gina was the one who approached us.

“Lady Denali and I finished bathing Priyana before you arrived. We need to clean the area now,” she said simply before leading us to the curtained off section containing the bath. Eri, upon hearing this, scurried over quickly to join us while Lady Denali seemed to be crooning to her sleeping dragon. I realized, as the curtain swung close behind me blocking my view of them, that this had become my future. My service to Lady Denali had only just begun.

*~*

I won't lie, it was hard. Though Lady Denali did most of the work caring for Priyana, there were times where we had to assist in feeding and bathing her and she didn’t make it easy. Priyana, I had come to learn over the course of weeks, was quite picky and haughty. She, much like Lady Denali, expected the best out of those who served her. Most Queens were like this supposedly, at least that is what Lady Denali had learned from Ralph in one of her lessons. They were the most important out of all the dragons and their impressive size and intellect were only matched by their equally sizable ego. Based off of that, I really don't think Ralph should be overseeing her lessons.

But Priyana and I had developed a sort of understanding over the course of the weeks, thanks to my gift. Our first mental interaction startled us both to be honest. I had received her food from one of the dragons on the balcony and lugged it to the room. When I had entered the room, she was perched on her bed already staring at me. In just these few weeks she had grown to the size of a horse and would need to leave the chambers soon because she wouldn’t fit anymore. But the warning of being stuck in the chambers with no way out did little to ward off her ravenous appetite. She ate at least five times a day, one to two whole sheep, calf, or doe per meal. It was a little scary.

‘When will she feed me’ came the petulant thought, drifting through my mind. I stopped and stared at her and she blinked calmly at me.

Maybe if you weren’t such a pig I said to her, resuming my lugging. I took a small amount of satisfaction at her mental surprise.

You can talk to me? Priyana asked curiously. Her mental voice was young and soft, slightly musical.

You and any other dragon. Can’t you like come over here and help me with this? I was huffing at this point; my arms were not happy with me again. She made some weird chuffing noises. It took me a second to figure out she was laughing. I sighed in exasperation and finally slid her food in front of her. She thanked me for my demanding work teasingly before ripping into the meat with such ferocity that I backed all the way across the room.

From then on, we’d have little conversations here and there whenever Lady Denali was preoccupied. It wasn’t a surprise to me when Lady Denali eventually confronted me, however. She was not happy that I was talking to her dragon and demanded to talk to Sibilla over it.

So, that is why we were instructed to come to the chambers belong to the Chieftess one evening. Though it wasn’t my first time there it was Lady Denali’s and she appeared to be awestruck. Her eyes seemed to light up with both envy and greed, glancing around the large chambers that had its own huge balcony attached. On said balcony lay Shegil, basking under the setting sun’s rays. Sibilla was sitting behind her desk and when she saw us, she beckoned us over.

“I hear you wanted to talk to me about Raiya’s gift,” she said, looking between the two of us expectantly.

“Priyana has told me that she has been having conversations with her. How is that possible?” Lady Denali asked, a frown spreading across her face.

“I see Ralph hasn’t gotten to teaching you about Speakers yet.” She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. “No matter, I will do so now. Both of you take a seat and listen up.” When she was sure we were comfortably seated and paying attention, she cleared her throat and began. “The dragons that exist today are the results of genetic modification, as is mostly known. They are not the same as the original dragons that used to live on this planet, but they possess some of the abilities of the originals. One of which is telepathic communication which we ensured to strengthen to make it easier for us to Bond and communicate with them. These dragons can talk to other humans that are not their riders if they want but that is exceedingly rare.

“Now, when we select tributes, we do so based off several factors including mental capabilities. The tributes who Bond with the dragon can communicate telepathically only to their dragon because of their inherent psychic abilities and the Bond. But there are rare cases where an individual possesses such an inherently strong mind that they can communicate without a Bond and to any dragon. Upon this discovery there was obviously an urgency to understand what caused this and if it could be replicated. That was also when the idea of Speakers came about too.” She paused here and looked between us, gauging to see if we were following. While Lady Denali sat with her chin in her palm, her eyes flitting around, I had leaned in eagerly.

“So, all Speakers can talk to any dragon?” I asked to clarify and show I was paying attention.

She nodded her head. “That is correct. Speakers were created for a specific purpose, using their gift for the safety of the fortress. Because Speakers could talk to any dragon, they were able to obtain information others couldn’t. This helped stopped quite a few misunderstandings that could have led to some bloody wars.”

What a position! And here I was stuck serving this pampered princess sitting next to me instead of stopping wars! Sibilla seemed to sense my frustration because she directed a certain familiar stare at me. I didn’t hesitate to voice my thoughts.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this? Shouldn’t I become a Speaker too?” I may have sounded like a petulant child, but I didn’t care.

Sibilla sighed. “You’re very young Raiya. Training is not easy and if you finished it successfully, you wouldn’t stay here. You’d be sent somewhere else. Godrick and I didn’t want to ship you off after a year or two since we had grown extremely attached.”

“But I want to become a Speaker!” I knew I sounded like a child and Sibilla’s gaze indicated she thought so too.

Lady Denali scoffed, the first sound she had made since sitting down. “If she is so special then she is right, why is she stuck serving others?” she asked. I stared at her a little dumbfoundedly. Was she defending or insulting me? Both?

“I had planned to introduce you to Julian when you were a little older,” Sibilla said, frowning at the two of us. “But serving people, especially people such as yourself Lady Denali, gives a closer look at the political structure and workings of the fortress. It would have done nothing but help you in the future should you have chosen to become a Speaker.”

“Then let me talk to Julian now while I serve Lady Denali. When Priyana is old enough for the Enthronement, chances are you’re going to end up retiring and leaving right? I don’t have a reason to stay here if you and Godrick go.” The thought of them leaving me behind invoked a sudden sense of loss deep within me. I’d lose the only semblance of parents I had, never to see them again. I stopped speaking, trying to compose myself but failing miserably.

“Oh, dear one,” Sibilla murmured softly. She got up and walked over to me, enveloping me into her arms much as she always did when I was afraid or upset. “I’ll see what I can do. I must discuss this with Ralph and Julian. Speakers are very prominent figures and when a new one is being trained it must be announced to all the fortresses.”

I pulled back from her slightly, feeling slightly dizzy with confusion at this new revelation. A Speaker was that important? They seemed more important than the Chief and Chieftess from what I was hearing.

“Please, please, please! I really want to do this,” I said, sweeping aside the confusion and affirming my conviction both to her and myself.

“Lady Denali, you wouldn’t mind?” Sibilla asked, turning to the young woman.

Lady Denali shrugged and stood up. “I don’t care what she does as long as she doesn’t get in my way.” She bowed slightly to Sibilla, standing up and flipping her long thick black hair over her shoulder before exiting the room. There was no doubt in my mind that the awakening Priyana was summoning her. I could pick up the mental call for her Bonded slightly if I tuned in enough.

Sibilla shook her head ruefully at her retreating back before looking at me seriously. “Raiya, there is another reason I didn’t tell you about the Speakers. They are…not the luckiest sort. No one likes them because of what they do and so they are often on the receiving end of…terrible things. It’s dangerous is what I am trying to tell you. If you are given permission to study, do so with awareness and really think before making a decision on actually becoming one.”

“I understand,” I said dutifully.

“Good,” she said, a hand coming up to cup my face. “You have a keen sense of survival, a good pair of wits, and a sharp mind. Ashari and Godrick praise those attributes of yours to no end as well. I just want you to always remember that the world and life itself is not inherently cruel. Life can come across as such only because those who have the power to make a difference sit around and do nothing except grow fatter and wealthier off the hard labor of the working class. If you ever have the power to cause change, do it. Leave this world better than how you found it. The future generations will never thank you for it, but they will lead better lives and that is important for the future of mankind and dragons alike.”

I felt a deep wave of awe and inspiration flood through me as she stared at me fiercely, still cupping my face. How much power would I need to enable change, and would I even be able to do it? Well, I guess I’d find out if I ever became a Speaker. I will try to use that position to influence others and make change happen and if I run into any walls, well, I’ll leave that for future me to worry about. I’m sure she’d have the skills to handle it.

Sibilla let go of my cheek, patting it gently before walking back to her seat behind the desk and sitting down with a sigh. We spoke a little more after that, just pleasant generalities before I was excused. As I made my way back to Lady Denali’s chamber, I was beginning to feel a lot more hopeful and determined about what I would do in the future.

*~*

As the days passed, we were kept busy. Lady Denali and Priyana had relocated to the Queen's Wing the very next day after our conversation with Sibilla. The Queen’s Wing is an area of the fortress where only the Queen dragons and their riders resided. Both were happy about this upgrade, enjoying the bigger space and balcony attached to the room. At this point, Priyana was the focus of all in the fortress as she continued to grow, especially when she eventually began to hunt for herself. Everyone would watch her fly, albeit clumsily, through the skies including the dragons. The Warmasters in particular kept an eye on her, aiding her if she allowed them to, but generally keeping back and watching from a distance. When she finished growing and reached her fully mature state, she would rise to mate, and they would rise with her. One would be lucky enough to fly her, hopefully siring a clutch and securing the Chief position for their rider.

I wondered if the boy and his dragon would participate since they would be old and experienced enough to at that time. As I stood on Lady Denali’s balcony, watching the young Queen pursue her prey playfully, I thought back to when I had first met him on one. When he and his dragon nearly scared me half to death asking if I could help him dismount. I had felt other things too. Why did thinking about the rider make me feel weird and silly? I wish I knew his name!

“Raiya!”

My thoughts scattered and I tore my gaze away from Priyana who had just swooped down to capture a squealing calf in her claws. It was Marigold.

“Yes?”

“Chieftess Sibilla is calling for you. She said to meet her in the library,” she panted, her face flushed as she walked quickly onto the balcony.

My heart quickened in excitement, and I dashed off not waiting for her to say anything else. I rushed to the library, nearly bumping into a few people in my haste but I didn’t care. I knew what awaited me, Sibilla had made good on her promise.

Sure enough, as I walked into the library, I saw Ralph, Sibilla, and the man who had asked for water at the feast, Julian. He was still dressed in his usual black over white robes and there was a steaming cup in front of him. I stood nervously by the entrance, not wanting to interrupt as the three were currently engaged in conversation. Sibilla was the first to notice me.

“Come here, child. Take a seat,” she instructed.

I hastily obeyed, bowing quickly before sitting across from the three. My heart was about to beat out of my chest.

“Sibilla tells me you can talk to all dragons, is this true?” Ralph asked sharply.

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“Speak up girl!” He slammed a hand on the table, causing me to jump and Sibilla to side-eye him distastefully.

“Yes!” I near shouted, earning a few irate glances by scholars, students, and Sibilla alike.

“Sibilla also tells me your parents sold you to the fortress, is this true?”

I had no idea where he was going with this line of questioning. “Yes?” I said hesitantly, uncertain of what to do. I glanced at Sibilla for help, but she simply gave an encouraging smile.

“And now I have also just found out that only Sibilla, Godrick, and I believe…what’s the name of the woman leading the servants? Ashanti?”

“Ashari,” Sibilla corrected him.

“Yes, Ashari. I found out that only Sibilla, Godrick, and Ashari” –and he sneered here– “know about your gift. Imagine my surprise when something of this magnitude is kept a secret between the current Chieftess, the former Chief, and a simple servant. Almost like a conspiracy!” He cocked his head, giving me a calculating look. “Tell me, child, do you think I should have been told?”

“Yes,” I said, quickly nodding my head as well. “The Chief should be kept aware of all matters in Dragonspire.” I don’t know why he was angry with me, but if sucking up to him will help me out then I’ll suck up good. Everyone knows that Ralph had an ego that enjoyed being stroked.

“Exactly!” he cried out, slapping the table again and earning the irate glances this time. “Even a simple serving child knows this. So, tell me Sibilla how you did not?”

Oh, dear. I didn’t like where this was going, and I could definitely see Julian also being uncomfortable.

“She’s a child that was sold to us. Even you would have dismissed the possibility,” she answered calmly.

He chuckled, a chilling sound. “You’re not wrong. In fact, before we continue this little meeting, I’d like to test the girl’s so-called gift myself. You don’t mind, do you?” he asked.

I was given the impression that it didn’t matter if I minded or not, so I simply shook my head.

“Talk to Mazanth then,” he said, leaning back in his seat. Despite his calm, relaxed posture, his eyes were alive with both excitement and interest, and I felt like a prey being watched by a predator.

I had no idea where Mazanth, his Warmaster, was. “It’d be easier if he talked to me first,” I said, fidgeting under his penetrative gaze.

He glanced at Sibilla lazily, an eyebrow raised in a “see, I told you so” manner. “So, you can’t communicate to them first then?” he asked.

“I just don’t know where he is. It’s harder for me to find a distinct voice if I don’t know where to look.” It was true. If I searched without a direction, I’d be slammed with so many voices that I feared I might go mad. It had nearly happened before during the times where I had first learned to use my gift. I learned that knowing where to look helped build a barrier against those other voices and reveal the one I was looking for, almost like tuning.

“He is currently on the fields watching Priyana. Can you find him now?”

“I can try.” I closed my eyes and left, searching for Mazanth. I could hear a dull roar in my ears, a few stray thoughts flickering in and out of focus and the beginnings of a headache forming as I beat back the rising noise. I reached the fields calling for Mazanth and he came quickly.

I am here he said. His mental voice was rich and baritone. There was raw power and command in it. It was a voice that befitted the Emperor dragon of Dragonspire Fortress.

You are Mazanth, current Emperor of Dragonspire Fortress. Your rider is Ralph, current Chief of Dragonspire Fortress. You sired the new Queen with Shegil, the now Empress Dowager Queen of Dragonspire Fortress. Is this correct? I said, less for confirmation and more so that he knew I was aware.

Correct he said, sounding pleased that I knew he was the one who had produced the new Queen with Shegil.

Can you please inform Chief Ralph of our conversation? I asked him and upon his acknowledgement I left. I returned and opened my eyes, my vision swimming briefly and my head feeling like it was going to split in two. My hands rose up to hold my head together.

“Well, well, well. Consider me impressed. Sibilla was right, you do have the gift. Do you know what that means now, girl?” Ralph asked. I glanced up in time to see him returning to focus from his own secret conversation with Mazanth.

“That I could become a Speaker?” I asked and winced as talking seemed to make my head throb more.

A steaming cup was pushed in front of me, and I looked up, meeting Julian’s gaze. “Drink this,” he said. “It will help.”

I slowly released my head and grabbed the steaming cup, lifting it shakily to my mouth. I took a sip and promptly spat it back out into the cup. It was bitter and disgusting! Sibilla frowned at my poor display of manners and Ralph looked disgusted. I couldn’t blame him; I was disgusted too.

“What is this?” I asked Julian.

“Medicine. It’ll help with the pain brought on by the overstimulation of your psyche,” he explained.

Under his encouraging gaze, I took another sip and this time forced it down. I’d like to say that from my experience, medicine never works immediately. I remember all the times I had gotten sick and Ashari or Sibilla would tend to me with herbs and remedial drinks, and I would never feel better immediately despite their efforts. But this…whatever it was…instantly beat back the pain, cocooning my mind it felt like in a warm cozy blanket.

“It works,” I said, peering into the cup with wide eyes. The liquid was greenish brown and smelled almost like a sickly-sweet version of junas. That sweet smell was such a lie, masking the intense bitterness!

“Indeed,” he began as soon as he saw my face relax. “Now, I don’t believe we have formerly met though I recognize you as the young girl serving at the feast.” I nodded my head and he smiled gently. “I’m Julian Levock, the Speaker for Dragonspire Fortress. And you are?” he prompted.

“Raiya Marlo,” I said.

“A pleasure to meet you, Raiya. Now tell me, do you know what a Speaker is? What purpose they serve?”

“I, um, sort of know. They can talk to all dragons, so the fortresses created a role to better serve that gift. Um, I think they…” I trailed off, glancing at Sibilla because though I sort of remembered the conversation we had a few days ago, I didn’t remember exactly why the fortresses wanted to use the gift. She ignored my silent plea for help, smiling encouragingly at me instead.

“Yes, this is true,” he said, nodding his head. “Speakers are gifted people who can talk to all dragons. In fact, there is a ton of historical speculation on the origin of these enhanced individuals with one of the more prominent theories being that they are descendants of the people who first communicated with the native dragons of Geria so many centuries ago when they had come to colonize this planet.”

Ralph and Sibilla exchanged uneasy glances, but I was instantly curious. My mouth hung open slightly and I hadn’t realized I had begun to lean forward until my chest bumped the table.

“So, how did others learn to talk to the dragons that are their Bonded?” I asked.

“When we obtained the first few eggs, with permission of course, from the dragons, we did a lot of genetic modification on them. I am not particular on the details as the texts have long since been lost to us and the technology we have today is limited in comparison to back then. However, I do know that one of the modifications was enhancing the telepathic capabilities of the dragons. Do you know what that means?” I shook my head no. “It means that it is the dragons who forge the mental communications link. Many believe now that when a pair Bonds, the Bond is what establishes that mental link between the two, but I believe that isn’t the case. I believe it is the dragons, upon the initial Bonding, who forges the mental link, and they are the ones residing in the mind of their riders. They are the ones reading the thoughts of their riders and sending their own thoughts directly into the mind. It is never the rider sending it. Does that make sense?”

Not really. It sounded extremely complicated. I glanced at Sibilla, my face hopefully broadcasting my confusion to her.

Clearly it worked because she turned to Julian and said, “She’s only ten, Julian.”

His mouth dropped open, and he looked at me with wide eyes. “Oh! I had thought she was older since she is so well-spoken. I apologize for my little tangent then. I’m deeply passionate about dragons you see, and the connection we share between them if you couldn’t tell!” He laughed slightly and I laughed alongside him. I was really beginning to like him.

“I like dragons too, but they are kind of scary when up close. I always think they’re gonna eat me,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

Julian nodded his head gravely. “Yes, they can be quite scary when they want to be. But these dragons have been modified to not view humans as food. They’ll only kill if commanded by their rider, but we haven’t had any of that happen since the old days when there was a lot of war happening. With the treaty in place now, we won’t have to worry about that again.”

“So can she be trained?” Ralph interjected, impatient to finish up.

“Yes, yes! From what I can tell she exhibits a lot of the traits we look for in Speakers. In fact, I believe she’d have also made an excellent rider herself if circumstances had been more favorable for her class-wise. She is a little younger than I’d like, but we can work around it.”

“When can you start teaching her then?” Sibilla asked.

“I’d like to start tomorrow if possible. Does that sound alright with you Raiya?”

I nodded my head. “Yes, if Lady Denali doesn’t mind letting me go.”

“Perfect. I’d like to do training in the evenings. We’ll meet here in the library. Is that alright?”

“Yes. Should I bring anything?” I asked.

“Just yourself,” he said with a smile.

“You may leave now Raiya, we have important things to discuss,” Sibilla said, dismissing me with her own smile.

I nodded my head and returned the smile quickly before rising and leaving the table. As I walked away, I could feel their stares all the way out through to the hall. When I turned back to look at them, they had already put their heads close together, talking confidently amongst each other. I was about to turn back around when Ralph glanced up and locked eyes with me. I felt a chill run through me as I saw the dark interest in his eyes and broke the connection, turning and fleeing back to the safety of Lady Denali’s chambers. I knew I had to avoid him at all costs.