Dorvin fumed and began to object, flailing his arms. He strutted a few steps toward Maev, chest thrust out like a rooster, and Maev growled and raised her fists, prepared to pummel some sense into the boy.

If I must travel west with this pup, she thought, I will tame him now.

Alina, however, rushed forward and placed herself between the two. The young druid slammed down her staff, and the crystal on its crest blasted out light.

"Enough!" She glared at Maev and Dorvin in turn. "Demons scour the world to slay us. Let us not do their job for them. We've lingered here long enough and we must move. With every breath danger draws nearer." The druid took a few steps back and shifted, becoming a slim dragon, her scales the same lavender as her robes. She beat her wings and took flight. "Dorvin! Maev! Save your strength for the demons. Now come, we fly."

With that, the lavender dragon began flying west, leaving a trail of smoke.

Still standing below, Dorvin gave Maev a wink, a crooked smile, and a nudge from his elbow. "See if you can catch up, Mammoth Arse." He leaped into the air, became a silver dragon, and flew after his sister.

Maev felt like she didn't even have to turn into a dragon to blast out smoke. Mammoth arse! She would shove him up the next mammoth arse they crossed. She made to leap up, shift into a dragon, and chase the damn boy and his starry-eyed sister, but her eyes fell upon her father, and she paused. All day, Jeid had been stern and somber, yet now he seemed . . . Maev tilted her head.

He seems afraid.

She stared at him, her rage leaving her. She had never seen her father look afraid before. She hadn't known he could feel fear. She had seen him in mourning when Mother had died, then when Requiem—little Requiem after whom their kingdom was named—had died too. But not fear. And now she saw it in the stoop of his shoulders, the ghosts in his eyes, the tightness of his lips. Her anger left her, and she hugged him.

"Goodbye, Grizzly. I'll look after the pups."

Her brother approached slowly, hesitating. Maev had spent her life thinking Tanin a soft-headed fool, but now, with the world collapsing around her, she loved him so fully her chest ached. She stepped toward him and pulled him into a crushing hug, then rubbed her knuckles across his head.

"Be strong, Tanin," she said. "Don't be a halfwit. And try not to step on your tongue whenever you look at Issari." She punched his chest. "I won't be there to look after you for a while, so you better not mess things up."

He rubbed his chest, wincing. "I'll miss you too, Maev." He lowered his voice. "I love you, you warthog."