Shaking the gore off her claws, Laira turned to see Maev standing over the corpses of two Widejaws, both back in human form. The green dragon stared at Laira, smoke rising from her nostrils.

"That," said Maev, "is how we treat the enemies of Requiem."

"That," said Laira, "almost got us killed."

The green dragon advanced toward Laira, eyes narrowed and nostrils puffing out smoke. The dragon's every movement spoke of menace. "We're alive. They're dead." Maev snarled. "I'm a warrior. You are too; your claws and fangs are drenched in blood. I will no longer cower."

Laira was a smaller dragon, but she refused to back away. She glared at her stepdaughter and hissed, puffing smoke against the green dragon's snout.

"Next time, Maev, you will listen to me and hide. I am your queen, and I am your stepmother, and—"

"You are nothing to me!" Maev shouted. She tossed back her head and roared.

"Hush!" Laira ground her teeth. "You'll alert the other sphinxes to—"

"Good!" Maev blasted flame skyward. "Let them hear! Let them see my beacon. Let them come and die! You cannot stop me, Laira. You cannot! Things were fine before you joined us." Tears filled Maev's eyes, but she still growled and her claws dug into the earth. "We lived in the escarpment. We were safe. Then you drew the rocs toward us. Then your father sent demons to slay us. Now the sphinxes tore Requiem apart, and they might have killed everyone else, and it's your fault again, Laira. Your fault!" Maev blasted more flame, hitting a tree. The forest burned around them. "And to make things worse, you took my father from me. And now he could be dead." Tears flowed down Maev's scaly cheeks. "Queen? Mother? You are only a menace. You destroyed my family."

Laira's anger flowed away. She felt deflated. As scattered flames flickered around her, she released her magic.

The green dragon snorted before her, chest heaving, smoke rising. Laira stepped forward in human form, embraced Maev's snout, and laid her head against the dragon's scales.

"I'm sorry, Maev," Laira whispered. "I'm sorry. I love you. I love you very much."

The green dragon trembled. More hot smoke blasted out. And then suddenly Maev was in human form again, embracing Laira, crushing her in her arms. Maev's tears fell, dampening Laira's hair.

"I'm sorry too, Laira." Maev squeezed her desperately like a drowning woman clinging to a floating log. "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean what I said. Forgive me."

Laira smiled tremulously and touched Maev's cheek. "You meant it. And I'm glad you said it. It's out of you now. Just know that I'm sorry, that I never meant to bring evil to your doorstep, and I understand how you feel. But I love you and I hope we can be like a true family—not like a stepmother and daughter, but more like sisters. Sisters of Requiem."