Yenni’s eyebrows raised. “I cannot make you better. I have neither the power nor the will to do so.” She poked him in the chest. “You are choosing to change. Furthermore, I am not perfect either.”

“You are,” Weysh murmured, bringing her hand to his lips.

She smiled. “Weh-sheh?”

“Yes, my heart?”

“I am glad I did not kill you that day when you flew me into the cave.”

Weysh chuckled. Coming from Yenni that was as good as a declaration of undying love.

“Me too, lovely, me too.”

Isaac came around a few more times to chat with Weysh and see to their needs, and eventually Suli tore himself away from the kitchen to visit. It didn’t seem to matter to the old cook that he owned one of the most popular restaurants in the city; he said his place was in front of the stove and that would never change. He left the business end of things to his eldest daughter and her husband.

Weysh grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the older Island man. He was light skinned with a slight paunch in his belly and a ring of close-cropped, salt-and-pepper hair that refused to grow past the middle of his skull. He’d always reminded Weysh of his grandfather. The minute Weysh saw Suli coming, he stood: nothing less than a bear hug in greeting would satisfy the old man.

“Weysh!” he said in his gravelly voice. “Is you come to eat out meh whole kitchen, en?”

He gave Weysh a couple of affectionate thumps on the back and let him go.

Then he turned to Yenni. “Good evening,” she said. “I am Yenni Aja-Nifemi ka Yirba.” She stood and held out her arm like a proper lady, then gasped as Suli swept her up in a hug as well. Her shocked eyes met Weysh’s, and he had to bite down on his lips to keep from laughing.

“Welcome, welcome!” said Suli.

He stayed and chatted as well, expressing similar shock that Yenni was from the Moonrise Isles. “Imagine,” he said. “Is tree hundred years dis war done, an’ Sunrise Isles an’ Moonrise Isles stay like oil an’ water. You know who is to blame for dat, en?”

As with Isaac, Weysh did not tell Suli that Yenni was his Given. Things were going remarkably well, and he didn’t want to put Yenni on the spot and upset her.

“What a pair, de first woman of the Moonrise Isles to study in Cresh, an’ de world’s only Island dragon.”

“Oh!” Yenni exclaimed, as if the thought had just occurred to her. But Weysh sighed. Suli was fond of telling everyone Weysh was the world’s only Island dragon.

“For the Blessing of Byen, Suli. I keep telling you my dragon side is Creshen. The creature that sired me is certainly not an Islander.”

“You is a dragon?” Suli asked.

“Yes.”

“An’ you is an Islander?”

“Of course.”