“Yes, I’m sure you are sorry,” said Yenni. “Especially as I have no intention of flying with you.” No matter how exhilarating it had been. No matter that once she was home she would never get the chance to fly like that again.

He made that low gurgling noise once more, and though he was a beast, a very human sadness was plain in his eyes. “Oh Mothers and Fathers,” Yenni sighed. She touched her stomach: not a hint of reaction from the Masters’ protection rune. Still, she didn’t quite trust him.

“No,” she said with finality.

Dragon stood and bobbed his head sadly, then swung it to the side as if to say, This way. He turned and started away.

“What is this, Dragon?” said Yenni jogging to keep up with his great, stalking strides. He led her around the tall gray columns of the library to a wide dirt path dappled by the evening shadows of the trees. “Where are you taking—oh!” They emerged and Yenni found herself facing an expanse of white among a field of wildflowers. Dragon sank back on his haunches and waited, expectant.

“You wanted to show me this place?” she asked him. He nodded, one slow bow of his great head. Then he motioned to the sea of white ahead and grunted as if to say, Well, go on, then.

Yenni moved forward to inspect the strange scene before her, and gasped softly as realization dawned. It was a pond covered in gigantic white water flowers, each one as big as her middle. Yenni stopped at the pond’s edge and stared, amazed, while the dragon slunk up next to her and drank, disturbing the water flowers and sending them spinning away.

“Dragon, it’s beautiful!”

He turned and bowed to her again, and Yenni clenched her fist behind her to keep from stroking his face.

He sank to a sitting position, watching her. Yenni sat cross-legged beside him, and sighed as a light breeze caressed her face and ruffled the grass around her. The dragon responded with a low, contented rumble and flattened his head to the ground next to her, facing the pond. A few other students sat scattered on the grass around the pond, many of them couples.

“There is much and more to learn about Cresh,” said Yenni. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Birds twittered as the evening sun painted the sky in shades of amber, and Dragon’s slow breathing soothed her, made her eyes heavy. It was the most peace she’d had since coming to Cresh. A part of her wanted to lean against him, as she would have with her field sphinx, but that would not have been wise. He was not Ofa, and he was not some gentle beast. He was a man. A brash, rude, presumptuous man. And yet . . .