“Draconas was the one who gave Anora the idea; ironic, isn’t it? I decided to experiment on Melisande, and you were the result, turning out far better than my expectations. I decided to see if I could emulate my success, and I mated with several females who were strong in the magic. One child out of that first group of ten survived to adulthood—your sister, Sorrow The next year, several more survived, as the holy sisters learned how to care for the infants. They are magnificent, aren’t they? Your brothers and sisters?”

“For monsters,” Ven returned.

He hadn’t meant to say that. The words slipped out before he was aware of them. He was ashamed the moment he’d spoken. He didn’t want to feel that way. He didn’t want to hate them, as he hated himself.

Grald took a step nearer, moving into the light, so that his eyes seemed to kindle and catch fire. Ven didn’t like anyone coming that close to him, and he almost took a step backward. He then realized that this would look like weakness, and he held his ground.

Grald’s mouth twisted. He glowered down at Ven.

“I raised your siblings to be proud of who and what they are. They are the future of mankind. The future of dragonkind.”

“How can they be the future of both when they are neither?” Ven asked. “And neither dragons nor men will have anything to do with them.”

He couldn’t understand why he was saying such things. He had not come here intending to insult his father. He’d come here to talk to him. The reason was Grald. Something about the man made Ven nervous. Perhaps it was the way the dragon lay so still outside Ven’s cave, no longer trying to force his way in. Almost as if he knew it was just a matter of time . . .

“You should know the answer to that,” Grald stated. “You are stronger, smarter than any human born. What’s more, you have the ability to live in the human world and in the dragon world. You can communicate mind-to-mind, a feat no human can perform. You have the ability to wield the dragon-magic.”

“No, I don’t,” said Ven perversely.

“You do,” Grald reiterated. The eyes in the shadow of the brow were laughing at him. Grald was baiting him, and that further irritated Ven. “You choose not to. But that will change.”

“I don’t see how we are going to be the future of dragonkind,” Ven said, ignoring the lure. “Dragons must be as repulsed by us half-dragons as humans. Maybe more.”