Frey had sent three, and seeing their huge, dark shapes, webbed wings, long necks and tails, and spiking scales flying through the night sky sent a chill down Melisse’s spine.

But when they opened their mouths and rained fire on the castle, she winced and turned her head against the blinding brightness of the orange-red blaze.

The heat wafted toward them so strong, it blew back her hair and made her brace her feet to stay standing.

She heard the calls and shouts of shock and fear all about her.

These along with what sounded like suffocated explosions, as if they began and ended in the blink of an eye.

When the heat ceased as quickly as it came, she opened her eyes to see the dragons rounding in the air to fly back to where they came.

And the village raced to Riverburn Castle.

Much more slowly, Melisse, Lena, Jorie and his males followed them.

Jorie and his trident got them through the crowd to the front.

Indeed, Jorie, with his trident, the crowd parted for them.

And they stood, staring at the three, long, wide, deep craters of scorched earth with their still-glowing embers that used to be Riverburn, but now not even a stone of it remained.

“It is time to return,” Jorie decreed.

Lena moved to one of his males and latched onto him.

Melisse took hold of Jorie.

When he had his arm about her waist, Jorie heaved his trident through the air.

And in a whirl, they went with it.

146

The Visit

Teddy

The Town of Trevor’s Gorge

WODELL

“We will come back to this country, and often, when it is cold, so that we can enjoy drinking this.” Faunus lifted his earthenware mug filled with thick liquid chocolate cream. “And eat these.” He indicated the pile of pastries in the middle of the table that were laced with white icing, the flaky dough folded over thick, sweet cheese.

He turned a contented, but heating gaze to Teddy.

“And so we can curl up under heavy rugs in the chill of night with needs be to keep as close as possible in order to stay warm.”

Teddy enjoyed Faunus’s look, but he then shook his head at Saturn in a teasing way that he hoped would take Saturn out of his mood.

It failed.

Saturn scowled at Teddy and reached to the pile of pastries. And although Teddy wasn’t counting, he believed that would be Saturn’s fifth.