But if she put up so much of a fight over a few ships, then she would never give me those dragon bones.

That didn’t change the fact that I needed the ships.

An ugly sensation crept up inside me.

I could heal the dragons, of that I was certain, but they would still be here in the empire. Away from their rising gods. Locked away for the empress’s menagerie.

What if they grew sick again?

Or what if they lived out the rest of their lives as her pets?

If I healed the dragons, I was choosing people over them.

If I didn’t heal the dragons, my people died, and so did the dragons.

Either way, the dragons lost.

“The high magistrate sent you dead dragons.” I made my voice into steel. “But I will heal them if you send ships. The gods are rising, and my people don’t have much time.”

“Neither do my dragons.”

I wanted to argue that they weren’t her dragons, because dragons belonged to no one but themselves, but I just nodded. Even now, the connections between them and me grew stronger; visions danced behind my eyes, faint suggestions of broad sky and jagged mountains, and a great link of an iron shackle. Bile burned up my throat; the dragons were chained down, strapped to the hard earth.

“Take me to them tomorrow.” I breathed around the dragons’ pain, reaching for my noorestone to soften the edges of their agony. It seemed unfair that I had the luxury of doing so, but I needed to focus, and I couldn’t—not with them in the back of my head. It was hard enough with the first dragon here. “But there is one thing you can do now.”

“What?” she asked.

“Have the keepers remove the chains.”

Her eyes widened with true surprise, but it was covered quickly. “How could you know about the chains? Did someone tell you?”

“The dragons showed me.” I drew a heavy breath. “I will need noorestones to heal them—the giant ones from the high magistrate’s ships should suffice—but they will be more comfortable without the chains, and perhaps I can help them in the meantime.”

“I’ll take you there,” she said. “First thing in the morning.”

“You’ll want my friend Ilina, as well. She’s incredible with dragons.” And, hopefully, her father would be there. She deserved to see him.

Empress Apolla nodded. “And your little dragons? Will you bring them, too?” There she was again—the real Apolla. “Perhaps they could bring the others comfort.”

“Perhaps,” I agreed. “We’ll bring them.”

“Good.” The empress nodded, and her gaze flickered beyond me. “Back to your stations.”

I glanced behind me and found all twenty of the guards with their swords drawn, points toward my back.

Because I’d stepped onto the empress’s dais, disrespecting her.

They’d only been waiting for her order.

“Let’s go to dinner,” she suggested, sweeping one arm toward the main floor.

I paused, considering what I’d just learned of her. And to allow myself to stand beside the first dragon just a moment longer.