Pressure stirred on my chest, and suddenly I realized I wasn’t alone.

A small, warm body curled against my heart, scales gleaming gold as the sun fell toward the water. She was trembling, so I stretched out my hand and held her in place as I sat up, careful of the sharp scales against my fragile human skin.

LaLa uncurled herself and gazed up at me, her eyes bright and gold and perfect. She gave a small meep, and though I couldn’t feel her worry as I used to, it was clear in her posture and tone, and the way she tilted her head.

“I wish I’d been faster to get to you,” I whispered.

She just looked at me, clicking.

Gently, I stroked down her spine, gazing at this little miracle. She’d found me here. Even without my dragon soul, she’d found me and planted herself on her favorite place to sleep.

It would be different between us—between me and all the dragons—but if LaLa could find me, if she was with me now, then there was hope. Other people, like Ilina and her family, understood dragons just fine. And hadn’t that been what I’d done before all of this? Read body language, found ways to train and communicate together? I just had to go back to that. It wouldn’t be the same, but I hadn’t lost dragons completely.

And it wasn’t only me. Everyone’s god gifts were gone now. Everyone would need to compensate for the lack of divine abilities if they wanted to survive in this new world.

“We’ll be all right,” I whispered, and kissed LaLa’s nose.

She yawned and jumped to the ground, where she shoved her face into the sand and blew fire. Then she jerked her head back, as though surprised that fiery sand was hot.

It felt strange between us still, like a wall had been erected between my mind and hers. But I’d come to know other people in spite of walls; overcoming this would be no different.

I watched LaLa play for a bit longer, and just as I was gathering myself to head inland and look for other people, a ship appeared on the horizon.

Hope stirred through me as I found my feet, scooping LaLa out of the sand. As the ship grew closer, LaLa surged into the air with frantic squeaks and chitters, and I lifted my arms in greeting. Gifts or no gifts, I knew who was coming.

The ship was the Chance Encounter; I’d know Captain Pentoba’s colors anywhere. But even without that, my soul pulled in the direction of the people I loved. I couldn’t see them from this distance, but I could feel the way our hearts aligned as my friends spotted me standing here on this beach. Waves drowned out their happy cries, but I could see their excitement in the way they jumped and waved.

As afternoon eased into evening, the ship pulled closer and boats were lowered into the water. LaLa and Crystal were playing in the air between us, blowing fire and clicking at one another like two little gossips, while I let my imagination run wild with our futures.