Rhianon-8. War and Magic. Natalie Yacobson

a beautiful blond creature, not a beast as sparkling as a jewel. It beckoned her into a world of forbidden knowledge, and Rhianon was ready to enter it.

      When the spirit had finally completed its task, she was already sitting in her bedroom, intoxicated by the knowledge she had gained. The sage dragon did not hesitate to agree to help her because he knew beforehand the power was on her side. He could foresee the future or his mind helped him utter prophecies. It didn’t matter to her, as long as he was on her side. Sometimes Rhianon saw a beautiful young man in his place, leaning over books. The vision usually lasted only a moment. It would seem strange to people. A richly dressed and handsome young man could not have been so keen on ancient scrolls, much less write them in someone else’s blood. Naturally, sorcery was involved.

      Already going through the witch potions she had stolen from Rothbert, she kept remembering her interactions with the dragon. She enjoyed her time in his tower. Perhaps she would visit him often, especially since he didn’t mind.

      «Why are you very late?» she scolded the spirit. He grumbled resentfully.

      «You could have done it yourself.»

      «I was busy elsewhere, you know. Did you get it all?» She didn’t seem to have too many bottles and jars. Now we’ll have to destroy it all. She couldn’t figure out how to use it all for her own purposes. Unless she could use magic to determine what was in which vial.

      «You can tell it by the scent,» the spirit advised.

      «What is it about here?» Rhianon gazed excitedly at the flasks, something fluttering inside.

      «You should destroy them now, unless you want them to spread all over the castle. I warn you, one day, they’ll be able to break the glass. Look, they’re gaining strength already.»

      Rhianon stared at the flask that was first in her hands. It looks like the spirit was right. Something green and large, with bulging eyes, was clawing at the glass. Soon the flask would be cramped. Rhianon, unable to stand her disgust, tossed the glass into the fireplace. The throw was accurate. The green creature from the shattered flask went straight into the flames, and most surprisingly in the fire it began to grow.

      «Quick, move the screen!» She demanded of the spirit. Grunting and complaining, he hurried to carry out the orders.

      «You shouldn’t do that, madam, they’re all easy to free.»

      «I’ve seen Rothbert release them into the sewage. Did he do that as a child?»

      «A villain from a young age is a villain,» said the spirit. «Humans, unlike us, it’s as if they were never innocent.»

      «Neither were you. Only he was,» Rhianon remembered Madael. One of the chests the spirit had brought, bright gold, looked so much like a piece of his armor. She flung open the lid, but strangely enough the trapped creature was cute. Rhianon beckoned to it, and it jumped out onto the table, spreading its thin wings gracefully.

      «It looked like a tiny dragon,» she remarked, peering at the pale gold skin and patterned tail. The expression on its face was a little treacherous, but it was cute all the same. «It looked like a toy made of gold. Cute,» she was already playing with him.»

      «And this one is real,» the spirit commented. «But it’s still dangerous to keep him. He may soon grow noticeably in size.»

      «I’ll keep this one, anyway,» Rhianon watched as her new pet sat down on an open book she had just borrowed from the dragon’s tower, examining the symbols painted on it. The scent of an unfading rose also attracted him, and he pulled it toward him with his paw.

      «What is about these?«The spirit asked about the flasks.

      «Throw them down into the chasm. Destroy them. You’ve got to think with your head for once.»

      After muttering something incomprehensible, the spirit obeyed. The flasks were gone, so he must have taken them to the abyss or somewhere else. The main thing was not in some water channel, where they could grow in peace. Rhianon had not had time to warn him of that, and now she had only to rely on his ingenuity.

      She was distracted by playing with her new pet. It was no bigger than a kitten, but it was beautiful. She had never imagined that a dragon could be so petite and so beautiful. It was as if it had been cast in pure gold and brought to life by magic. Its eyes sparkled like two aquamarines. The patterned wings twitched. The claws, too, were gold. And the hide reflected the moonlight. Not a monster, but a toy. She was glad she had stolen it and let it go.

      «You are priceless, little one,» she whispered, handing him a ribbon of her hair to play with. Despite his size, however, he proved surprisingly clever. Instead of playing the silly, helpless kitten, he studied the book and gathered glittering objects from the table to form his own little treasure chest. He, too, is beckoned by gems. So let him keep what he finds for himself.

      «Will you have somebody like him?» The spirit who had just returned asked nonchalantly. How could he have made it through the task so quickly? Rhianon shuddered in surprise.

      «I hope you brought them far from the castle, didn’t you?» She teased him.

      «They’re at the bottom of a chasm a long way from here, milady. And you have no intention of parting with the golden toy, have you?»

      «Don’t touch it,» Rhianon said, shielding her pet.

      «Tell that to sir Vivian,» snorted the spirit.»

      «Don’t worry. He won’t come into my chambers.»

      «But the little dragon might slip out.»

      «I’ll keep an eye on him,» Rhianon promised.

      «It’s difficult. He’s restless. What if someone sees him?»

      Rhianon was about to say that if she was to have a lover, it would be an angel, not a man, but she remembered Ferdinand. Though he was the least of her worries, he would mistake her new pet, like the harpy, for a charming overseas beast recently imported by merchants from distant lands. In general, he would be able to find a reasonable explanation for everything.

      «Would you like to give birth to one?» The spirit’s ominous whisper above her ear sent a chill down her spine.

      «Leave me alone,» she commanded.

      «But it can be so soon,» he kept repeating himself. «You will give birth to a dragon, beautiful and golden. Gold is his father’s color. The moment it comes into the world, Madael’s watch will chime, and he will know.»

      «Don’t you dare to speak his name. You mustn’t.»

      «I know.» He snapped back. «But I’ve already broken every possible rule for you. There’s nothing left to do now.»

      «Is it for me?» She looked incredulous. «Who am I to tell you that you have to do anything for me? You didn’t even see me before I came to Vinor. You were sitting here all alone, waiting for someone to pick on, and I was the only one who showed up. That’s all.»

      «You’re shortsighted.»

      «And you’re a bad kiss-ass. You can’t convince me that you were in love with me long before you saw me.»

      «Considering what you look like, none of us can help falling in love with you. You’re the kind of girl you can see from a distance. And it hurts to look at you, if you must know. It hurts to be far away from you, and you won’t let me be near you.»

      «I think it’s because of the baby,» she tried to comfort him. «If he really is his father’s son, he is your future lord. You see him in me, and your instinct to serve is working. You see it as love for me, but when Edwin is born, it will be different.»

      Edwin! This is the first time she has uttered his name. Rhianon had already promised the spirits that she would call him that. What is so magical about that name? And why did she think she would not give birth to a monster? After all, the invisible interlocutor had