Lia’s Reviews > Threshing Day > Status Update

"I don't understand."
"Not yet, but you will." She pushes against my hand. "For now, you will heal. You will grow. You will learn. And I promise that while you are the last of your line in this moment, you will never be alone again. You will never see a sunrise where I am not waiting for you."

My lips part. She's a Red Daggertail, just like Deigh was, and she looks remarkably similar to Liam's figurine. "You're Deigh's sister?"
"I am, and just as he chose Liam, I choose you, Sloane Mairi."
“I am, and just as he chose Liam, I choose you, Sloane Mairi."

"You lost your brother at Resson." Her voice is sweeter than I
imagined a dragon having.
"I did." I turn to face her fully.
"As did I." She lowers her head, but it doesn't feel threatening. "The
dragons of my line have long chosen the riders of yours."

Thoirt. My heart jolts, and I feel a click deep within my soul, as if something slipped into the broken place and sealed a leaking crack, making life just a fraction more bearable.
Her head swivels toward us, and she growls in Aetos's direction. She's strawberry red, with glistening scales, formidable claws, and might just be the most beautiful dragon I've ever seen.

Dain Atos hovers above me, one hand braced on the ground to
my right, the other splayed across my back, as though he-
My eyes fly wide. He sheltered me from the worst of the impact.
He knocked me out of the way. He's holding me against his torso like I'm something he needs to protect.
But I know better.
"Get off me!"

"Good." He lifts his head to stare down at me. "You enjoy the tree.
Good. I chose it on purpose. I have seen them in your memories of your home. You favor the ones on the southern hillside, do you not? I find them cumbersome to hunting, but humans seem to like them."

I begin carving the figurine's snout. Funny, I've never seen him so obviously obsessed over a woman. He's never been one for attachments, and he barely tolerated Cat during the times I'd seen them together last year. Thank the gods that arrangement fell through, because it looks like my brother might have finally met his match. Good. He needs someone to crack open the impossibly thick walls he's built -

"What's wrong?" I ask as he lets go of me.
"Two words as usual this year. Violet. Fucking. Sorrengail. Five-foot-nothing pain in my ass just got herself involved with Sgaeyl's pet. I'll see you on the flight field, Liam." He strides away, disappearing into the trees to the west.
"That's three words,"

"You are," he insists.
"Am not." I shake my head.
"Are too." He narrows his eyes.
"See? Look at us. You're mentally five years old." I throw my hands
out at my sides.
"If I'm five, then you're four."

"I would have repeated another year if I knew you would be waiting for me at the end of it."
"Quit waxing poetic before you embarrass us both, and hold on." My hands grasp onto his pommel scales, and I grin as he heaves
us into the sky.