A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(153)

I also needed to speak to Morgan, to let him know what had happened. And I wanted to hear my parents’ voices. To let them know we were alive. That we’d done what we’d come to Mashallaha to do.

So, yes. The very last thing I wanted to do was see Vadoma.

But it didn’t matter.

She was waiting for us in front of her carriages, Ruv at her side. He’d cleaned up, face scrubbed, wearing soft-looking trousers. He was shirtless and had a red-and-green band wrapped around his right bicep. He was smiling quietly as we approached.

Even Vadoma looked happy, which was weird. In the time that I’d known her, she’d never looked happy. Not like she did now. It was disconcerting, like she knew something we didn’t. It reminded me of a predator.

We were ushered to the front of the crowd, the gypsies gathering behind us. I kept my hand in Ryan’s, silently daring her to say anything about it. And I wasn’t going to be the first one to speak here. If this was a game to her, then I was going to try and maintain the upper hand.

I didn’t have to wait long.

“Welcome back,” she said, her voice carrying out into the crowd. “I have been informed of your success.”

I remembered my training. I bowed my head in deference. Morgan would have been proud. “We did indeed achieve what we set out to do.”

“And the desert dragon has committed itself to your cause?”

“He has, yes,” I said.

She didn’t even flinch at the warning in my voice. “Then you have begun the journey that has been placed before you. I have seen this path. I have seen the future and the possible outcomes. This is but one step in your ascension.”

“My ascension?” I said, confused. “Into what?”

Her smile widened. “Into the wizard that you are supposed to become.” Her eyes flickered over my companions, resting on Ryan briefly before she looked at me. “Though I’m sure the components of your journey can still be… negotiated.”

“Oh, is she trying to be undercover salty?” Gary muttered behind me. “Because Gary is starting to feel the need to bring the pain.”

And because I didn’t think Unicorn Rage was something we wanted to deal with right at the moment, I said, “Perhaps you and I can speak in private. To discuss these… components.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ryan whispered.

“Trust me on this,” I said quietly. “I know what I’m doing.”

He snorted. “You never know what you’re doing.”

“Rude,” I said. “But mostly true.”

“But of course,” Vadoma said. “There is nothing more I want than to speak to my grandson about the future. Come, chava. As for the rest of you, we have much to celebrate! Let us show our guests how much we appreciate the lengths they go to for the people of Verania.”

The gypsies cheered around us.

They sounded bright and happy.

It still felt like an illusion.




WE WERE alone when she said, “You must be tired after your travels. I won’t take much of your time.” She sat behind her desk and folded her hands in front of her.

I sat in the chair across from her desk. My legs were sore. I had sand in places I didn’t want to think of. And so I don’t know that I could be blamed when I said, “You can drop the act now. We’re alone, and we both know I’m not buying what you’re selling.”

She chuckled. “Is it so hard to believe I am happy for your return?”

“Anybody else, I would say no. Of course not. But you’re not anybody else. You’re the phuro. The seer. The manipulator.”

The smile faded into a more calculating look. It was chilling how quickly it happened. One moment she was the loving grandmother, and the next she was a hardened leader capable of squashing anyone who got in her way. I wasn’t concerned. I’d faced worse than her and come off the better. She wasn’t a villain, but she wasn’t someone I would trust. Not now. Probably not ever.

“I keep having to remind myself you’re smarter than they say,” she said. “It’s… surprising.”

I shrugged. “You can’t always believe what you hear.”

“Oh, I am aware,” she said. “But I don’t think you realize just how much is said about you, Sam of Wilds.”

“I am the future King’s Wizard. People know my name.”

She shook her head. “You mistake my meaning. Yes, they know your name. They whisper it amongst each other. But do you know what is truly said about you?”

“I don’t know that I care.”

She scoffed. “That’s certainly not true. Everyone does, no matter if they speak to the contrary. Especially you, who will be a leader amongst men. How can you say you don’t care about the will of the people?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You implied it.” She sat back in her chair. It creaked beneath her. “Most are in awe of you. Whether it be because of your magic or because of your rise from such… humble beginnings, there is a fascination with you. It doesn’t hurt that you carry with you a tongue of silver. There is an irony in calling me a manipulator when you are well-versed in the same, no?”

And as much as I wanted to disagree with her, to shoot her down, we both knew it would have been a lie. Because I did manipulate, even if I wasn’t thinking of it in that way at the time. I’d talked my way out of many a dangerous situation, turned the tables until I had the advantage. It wasn’t as nefarious as she was implying, but I wasn’t an innocent party in this.