“Are we going to go to the arena or what?” Clover asked through pants.
“Yes,” Hadrian and Kerrigan said together.
They finally pushed out of the crowded alleyways and to the entrance of the arena, which loomed in the shadow of the mountain. She panted as she stared up at the giant construction. They were late. They were so late.
Hadrian led the way to the box that was reserved for the House of Dragons. He opened the door, looked around once for Mistress Moran, the keeper and guardian of all Dragon Blessed, and then when he saw no one, ushered them inside.
A figure stood pacing anxiously in the darkness. She jumped when the door opened and her midnight eyes rounded into saucers “Kerrigan!” she gushed, throwing her arms around her roommate.
“Darby,” Kerrigan said with a laugh.
Darby laughed demurely and released her. “Hadrian, here to save the day, as usual. Where was she?”
Hadrian rolled his eyes and then gestured to Clover standing behind her. Clover’s hands were in the pockets of her black slacks. She still wore the red button-up shirt and black vest that denoted she worked for Dozan.
“Hi, Clover,” Darby said, ducking her chin to her chest at the sight of her long-time crush.
“Hey, Darbs,” Clover said with a wink.
“If Mistress Moran sees her in that outfit…” Hadrian said with a sigh, pressing his fingers to his temples. “I should have told you to change.”
“Hey, no sweat off my back, sweetheart,” Clover said, retreating into street slang as she put up a defensive position against Hadrian.
No matter how often they were together, he always raised her hackles.
“I brought an extra set of clothes,” Darby said hastily. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a frock. She shrugged as she glanced at Kerrigan “They were for you.”
“Perfect,” Kerrigan cried and snatched the clothes up to give to Clover.
“I’m not sure I’d say it’s perfect,” Hadrian muttered.
Kerrigan slung an arm around Darby as Clover went to change.
“Did we miss anything?” Kerrigan asked.
“Just a few speeches. We should hurry so we don’t miss the dragon presentations.”
Though Kerrigan had many reasons to distrust this world, Darby and Hadrian certainly weren’t part of that. Together, they were her rock.
Hadrian the straight-laced practical type, who always sighed when she ran straight into danger. And Darby her perfectly coiffed and manicured healer, who never fled from the sight of blood and at the same time somehow, wanted to be a lady in a royal court.
Darby was truly her opposite in every way. Soft and lithe with midnight skin instead of hard and fit and spattered in freckles. Long, straight black hair and depthless black eyes while Kerrigan had her mess of tangled curls, and her eyes were so green, they rivaled the emeralds mined in the north. Darby was soft-spoken, ever polite, and the best in their year for all things dancing, etiquette, and propriety.
“Let me see what I can do with your hair,” Darby said, settling Kerrigan into a seat.
“And my nose,” Kerrigan muttered. “I think it’s broken.”
Darby sighed. “This will hurt.”
“Just do it.”
She reached up, pressing her fingers to Kerrigan’s nose. Then, a crack sounded out again in the quiet. Kerrigan bit her lip to keep from crying out. It hurt just as bad as when she’d broken it.
“I wish I knew how to do more with my healing magic,” Darby lamented.
“You’ve come such a long way. At least my nose won’t be crooked.”
Darby laughed as she set Kerrigan down to try to control her curls. “I suppose that’s a benefit.”
Then, Clover stepped out of the shadows in an oatmeal-colored tunic dress with a black belt wrapped tight around her narrow waist, accentuating her curvy figure. A long, tarnished gold chain was tucked into the front.
Kerrigan felt more than heard Darby’s breath catch at the sight of Clover. She squeezed her friend’s hand.
Darby had confided to Kerrigan that she liked girls years ago. But Kerrigan had never seen Darby have a crush until they started hanging out with Clover a year ago.
“I look like an idiot,” Clover said, breaking the silence. She plucked at the dress.
“You look great,” Kerrigan reassured her.
Just then, a cheer rose up from the stadium. They jumped at the noise and raced to the front of the House of Dragons box where the rest of the Dragon Blessed were congregated. Hadrian elbowed his way to the front and they all gazed out across the sand-strewn arena.
The arena was a long oval construction with graduated stands that went up and up and up. Besides the House of Dragons box on floor level, there were a series of boxes high above the rest of the stadium crowd where the master of ceremonies and the wealthy aristocracy could watch the proceedings.
“What’s happening?” Darby asked from Kerrigan’s side.
And then they got their answer. A dragon swooped down into the stadium and another roar rushed through the crowd.