The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

Again.

I was going to start being offended if that kept happening.

“What do you think it means!” I yelled after him.

MIDWAY THROUGH the fourth week, the calling became too loud.

I knew what they were. What they wanted.

And I had no choice but to give it to them.

Chapter 12: The Mated Northern Dragons

“AND JUST where do you think you’re going?”

I froze at the main entrance to the castle, my pack hoisted on my shoulder. It was the middle of the night, and I thought I’d been so sneaky. I should have realized that Randall was a creepy-ass stalker.

I turned slowly to look at him. He stood near the staircase, arms crossed over his chest, robes flowing gracefully. “Heeyyy, dude. What is up?”

He arched an eyebrow at me.

“You got insomnia?” I asked. “That’s an old-person thing, right? Insomnia.” I frowned. “Maybe I mean incontinence.”

“Do you ever tire of hearing your own voice?”

I shrugged. “It’s pretty much the only one I’ve got, so.”

“What are you doing?”

“Going for a walk?”

“Try again.”

“Going for a long walk?”

“Last chance.”

I sighed. “Fine. I’m going to the dragons because their voices are getting really loud in my head, and if I don’t go to them, they’ll come to me, and I really don’t want them to be super pissed off at me more than they already are.”

“Is anything ever easy with you?”

“My hair,” I said promptly. “I just rolled out of bed and it looks like this. Great, right?”

He uncrossed his arms and took a step toward me. “Sam, what could have possibly possessed you to think this was a good idea?”

“Hey! I have good ideas.”

He waited.

“Sometimes,” I amended. “But. This is…. I can’t wait for the others to get here. I don’t want to wait for them.”

“Why?”

I shook my head. “You didn’t… you didn’t see the dream. Ryan was scared. They scared him. And I don’t want to run the risk of anything happening to him. Or Gary and Tiggy and Justin. Kevin is injured and can’t even fly. I just—I need to do this. Now. I need to get this done and over with. Now.”

“You promised him. Kevin told you to wait, and you promised him.”

I winced as I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah. He’s not going to be real happy with me. Probably.”