The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

“So he hid this from you too?”

Randall sighed. “I have made my peace with it. He was never as Morgan is with you. He was not my friend. He was not my family. He did not care for me as Morgan cares for you.”

“So you say,” Pat chided. “You have not spoken to him in centuries. You know not of how he felt.”

Randall scowled at her. “I had a pretty good idea when he disappeared shortly after Myrin came into my life.”

And I could hear the anger then, in his voice, and knew the betrayal Randall had experienced went so much further than just Myrin. If Randall was telling the truth—and I had no reason to think he wasn’t, as preposterous as it sounded—it meant his mentor had known of the future, had known what it would bring.

The Great White had known what Myrin would become, and the dragon had let it happen without warning. It explained why it’d been so against Randall having a cornerstone.

The betrayal must have stung. Much like it had when they’d kept the truth from me. Gods, these circles we kept spinning in.

“And the Great White saying I wasn’t ready? You told me I needed to prove myself. That it would be enough.”

“I never said it would be enough. I said that you needed to believe in yourself. That when you stood before him, these four dragons pledged to your cause, that he would need to judge you worthy.”

“This… sucks.”

“Eloquent as always.”

“Dude. You and Morgan really suck. All those secrets and then you do the same to me? That was low, bro. So low.”

“And then you somehow decided to do the same,” Randall snarked. “Low blow, bro.”

“Ugh,” I said. “Old people. Stop stealing my youth!” I paused, considering everything I’d learned before shaking my head and sighing. “That must have really irked you when you heard I could speak to dragons. Like, here you are, probably growling in the forest at a dragon the size of a mountain, and then I come along, and I’m all like, what’s up, dude, and the dragons can all understand me.”

“Is it too late to go back up the mountain and forget we ever saw each other?” Pat asked.

“If you decide to go, take me with you,” Randall said.

“I’m like you,” I decided. “Except better. That’s gotta burn, Randall. A young, brave, handsome man like me coming in and doing all this cool shit while you had to be old and decrepit and probably dying a little. You know what? I feel better about a lot of things right now.”

“This is what destiny looks like,” Randall said to Pat.

“How terrible for us all,” she replied. “Mayhap it’s time you leave him to us to let us see what we see.”

“You can’t eat him.”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it. However, does he really need all of those limbs?” She grinned at me, fangs on display.

“Eep,” I squeaked, taking a step back. “Er. Um. I’d really rather keep all my limbs, if you don’t mind. I need them for walking and carrying things. I’m already down one as it is.” I showed her my sling, just in case she’d missed it.

“Fair point,” she said, leaning forward, looking more snakelike than she ever had before. “But you do not need the one between your legs for walking and carrying things. Possibly that one will suffice.”

“Uhh,” I said. “I would prefer to keep that one as well. But the fact that you called it a limb, of all things, is flattering. Thank you.”

“Leslie,” Pat said. “Get down from that youngling. It’s time for us to test the wizard.”

“I really don’t like the sound of that,” I whispered to myself.

Leslie spread her wings, cooing at Kevin one last time. Kevin, for his part, had melted into a gigantic puddle and barely even moved when she lifted off him to land beside her mate. Leslie rubbed her snout against Pat’s neck before she eyed me curiously. “He looks as if he’s petrified. Also confused. What an odd combination.”

“I will leave you to it, then,” Randall said, bowing at the feathered dragons. “Though, just as a word of warning, Sam’s friends tend to be rather vengeful, so it might be prudent to have him returned with all his bits and bobs attached as they are.”

“Pity, that,” Pat growled.

“Quite,” Randall said. “They get rather… screechy when it comes to Sam.” Randall bowed again. “It has been an honor hearing you speak.”