Four years ago, Morgan was found half-dead near the dragon village of Thorsbury Upon Wick.
Morgan cannot remember what happened to her, but the villagers suspect she might be a dragon from their long lost ancestral homeland.
Adopted by the villager...
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M O R G A N
I slammed the back door and deadbolted it. My heart was thundering in my chest. Anger burned through me. How dare he threaten me! I would never allow some devil-worshipping freak to chase me out of my home.
If he wanted a fight, then I'd give him a goddamn war.
Poppy lingered in the kitchen doorway. She was pale, and there was vomit on her sweater. Her expression was tense and worried.
"Nigel Lightfall is in the bar wanting to speak with you," she said weakly.
Nigel was one of the village elders. He'd probably come here to speak with me about Eli.
I smiled reassuringly at Poppy and said, "Everything will be fine. I'll talk to Nigel and explain that we had nothing to do with Eli's accident."
Poppy bit her bottom lip and whispered, "I saw the man you were talking to out back. He's the man from the woods, isn't he? I think he killed Eli."
"We don't know that," I said.
"You should tell Nigel about him. Tell him that the man threatened you," she urged.
"I'll tell Nigel about the man, but I won't accuse anyone of murder. We have no idea how Eli ended up in the river last night. It may have been a terrible accident," I said.
I moved around Poppy and entered the bar. Nigel Lightfall sat next to the fire with India and Charlie. He was a man in his late sixties and was tall and lean. He was a sheep farmer near the mill and a great friend of Eli's father.
I liked Nigel. He was easygoing and enjoyed telling many stories, especially when drunk. He was a regular at the Fox & Dragon and was captain of our darts team.
When I entered the bar, he raised his head and gave me an uneasy smile.
"Hello, Nigel," I said calmly.
"Oh, Morgan. What a dreadful business. I've just been telling Charlie here about what happened. Poor Dinah and Walter. They are heartbroken," he exclaimed.
"I can't imagine how they must feel," I replied.
"Yes, it's quite terrible. Dinah is in a bad way. The doctor has had to give her sedatives to calm her down. Dreadful, dreadful business," he rambled on.
"Do we know how it happened? How Eli ended up in the river?" I asked.
"No, and that's why I've come here. I'm interviewing people to try and piece together Eli's last hours. Did you see Eli last night after his outburst?" Nigel asked.
I shook my head and said, "No, I was in the woods with India and Rupert. We were looking for Poppy after she had run away."
Nigel nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Did you see Eli when you were in the wood?"
