Jovari the Blue

Chapter 33: The Hatchlings

The Gable Forest

Leah kept her gaze resolutely fixed on Claire's back, watching as her friend practiced magic. Talon walked beside her, lowering his head to quietly offer advice. Taylynn and Koldis took the lead, escorting their group south, towards the caves that had once housed the Forest Clan, long ago.

Now, they housed a group of female dragons who'd given birth to clutches of eggs. They were going to see baby dragons! It was enough to distract her from a certain male drengr she'd spent way too much time ruminating over.

"Is there anything you miss about your home world?" Saffra pulled her from her thoughts. They walked side-by-side, following the forest path Taylynn set. Behind them, Bedelth and Jovari took up the rear.

"Oh, tons!" she told Saffra. "That's not to say I regret leaving, but I miss having access to my own private bathroom. And showers, whenever I want them. Mostly, though, I miss processed foods." She groaned, thinking about her guilty pleasure. "I have a bit of an Oreo obsession."

"What's an oreo?" Saffra's head tilted.

She sighed, wistful. "It's this wonderful cookie thing. It's got cream filling sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. When you dip them in milk..." She exhaled. "Perfection."

Saffra made a humming sound. "I'll have to take your word for it."

"Trust me, you'd love them. They even come in different flavors. I always bought the seasonal ones, too. It was the one thing I splurged on whenever I went to the grocery store."

"I see. What about Claire? Does she know about your obsession?"

"Oh, she knows!" Leah pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the sudden memory that came up. "One year, she bought me an entire box of Oreo packs for Christmas. It was supposed to be a joke—a gag gift. But in reality, it was one of the best gifts I've ever received. I had Oreos for like...months."

Saffra laughed. "That sounds exactly like something Claire would do."

They both fell quiet. The forest was beautiful, filled with sounds of insects and brightly colored birds swooping about. It made sense that Claire loved it so much.

"You know," Saffra said after a few minutes, "you're going to make a great addition to our friends group."

Leah's chest squeezed. She hated to admit how hopeful she sounded when she said, "You mean that?"

"I do." Saffra's smile was genuine. "It will be nice for Claire to have someone from her past life by her side. The others will love you, too."

"Thank you," she breathed, trying to ignore the way her eyes watered—

"Let's rest here," Taylynn called from the front of their group, bringing everyone to a stop. They fanned out around a small clearing. It looked no different from the other clearings they'd used along their journey. If she hadn't known better, she'd think they were going in circles. No one else protested, so she assumed this was normal. It was their third day, and they were supposed to reach the hatching grounds by the evening.

Claire appeared beside her, hooking an arm around her neck. "Doing okay?"

"Yes, and you? How are your magic lessons going?"

Claire shrugged. "Okay, I guess, as much as I hate mage magic. Talon is a patient teacher—not that he'd be patient with anyone else. I think the mate bond has something to do with it."

"I heard that," Talon called from the other side of the clearing.

Claire's laugh was breathy. She seemed happy, despite the pressure resting on her shoulders. There wasn't much time for her to practice before they left the forest. Apparently, she needed to find balance with both mage and sprite magic, according to some prophesy Saffra had made. Only then would she succeed in taking on Kane.