33. Alfie

This time when the siren sounded, at least I knew what it was. My dragon surged up inside me, and I felt its presence just behind my skin. It wasn't trying to rip out of me or anything, but it was right there, listening and alert. I realised that it's what it had wanted to do last time. Just be there. Be able to protect my clan.

I grabbed Blaze's hand and set off for the grand hall again. As I got there, I realised that there were noticeably fewer people than last time. Glenwise, Rhod and Conley weren't there. Great Aunt Evangeline wasn't there and I didn't think she had the energy to fight, even if she did make it downstairs. She'd used up most of her energy just getting there yesterday to see me. I mean, to see my dragon.

Inside me, it growled.

Because I'd just realised that, last time, we'd had a Guardian. Right now, though, we didn't. Glimmer had been banished.

I turned to Blaze and whispered, "Do you think someone's attacking the border again?"

My mother burst into the grand hall and came straight for me. She rushed at me and hissed, "Get out. Go and hide, somewhere out of sight."

Alarm shot through me.

"But- has someone got in?"

"Not yet. Quickly, Alfie, go and hide."

"But what if they—?"

My father swept into the room. Already, he was drawing power to himself and I could feel the chill of it along my spine as he siphoned off power from me and every one of the clan. Was that what elders did?

"Alphonse, come with me."

My mother stepped in front of me. She actually stood between me and Lord Somerville, facing him.

"No," she said.

He stared at her, his cold eyes growing hard, like shards of ice. "Step aside, Regina."

"No. Please, he's so young. He's only just learned to shift."

I huffed, "I'm not that young."

After all, I was a man now. I had a dragon and a mate and I wanted to take care of my clan. That's what dragons did.

Whether he heard me or not, Lord Somerville agreed.

"He has shifted. He is the golden dragon. He will need to use his power, or he will die."

"What?"

Thatmade me jolt in surprise.

He turned to me, so calm, and said, "Our borders are under attack. It is the hag. She has come for you."

"But she- she won't get in, right? I mean, our territory is safe. We're all safe."

I was still holding Blaze's hand and I only realised I must have been gripping it too tightly in my anxiety when he let out a tiny grunt of pain and I released him, grabbing his hand and massaging it.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I was just worried. But- but there's no need to be frightened, Blaze. We'll protect you."

My dragon wasn't trying to burst out of me, which was weird. I had assumed that it would, if ever we were in danger. And right now seemed like a really good time for that to happen. Like when the territory was being attacked.

It stayed where it was, though. Inside, pressed tightly against my skin. It was watching, listening and waiting.

Unfortunately, I'd drawn my father's attention to Blaze.

"How did the fire spirit get out of that room?"

"Oh, uh, I let him out."

I was about to tell him that we had mated and show him my claiming bite on Blaze's neck, which was concealed by the collar of my coat – Blaze's coat that he'd taken back – but Lord Somerville stepped forward, his face dark.

"I will deal with this disobedience later."

"But I—"

"You will follow me to the boundary and hope that you have the power to repel the hag. If not, you will die, just like your brother did."

Something clicked into place.

"Alexander was a golden dragon, too, wasn't he?"

My mother gave a sob and I felt bad for reminding her of her dead son. She was shaking, and instinctively I reached out to her. My hand touched her shoulder gently.

"Mother? I'm alright. I'm here."

"Get outside!" said Lord Somerville. "If the hag gets in with her army, we'll all be fighting for our lives."

I looked up at him. His face was livid white and there was something in his eyes that I couldn't place. I looked at our bond, feeling the way he drew my warmth and fire out of me in a slow trickle. It was cold but also… possessive. I was his to use. His to take power from, should he want it.

When I looked at my mother's bond with me, it shone bright with love and protection and grief. Strange, that she should grieve me before I'd died, though.

Unless she thought I was about to die.

That's what made me decide.

I hadn't been sure Lord Somerville was serious. That he really meant that our defences could be breached. After all, we'd had Glimmer laying those protections. We were Somervilles, which meant we were powerful.

I hadn't realised that our territory was so badly defended.

"What does the hag want?"

Blaze was beside me. He'd snuck up to me, softly, unobtrusively getting as close to me as he could. He spoke softly, but we all heard him.

"You, Alfie. She wants you."

Lord Somerville made a sound in his throat.

"She wants the golden dragon. You are very valuable. She knows that, if she wants to overpower you, she needs to do it now, before you learn to control your magic. Once you have reached full power, the Somervilles will be indomitable."

"Fine. We need to get to the boundary. Come on, Blaze."

Lord Somerville said, "The fire spirit will be locked away again."

"Blaze is coming with me." I moved to stand a bit in front of him. Still my dragon didn't burst out of me or anything, and I began to worry that it wouldn't appear again.

I shoved that worry aside. Of course I'd be able to shift again. I'd already done it twice.

Beside me, Blaze said, "I can help. Fire spirits are powerful, in our way."

My father eyed Blaze distrustfully, and Blaze added, "She tried to take me. I will help you to stop her."

"Very well. Now, hurry."

We dashed outside and Blaze pointed to a place beyond the woods. "She'll try to break in there. That's where her spells weakened the defences."

"Right. I'll shift and you can ride me down there," I said.