Chapter Fourteen

Safina

I woke with a darkcloud shrouding my soul. Yesternight was the first time I'd wept for my father, for the love he had never given me and the way he'd broken my mother's heart. Sometime during the night, Mother had come to bed and held me in her arms, kissing my temple and singing me to sleep with a dragon lullaby. Whether Mother had fallen asleep after that or succumbed to her own tears, I had no idea, but Mother was not there when I'd awoken.

A rumbling in my belly, as if my famished gut was gnawing on my insides, pulled me from my dark thoughts. 'Twould do no good to dwell on the dragonslayer on an empty stomach. Though I loved the sights, sounds, and especially the tastes of this new world, I loathed my eternal hunger. When Mother and I had lived in the old world, Mother always hunted at night in her dragon form, bringing me large game to satisfy my appetite. It was then that Mother would let me transform into a dragon, and I'd tear into the fresh meat until I had my fill. I didn't know how long I could sustain myself on small meat pies and dainty pastries.

I quickly dressed and found Abby in her room. After Abby insisted on pinning my hair up in an impossibly restrictive bun, we went downstairs for breakfast.

Even before we entered the kitchen, I was struck by a pang of disappointment. I didn't smell the heavenly aromas of bread baking or eggs frying.

The old servant, Moses, was on his hands and knees. After dipping a brush into a soapy bucket, he scrubbed grime off the floor.

"Where's breakfast, Moses?" Abby asked accusingly as she carelessly walked across the wet floor.

He looked up at her. "Lazy hens didn't lay 'nuff eggs."

I expected Abby to throw a fit, or at the very least, raid the cupboards for scraps of food. Instead, she broke into a wide grin. "Shall I pay Lydia a visit?"

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Your nana say you can go?"

"Yes, Moses." Abby crossed the kitchen and grabbed two apples off the table. "We came to an understanding last night." She winked at me, tossing me an apple.

Moses frowned down at her trail of footprints. "Well, you git on then."

I hadn't taken one bite out of my apple before Abby was dragging me out the room.

"Lydia's mother has the finest chickens in all of Galveston." She giggled, as if she had mischief planned besides just collecting eggs. "You must come with me."

I shook my head, digging my heels into the woolen rug. "I think I should wait for my mother, and you for your nana."

Just then my stomach growled louder than a charging bear.

Abby's eyes widened, and then she flashed a knowing smile. "Nonsense. You need to eat. Your mother has gone to pay Se?or Cortez a visit, and Nana escorted Mrs. Alderman home. She will expect us to attend church when she returns." She batted her lashes, pouting. "Besides, would you have me walk alone after my fall?"

"I don't know, Abby." But my stomach growled again as if to protest my indecision.

"Then walk half the distance with me." Abby crossed to the rack beside the front door, tossing me a bonnet. "I will drop you off to see your mother and then come back and pick you up."

I pressed the bonnet to my chest, heat spreading through my face. "You will take me to Se?or Cortez's home?" I asked, unable to contain the eagerness in my voice. "Do his grandchildren live with him?"

Abby pried the bonnet from my hands and put it firmly over my head. "Have you taken a liking to the crippled boy?"

Abby had that knowing look in her eyes, the kind of look that made my cheeks flame like a raging inferno.

I averted my gaze. "He is kind."

He was more than kind. He knew what I was, and yet he seemed to be captivated by me. No mortal had ever shown me such admiration. And though Gabriel had not the strength or fortitude of a man, he had the face of an angel. I couldn't help but be charmed by him, too.

Abby tied the ribbon beneath my chin a little too tightly, twisting her lips into a scowl. A wave of unease washed over me; I sensed Abby was unhappy with my new friendship.

"Yes, he lives with his grandfather," Abby said tersely.

"Very well, then. I suppose I could go." I did my best not to sound excited about the prospect of seeing Gabriel again. Perhaps Abby knew what the dragon queen had been warning me, that men were not to be trusted.

* * *

Safina

ABBY HARDLY SPOKE TOme during our walk. We'd only gone two blocks before Abby left me at a modest two-story home sitting on stilts so high, I could have walked underneath the structure. I hesitated, wondering if I should go up, since I didn't sense Mother near, but the prospect of seeing Gabriel propelled my feet forward. I tucked loose strands of hair beneath my bonnet as I climbed the steps, stopping once to glance over my shoulder.

Abby crossed the street and wove between people, her back stiff as she hurried away. She hadn't even bothered to wish me well. I wondered if I'd offended Abby, then decided to put it out of my mind. No use fretting over a mortal girl who'd already proven she couldn't be trusted.

Se?or Cortez rocked back and forth in his chair beneath the overhang, chewing on an unlit pipe. He searched the horizon as if he was looking for something, but I saw nothing in the skies.

"Good day, Se?or Cortez." I made a little curtsy like my mother had taught me, surprising myself when I didn't fall over.

He looked at me with wide eyes, as if I'd just pulled him from a trance. "Hola, mija. Como estas?"

I wasn't sure what he meant, but I assumed it was a friendly greeting in his foreign tongue. "I am looking for my mother."

Just as he pulled the pipe from his mouth and set it on a nearby table, an orange mongrel cat surprised me by jumping on his lap, purring against his chest while its bent tail wagged with jerky movements.

"She has already gone," he said with a frown as he stroked the cat's back.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I answered, feeling awkward that I'd intruded on his private time.

"Don't be sorry." He nodded in the direction Abby had fled. "Your friend left in a hurry."

"Aye." I straightened my shoulders. "We are out of eggs." Although I sensed Abby's quick dismissal was more out of spite than necessity.

"Have you not eaten breakfast?" the old man asked as he rose on shaky legs, depositing the cat on the wooden planks under his feet.

I shook my head as my stomach took that moment to rumble.

"Come dine with Gabriel." He waved me into the house with a bony arm. "His brothers have gone fishing. I'm sure he could use the company."

Breakfast with Gabriel? A swarm of butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

I froze as the cat walked in a circle around my ankles, purring and nuzzling my skirts. "I don't wish to intrude." I stared down in wonder as the cat continued to rub against me. Cats had never taken a liking to me before. As if they sensed the monster lurking beneath my skin, they preferred to hiss the threat of scratching my eyes out whenever I'd tried to approach.

Se?or Cortez held the door wide, an expectant look in his crinkled eyes. "You're never intruding, ni?a. Come."

"Thank you, kindly," I said with a smile as the cat led the way inside, his bent tail swishing like a broken reed waving in the wind, "but just until Abby returns."

The Cortez dwelling was smaller than Mrs. Jenkens's fine home, the carpets threadbare and the furniture worn. The wood planks loudly protested each step, but the home smelled of fresh spices and had a warm feel. I was much more at ease there.

The entryway to the kitchen lacked a door, though a set of rusty hinges hung from the frame. Gabriel sat in his wheeled chair at a small table beside a metal hearth, consumed in the task of digging through what appeared to be a bucket of sand.

"Good morrow," I said to him and practiced another curtsy, again pleasantly surprised I didn't fall over.

He looked up from his work, his full lips tilting in a devilish grin as his gaze traveled the length of me.

I couldn't help the quickening of my heart when our eyes locked. There was something about Gabriel that seemed to awaken me. I felt more alive with him than I'd ever been with another, as if his presence stirred the dying embers within my soul. I moved toward him like I was floating on a cloud.

"Good morning, Safi. Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Not yet." My nostrils flared as Gabriel pulled a cloth off a woven basket in the center of the table, revealing oblong breads that smelled like warm butter and spices.

He pushed the basket toward me. "Help yourself."

I didn't need to be asked twice. I pulled up a chair, mouth watering when I stared down into the basket. I took one of the loaves, surprised by the weight of it. It was stuffed with meats or cheeses, no doubt.

Gabriel wheeled away from me, grabbing two jugs off a bench beneath the window. "Coffee or orange juice?"

"I-I don't know." I held the bread in both hands, wondering which end to bite first.

"Here." He set two cups in front of me. "Try both."

I set down the bread and eagerly grabbed the cup with steaming brown liquid, swallowing several hot gulps. It was slightly bitter with an unusual aftertaste. I fought the urge to make a face as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I tried the orange liquid next, relieved to find it was sweet, much like Mrs. Jenkens's lemonade, though this was thicker.

"Thank you kindly." I set the juice down and smiled, hoping he wasn't displeased with the smattering of freckles on my nose. Why I'd thought of my freckles at that moment, I had no idea.

He wheeled closer, making me feel uneasy and excited all at once. "Let me show you how Mexicans eat breakfast." He grabbed another loaf out of the basket, having to lean much too close to me to do so. He opened up the bread to reveal something brownish that looked like mud along with orange-tinted rice and melted cheese. "Tortillas with beans, rice, cheese, and some pico de gallo." He added a spoonful of tomato dressing and closed the bread. "We call it a burrito." He bit into it and moaned.

Instinctively, I licked my lips as I watched him take another bite. I'd no idea if I was hungrier for a burrito or a kiss from Gabriel Cortez. I blinked hard, stifling a gasp at my wayward thoughts. Why would I want a kiss from a mortal man? My mother had told me they weren't to be trusted. I forced myself to clear all improper thoughts about Gabriel Cortez from my head. Following his lead, I spooned a generous heap of the tomato mixture into my burrito.

"Easy on the pico." He laughed, a deep, throaty chuckle. "It's a bit spicy."

"You forget I breathe fire," I said with a wink.

His cheeks flushed a bright crimson as he looked away. What had I done to make him blush?

Gripping the burrito, I bit into one end, not knowing what to expect. Rich, tangy flavors burst on my tongue, pleasing my palate immensely. The beans tasted like warm, soft meat, and the cheese and tomatoes were a perfect blend of richness and spice.

"Oh, this is the most heavenly food I've ever eaten. I hope you can spare more of those burritos."

He flashed a wolfish grin. "Don't tell me you've brought a dragon's appetite."

"I always have a dragon's appetite." I took another bite, contemplating my words. I feared Mother would be upset if she saw me acting like a glutton at the Cortez home. I recalled once when the local crofter had invited us for bread and stew. I had eagerly eaten three bowls and then had to endure my mother's endless scolding on the long walk home.

"How does your mother keep you fed?" Gabriel asked.

"Since coming to Galveston, I am hungry most of the time," I answered honestly, hoping he didn't judge me harshly. But for some reason, I didn't want to hide my true self from Gabriel. If he were to be my friend, I wanted him to like me despite my flaws, including my ability to breathe fire and my insatiable appetite. "This new world has delicious food, but it's much too sparse. When we lived in the old world, Mother hunted at night. We always had fresh stag or bear. Occasionally, Mother would catch tuna or shark."

Gabriel shot up. "Good God. Did the sharks put up a fight?"

"Of course, but they were no match for my mother."

The look in Gabriel's eyes was one of wonder, like the first time I had seen the northern lights dancing in the night sky. "My brothers said you were as big as river barges."

I had no idea what a barge was, but I assumed it was large. "We're dragons, not sparrows." I bit into my burrito again, watching with amusement as Gabriel's eyes shone like starlight.

"Do you like birds?" he asked.

I shrugged, washing down a mouthful of food with orange juice. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "I like all creatures, but birds are especially tasty."

"Not to eat." He chuckled. "I have rescued a nest of chicks. I was about to feed them when you arrived."

"Truly? May I see them?" I instinctively grabbed his arm. He was warmer than I expected, and my fingers tingled as I brushed his skin.

He made no effort to shake off my grip, as he surprisingly moved closer.

I got lost in the pools of his large eyes. For though they were as dark as polished mahogany, they were also as brilliant as the sun, alight with wonder and yearning.

"Yes," he whispered with a smirk, "but that will require you to walk away from the burrito."

I jerked back at the sound of his hearty laugh. Oh, the fop had made a joke at my expense. I playfully swatted his chest and jumped to my feet. "As long as it will be here when I get back, else you will have to contend with a dragon's ire."

"Never cross a hungry dragon. Got it." He wheeled himself backward. "But I should warn you I wouldn't make a filling meal, anyway."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud, even though I hated that the joke was at Gabriel's expense. At least he had found a way to laugh at his infirmity instead of lamenting it. Perhaps I should try the same next time I thought about bemoaning my dragon blood.

He wheeled into a room behind us. Like the kitchen, there was no door; rather the entry was covered with a piece of cloth. I pushed it aside, my dragon-touched eyes quickly adjusting to the low light, for the room had only one window, a narrow slit at the top of the back wall.

"This used to be the pantry," Gabriel said with an apologetic shrug, "but since I can't climb stairs...."

The look he flashed me was uneasy. Was he ashamed of his bedchamber? I had not a room to call my own. Even the shoes on my feet belonged to another. Gabriel had no reason to be ashamed of anything.

I spun a slow circle in the cramped space. There was barely enough room for a cot and a small desk. The desk was overflowing with books, various plants, what appeared to be a big glob of mud and twigs, and one rusty oil lamp. Gabriel lit the lamp, its warm glow illuminating several pictures pinned to the wall behind his desk.

"Have you been to these places?" I asked, admiring the various pictures. There was one in particular that caught my eye, a circle of sacrificial stones Mother and I had once flown over when I was a child. The giant stones, Mother had said, had been used to harvest great magic back in the time of Feira, Queen Mother of Dragons.

"Only in my dreams," he answered with a sigh, "but I'd like to. Have you?"

"I've been here." I pointed to the stones.

He wheeled beside me, looking up at me with wonder. "Are they as glorious as they appear?"

"More so." I remembered with fondness how the moonlight had reflected off the surface of the stones, while the flapping of Mother's wings flattened the surrounding grass. We'd landed briefly in the center, to take in all of its majesty, and then we'd flown away again into the night sky before our presence could be discovered. That was one of my few happy childhood memories.

"Have you been to the Orient?" he asked.

"Nay. Mother never took me across the sea until...." I paused, an unexpected ache welling in my throat. The memories of my confinement haunted me: the dark sounds of the ocean, the eternal loneliness, the misery of my mother's heartbreak. It was too much to bear. I stumbled over to the cot, the springs protesting as I slumped onto the lumpy mattress.

"Safi, are you all right?" His voice was a dark whisper ricocheting off the void in my soul.

I looked at him through a curtain of tears, hardly aware I was crying. "She kept me down there for so long. I don't want to go back, Gabriel," I pleaded, as if he could somehow stop my mother.

"Is it true, then?" He reached into his pocket and handed me a soft cloth. "Papí said you slept underwater for almost five hundred years."

"Aye, we did." I looked down at the cloth. It was cream-colored and stitched with the blue letters GC. Though I could not read, I assumed the letters were his initials. Was he expecting me to wipe my tears with such an elegant piece of fabric? "What am I to do with this?"

"You dry your eyes with it. It's called a handkerchief."

"A handkerchief?" What a long, puzzling name for something so small. "But it is too fine."

"That's okay." He flashed a smile so warm, I felt it all the way to my toes. "I have another. You can keep that one."

"Truly? Thank you." If Mother had been there, she would have insisted I return the cloth, but I had never owned something so fine before, and I wasn't about to give it back. I pressed it to my nose, inhaling deeply the scent of Gabriel Cortez. It was a very nice, earthy scent, mixed with the smells of old paper and ink. Now that it was mine, I had no desire to smear it with tears. I shoved the handkerchief into a concealed pocket in my dress, and then I used the end of my sleeve to mop up my eyes.

Gabriel stared at me keenly. "Why were you hidden away all that time?"

"Because of my father." My statement sounded too much like a question, even to my own ears.

Gabriel clasped my hand in his own. I didn't pull away, for the contact gave me comfort.

"What did he do?"

"He was a dragonslayer." My words came out on a rush of air, like the hiss of an arrow in the night. I hated admitting what my father was, for I still had difficulty accepting it.

Gabriel squeezed my hand. "I couldn't think of a more unlikely pair. What happened to him?"

"I don't know." I sniffled, wiping my nose with my sleeve. "Wherever he is, I hope he's miserable."

I had never wished such ill will on anyone, not even the village brats who'd taunted me and called me a witch. But my father had been the reason for my confinement, for my mother's tears. I could never forgive him.

"Wouldn't he be dead by now?"

I shook my head. If only it were so. "A dragon's mate is tied to her immortality."

"I'm so sorry, Safi."

Gabriel settled my hand against his heart. It beat steady and strong, the vibration pulling me toward him like an invisible tether. Even in the darkness his eyes shone, so full of wonder... and something else. Dare I think I saw admiration and longing?

As I lost myself in his eyes, the moment seemed to stretch out for an eternity, though this was nothing like the eerie silence I'd experienced in my shell. For the void was filled with the sound of our thrumming hearts, both beating in rhythm with one another.

The faint sound of chirping broke our reverie. The cry of one hatchling was multiplied by another and then another, until my dragon-touched ears distinguished four heartfelt cries.

Spell broken, Gabriel released my hand and wheeled toward his desk. He set the glob of mud and twigs on his lap and wheeled back to me.

I peered into what I realized was a nest. Four eager beaks chirped up at me. "Oh, how adorable. What birds are these?"

"Swallows," Gabriel answered, reaching into his pocket and dropping little black beetles into their mouths.

"Where is their mother?"

Gabriel frowned. "They were abandoned by their parents."

My heart clenched at the thought. For though I resented my mother for having trapped me beneath the ocean, I would still be lost without her. "That's a shame. Why would they abandon them?"

He heaved a sigh, and the flame in his eyes seemed to dull. "It's a long story."

I watched how he tenderly fed the chicks, dropping bugs into each mouth and not complaining when a bird would peck his finger. That's when I knew, despite Mother's warning, Gabriel was not like other men. "How kind you are to nurse them."

"This one will not live long, I'm afraid." He pointed to the smallest of the chicks, who leaned into another. "His wing appears to be broken."

When I focused on the bird, the pain that shot through my arm nearly took my breath away. Instinctively, I reached into the nest, cupping the chick in my hand. "Let me see."

I held it for only a moment before my hand began to warm, almost as if my fingers were made of burning embers. Strangely, though, the heat didn't hurt me. I watched with amazement as the bird sat upright, shaking both wings and chirping in delight.

Gabriel gaped at me. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know." I slowly set the chick back in its nest. "I've never healed anything before."

"You have your mother's gift," he said in awe.

I had come to believe I hadn't inherited the dragon queen's healing power. Though it had been long ago, I remembered trying to no avail to mend the leg of my pet toad when I was a child. After several hours of pressing down on the toad with my mortal hands, I had taken him deep within the forest. I'd transformed into a dragon and breathed on him, but my fire had incinerated the poor little creature. I had mourned a fortnight for the loss of my pet and vowed never again to try to heal another living thing. And now here I'd mended the chick by accident.

"Aye, it would seem so." My chest swelled with pride at the realization I was turning into a powerful dragon healer. "Perhaps I can get good enough to heal you," I blurted, pointing at his legs.

A shadow fell across his features. He wheeled back, as if my nearness offended him. "Don't make promises you can't keep." He set the nest on the desk, his mouth turning in a heavy frown.

My face flushed with humiliation and something else—anger. I slowly rose off the bed, bearing down on him with a scowl. "I didn't make you a promise, but when I do, I will keep it. A dragon's word is her honor."

His face fell, and he held up his hands in an apologetic gesture. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

But the hairs on my nape were still bristling from the insult. He'd just witnessed my healing power and yet was so quick to doubt me. Perhaps Mother was right about men.

"Safina!" Abby's loud screech sounded from outside.

"Abby is here. I must go." I turned up my chin, brushing past him.

He spun around, latching onto my hand. I prepared to pull away, but one look into his beseeching eyes, and I had second thoughts.

"Will I see you this evening?" It was not a question, but a plea.

"Aye," I answered reluctantly. "If my mother allows it."

He squeezed my hand tight before letting go. "I pray that she does."

Me, too,I almost answered, but thought better of voicing it aloud.

"Good day, Gabriel." I curtsied before turning on my heel and ducking under the flap and out of the room.

"Good-day, Safi," he called, but I didn't dare turn around lest I become entranced by his luminous eyes once again.

Se?or Cortez was waiting for me in the kitchen, holding a cloth sack. "Here is your breakfast. I have packed three extra burritos. Thought you'd share them with your mother. Or not," he said with a wink.

I blushed as I took the bag, realizing he'd been close enough to hear every word between Gabriel and me.

"Oh, thank you so much."

The bag was heavy, pleasing me immensely. Embarrassment forgotten, my stomach rumbled at the prospect of a Mexican breakfast. Though I knew it was selfish, I secretly hoped my mother wouldn't be at Mrs. Jenkens's house when I returned. Not just because I didn't want to share my meal, but because I was afraid the dragon queen would ask questions about where I'd been. And my visit with Gabriel was one memory I wanted to keep all to myself.