Gretel made sure Efron was leaving first before giving one last look at Gavin and Grace. The tangerine hatchling yawned and began to doze off while still hugging the electric dragon, who gently scooped her up in his tail, where she nestled comfortably against his turquoise fur.

I guess he isn't all bad, Gretel silently remarked. The firelight was dimming, allowing the cold to creep in from outside the den. Just as she was turning to follow her companion out, she hesitated to see the electric type pluck a strand of his mane out and toss it into the fire pit; instantly the flame reignited with a brief spark.

“Woah.” The word had escaped Gretel’s mouth before she could stop herself. “Electricity can do a lot of the same things fire can, huh?”

Gavin lay down on his belly, Grace sleeping soundly in the curve of his tail. He didn't even glance her way when he replied, “I find electricity to be more useful than fire.”

“Yet you're depending on fire for warmth right now.”

“Yes: fire that I started with electricity.”

“You can start fires that way? How?”

“Friction.”

She tilted her head. “What does friction have to do with electricity?”

“Electricity is friction. Too much friction causes heat. Heated friction creates a spark. Sparks cause fire.”

“But the hair you threw in it just now was still…”

Gavin finally faced her, and she cowered to see he was glaring. “Electric dragons’ fur and manes naturally hold static. It takes conscious effort not to shock anyone who makes physical contact with us.”

“What?! But Grace is literally asleep in your fur right now!”

“And I am making a conscious effort not to shock her.”

“Seriously? What if you fall asleep with her in contact with you like that?! You wouldn't be conscious to control it!”

“I don't sleep.”

Gretel’s jaw dropped. “Everyone needs to sleep…!”

“And Grace needs to be safe.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I really don't understand you.”

“That's not my problem.”

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The striped juvenile scowled. “I'm trying to understand you.”

“Nobody asked you to.”

She felt herself growl with frustration. Ugh, this conversation is going nowhere! But I guess I should have expected as much. “Whatever. I'm outta here.” With that, Gretel joined Efron outside and the two of them headed for their willow tree.

In the evening sunlight, her keen eyes finally noticed that Efron’s scales had the same glistening look as Grace from the poultice Wren had used on her raw scales.

“You okay?” Efron asked when he noticed her staring.

I should be asking you that! She breathed. “Yeah.” He had almost drowned in the ocean last night, and he did mention that water can damage revealers’ scales… Gretel cast her gaze to the sky. Clay said it rains often here. Will Efron be okay?

When they reached the shelter of the branches, Gretel stopped at the sight of a frog lying by the trunk. The smell of its blood made her stomach growl.

The violet revealer inspected it curiously. “Isn't that the same frog we saw Clay catch?”

“Oh! You're right!” she remembered. “What's it doing here?”

“Do you think he left it here for us?”

“Huh. You're probably right. He brought us prey this morning, after all. Are you hungry? We can split it.”

“Sure. But you can eat your half first.”

“Okay.” Gretel obliged him, not realizing how hungry she had gotten. Then she nudged the remaining half to her friend. As Efron began eating his share, the other juvenile couldn't stop her mind from reflecting on everything she had learned. “Hey, Efron… About your dad…”

The young revealer froze mid-bite, not meeting her gaze.

“You never really talked about him… I've seen him with your mom a few times when I was flying, but that's really it.”

He said nothing, his pale green eyes narrowing at the ground.

“And until yesterday, you never mentioned that your mom was the alpha, either.”

Silence.

“Is there a reason you didn't want to tell me?”

“Because they aren't my parents anymore, okay?” Efron finally said with an exasperated sigh. “They disowned me; at least, my mother did… But my dad didn't do anything about it. He defended me at first, but when she threatened to demote him from beta, he stopped.” He rested back against the tree trunk, his Z-shaped tail unfurled to wrap around himself.

“Oh…”

“Having his rank was more important to him than protecting me,” he muttered. “In a way, he was just like my mom. They were both the siblings of the heirs to their respective societies. Since they couldn't compete with the heirs, they both branched off to rule a different territory. My mom took over Dualrise Island, and my dad came across her there. The rest is history.”

“Wait. You're telling me that both of your grandmothers are alphas?”

“Matriarchs, yeah.”

“What about your mother's father? Why did he leave with her?”

“Unlike my mom, Gramps actually cared about others. He wanted to make sure his kids–my mom and uncle–were okay. He had already lost his place as beta when he broke up with his mate, too, so he had nothing to lose by leaving.”

“He broke up with the matriarch of the eastern highlands, then?”

“Yeah. Apparently the same matriarch who exiled Grace.” He fell silent for a moment. Then he turned to his friend. “I didn't know she ruled the eastern highlands, though. I never knew where my mom’s family came from.”

Gretel hummed. “But your dad did mention he was from the plateau island?”

“Yeah. Just once, when I was little. Why…? What's so important about it?”

“N-Nothing!” she lied. I don't want Efron to know that I visited there before. If he finds out I'm purposely keeping him from rejoining a revealer society, he might get cross with me. But it's for his own good…!

Then she once again caught sight of the glistening coating over his raw scales. But if his condition gets bad from the water on the wet prairie here, we might not have a choice except to move to a drier island… and the plateau one is the closest that's safe.