The teacher held the rod in her right hand.

“I said come here, Alina,” she said, her voice dangerous.

The papers were all over the place, stuck to the walls and the floors and the desks. One boy tried to peel his sheet away from the wood, but it stayed as stubbornly in place as if it had been glued there.

Some of the children were crying; others simply watched.

Alina rose from her chair and slowly made her way up the aisle to the teacher’s desk.

“Hands, please, Alina,” the teacher said.

Alina knew what to do. She’d been in this position before, though not quite this badly. All she’d wanted to do was to shut the girl up. Moya had been teasing her while the teacher’s back had been turned, the rest of the class snickering at her expense.

No one was snickering now.

She put out her hands, palms up, and waited, squinting in anticipation of the stinging slap the rod would soon deliver.

The teacher raised the rod, but just before she let it fall, a voice rang out.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the voice said.

Suddenly, the rod flew from her hands.

Her face was frozen in surprise. Alina looked to her left and found a strange-looking man in long, black robes was standing in the doorway. He wasn't a young man, but he wasn't yet gray, and his hair hung in a low ponytail down his back.

In his hand, he held the rod; the stick meant to bring pain and shame to anyone it touched.

“What is your name, girl?” he demanded.

“Alina, sir,” she said.

“I see. And how do you like attending school here?” He looked around the room and wrinkled his nose.

The classroom was meager at best, the teacher worse. But there was nowhere else for the slum children to go during the day. Some stayed behind to help their parents, but Alina’s parents worked in the factory on the other side of the city, and she was too young to stay home by herself.

She didn't feel like she was too young, though. Eight was old enough to do lots of things, and though she secretly worried that she might get scared being on her own all day long, to her parents, she only ever begged to be released from this prison of a school.

Today might’ve been her ticket out, too, had the teacher smacked her with the rod. In that way, she hadn’t been sorry about the pain that might’ve come. She’d overheard her mother the last time she’d come home with red, swollen palms. Marvina had told her father that if it happened again, she would take Alina from the school and put her in with the butcher down the street. She could work for free and learn a trade, perhaps even bring home a slice of chicken here or there.

But now things had changed, and while the man in the doorway made her nervous, she tried to stand tall and proud before him.

“I don’t like it much at all here, sir,” she said, honest to the last.

“Tell me … why are you here instead of helping your parents in the market?”

“They don’t work in the market, sir. They work in the factory.”

“Of course,” he said. “Forgive me.” He turned to the teacher. “I’ll take this one,” he said, and he turned to leave.

Alina looked back and forth between the man and the teacher.

The teacher's face was no longer surprised but angry. This hadn't gone her way at all. But she knew better than to question this man, whoever he was.

Alina left her books on her desk and ran after him. She felt nervous, so she took his hand.

He looked down at her, grimacing, then stopped walking.

“Alina,” he said. “If you’re to train with me, you must learn to be strong. You need not hold anyone’s hand. With the power you have, you can walk this world alone and never fear another again. Now let go of me, and let’s be on our way.”

Alina's eyes were wide, and for a moment, she thought she might cry, but then she thought the better of it.

"Yes, sir," she said and dropped his hand.

“You may call me Zahn,” he said, opening the door to the courtyard. “Have you ever been to the castle?” he asked.

“No, Zahn,” she said.

He smiled as kindly as a great wizard who knew his own greatness could smile. In any case, it wasn’t a sneer, which would have been much worse.

He stopped walking and turned to her, pulling a watch from his pocket and checking the time.

“What time do your parents arrive home, Alina?”

“They come home at dark, sir,” she said.

“Do you know what time that is?” he asked.

“No. I don’t know how to tell time. We don’t have a clock in our flat.”

He grimaced, then looked up and around the building that housed the school.

“Seems to me that they don’t teach you very much in this school.”

Alina shook her head.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Very well.” He turned and walked on. “We will go to your flat and wait. I can hardly snatch up a new student without at least telling her family where she’s gone. Maybe if you were older, I might. Now, show me the way.”

He stopped talking, and she walked out in front of him, trying to be as brave as he required.

She knew her way through the market streets, and she hopped from one foot to another, skipping as she went. There was even a moment when she forgot he was following her, but it was just for a moment.

As they passed by the merchants, some of them retreated into their storefronts. Others nodded their heads grimly at him. Even the children who worked in the markets stopped and backed up until they were close enough to take a mother’s hand.

She took a look back at him, and his head was held high as he strolled behind her.

He was a powerful man, she knew. And he was following her. She experimented with holding her head high as Zahn did, but she got tripped up by a rock in the road and nearly fell to her knees.

A child from one of the markets, a boy, laughed and pointed at her as they passed. She looked back at Zahn, feeling ashamed.

He wasn’t kind. Or, at least, he didn’t seem kind. But it was unmistakable what he did next. He shot a glance in the boy's direction, and the impact of his power was like a punch to the boy’s nose. His head sprang back, and when it fell forward again, blood streamed from his nostrils.

Things were going to be different now.

* * *

That night, as Zahn took leave of their flat, Alina found her mother in tears.

“Why are you crying, Mama?” she asked.

She was feeling fantastic. Zahn had explained to her parents what Alina’s life would be like now that she was to tutor with him. But he’d made it clear that Alina’s meetings with her family would be rare. She would be permitted to spend one day per month with her parents, and that was all.

Indeed, at these words, Alina had felt sure that her parents would not let her go, but now that she thought about it, she wasn’t so sure they’d had any say in the matter. Magic in humans was rare, but even though the lawmen were most likely to arrest one with magic in their blood, magical talents were coveted by all.

“I’m just sad that I won’t get to see you every day,” Marvina said, her face wet with tears.

Ronan, her father, came to her side and put a supportive hand upon her shoulder.

"This is a great opportunity," he said, though his face didn't match the sentiment. "Magic skipped me in the line, but now our little Alina seems to have gotten a double dose. It's only natural that she should train, and with a teacher like Zahn…."

Her mother scowled.

“I don’t like that Zahn,” she said, standing up abruptly and walking into the kitchen. “He’s basically stealing the child away from us, you know, Ronan. And what if we—what if she—”

Ronan walked over and wrapped his arms around her as she broke into sobs, her head on his shoulder.

Alina was confused. She’d thought it would be such a great thing to go with Zahn. He was serious, yes, but she could be good.

But now that her mother was crying, she was worried.

Her father saw her face, and he broke apart from Marvina and knelt down to speak with the child.

"You are about to embark on a great journey, little bird. Zahn is a very powerful man in the kingdom, one of the highest-ranked in his majesty's cabinet. You will go far working for him. You will have a life none of us ever could have dreamed of."

This made Alina feel a little better. Her mother was wiping her tears away with the back of her sleeve, and her father looked hopeful, not sad.

“You might get lonely sometimes,” he said. “But I suspect you may be able to send us messages, and maybe we can sneak one in to you from time to time.”

Her mother knelt down beside her father and opened her arms. And brave little Alina slid right into her embrace, more excited than ever.

* * *

“There is one thing,” her father said quietly. He’d taken her out into the dark to walk around in the meadow that bordered the city walls. There was a curfew at dark, but they were far enough out that they weren’t likely to be caught. “Something that you may not know, though I know that children sometimes know more than their parents give them credit for.”

He smiled down at her.

“We haven’t told you before now because neither your mother nor I carry magic in the way that you do, and only those with whom it resonates the strongest can see the beast.”

“The beast?” she asked.

“Yes, he is a beast. He comes to the castle every night, they say. The townsfolk fear him even though they cannot see him.”

He was leading her out deeper into the meadow. Then, as they turned the corner at the first tower, he led her away from the castle even farther where the grass was taller, where they could easily hide.

“You will have to tell me what you see, little bird. I am blind to this magic.”

She turned and took in the castle from afar, with its four grand towers and a wall as tall as the sky.

But she saw nothing there.

“Father, there is no beast.”

He took her hand and sat down, beckoning her to join him. In this way, they were nearly invisible to both man and beast.

“Just wait for him,” he said. “My mother was able to see him, though your mother and I never have. I believe he is there, though some believe he is only a myth. Sometimes it easier to deny a thing one is frightened of.”

She sat down next to him and looked up at the castle.

“Do you think anybody lives there?” she asked.

“In what, the towers? I do not know. If anyone, perhaps some prisoner or another.”

“Do you think that is where I might sleep?” she asked, nervous for the first time since that afternoon.

Ronan laughed.

“No, I doubt it.”

They sat in silence for a time, and after a while, she lay back and put her head in his lap. He brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers.

She must have slept because when she next opened her eyes, it was much darker and colder than it had been when they'd first arrived. What had awakened her?

She sat up and found that her father was also asleep on the ground.

Then she saw it.

The beast perched upon the far tower, and when it opened its mouth, a terrible roar of fire spewed forth into the night sky.

“Father!” she said, shaking him awake behind her.

“What is it, Alina?” He rolled over in the dirt.

“Father, he’s there,” she said. “The beast!”

“Is he?” Ronan asked, straightening up.

“Yes! Can’t you see him? Or hear his roar?”

“No,” he said. “I only see the night sky and hear the crickets.”

She turned back to the animal, mouth open in awe.

“Father, why haven’t I seen him before now? You’ve always told me I’ve had magic since I was a baby.”

“There was no need to frighten you,” he said. “And we live on the far side of the castle, so you cannot hear him, either.”

“Will he eat me alive?” she wondered aloud.

“I don’t want to scare you, but when you go to the castle, do your best to stay away from the beast. It’s not safe.” He paused, still watching the tower. “What is he doing now?”

“He is roaring again. His breath is fire! Now he’s opening up his wings and flying away toward the mountains. He is so powerful!”

“He is. I’m glad you have had a chance to see him. I wouldn’t want to be surprised by such a beast if I were in your shoes.”

He stood up from the ground and cracked his back with a groan.

“Time to go back, little bird.”

* * *

The next morning, she awoke early, earlier than her parents. She walked over to the small window that overlooked the market street and looked outside.

Nobody was out yet, and the sky was still dark, but Alina felt certain that the sun would be making its debut any time.

Zahn had told her parents to bring her to the castle at dawn, but they were still sleeping, and she began to worry. Finally, she walked over to their straw bed and shook her mother’s shoulder.

“Mama,” she said. “I think it’s time to go.”

“What?” she said, drowsy.

“We need to go now. To meet Zahn.”

Marvina opened her eyes and looked at her small daughter. Then, she resolved herself and sat up in the bed.

“Ronan,” she said quietly. “It’s time to take Alina.”

She rose from the bed, intending to help Alina get ready to go, but when she got a look at her, she realized that she’d already changed into her daytime clothes. Such a big girl already.

Her father sat up and looked around, then beckoned Alina closer. He opened his arms for a bear hug, and she let him, but she didn't need the encouragement herself. It was her parents who were so frightened.

She went to the door and pulled on her fabric shoes while Alma put together some bread and an apple for her to eat.

“What are you doing?” Ronan asked.

“Oh, you know. Just making sure she’s prepared.”

“I think they will probably feed her,” he said, winking at Alina.

“Well, I doubt she’ll be in time for breakfast. She can eat it while we walk.”

When her mother was done packing the small sack, she pulled on a thin, cotton cloak, barely enough to keep her warm but better than nothing. She'd traded for a small one for Alina, this one made of wool, and she put it over her shoulders now.

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Alina took the sack from her mother’s hand and turned to go.

“Wait a minute,” Ronan said.

“We’ll meet you outside,” her mother said.

Alina didn’t waste the opportunity to go ahead, and she flew down the stairs and out the front door.

The air was cold as she regarded the market before the day broke. Some people would sleep by their tables, keeping the items for trade safe from thieves in the night. Others would pile up their wares and take them back to their homes each night. She noticed that a little boy, no older than she was, was sleeping in front of one of the stalls, shivering.

Without a backward glance, she rushed to his side and pulled off her cloak, laying it over his sleeping body. He woke with the feeling of the blanket settling over him.

“Alina,” her mother scolded. “That is your only cloak. You mustn’t give it to him.”

Alina knew that her mother would want to do the same thing, herself if she'd had the means.

“You’ll give it back, won’t you?” she asked the boy.

He nodded and tucked the cloak up under his chin.

She pointed to her mother. "She is Marvina. She'll come back for it right after dawn. I'm trusting you now. Can I trust you?”

“Yes, Miss,” the boy said, which was odd. She was maybe a year older than he was, but not much more. Maybe her presence with something as valuable as a cloak brought her some sort of respect.

Marvina opened her mouth to protest, but then Ronan appeared at the front door, and she didn’t voice her opinion on the matter. They all started walking down the street toward the castle.

It wasn’t a long walk, but what a difference there would be between outside and inside the great castle walls. Farther up the road, there were buildings built up against the sides like theirs was. But the closer they got to the great gates, the more the wall dominated, soaring fifty feet up into the air.

Alina had never seen the inside of the castle before; it was well guarded, and children weren’t permitted to walk so close to the gate.

But today, a young man awaited her, an apprentice, maybe, and the gate was wide open.

"You must be Alina," he said as they approached. "I am Sloane." The boy stood up tall, and his tone was sharp, but it had a false edge to it. Like he had been practicing this encounter, intending to look intimidating and serious. Like Zahn.

For the first time, Alina felt uncertain. She could see the castle beyond the wall now, the great courtyard, and the high buildings constructed all the way around the interior.

She turned back to her parents and tried hard not to cry. But a single, fat teardrop escaped her eye, and her mother bent down to talk to her, tears in her eyes, too.

“You are going to do great,” she said. “You are an honor to our family. Not many get opportunities like this, and you must try your best every day. Your magic is wild; Zahn and Sloane will teach you to control it.”

Alina nodded, wiping her face, for another tear had appeared.

“Thanks, Mama,” she said. “I will make you proud.”

She looked up to her father and was surprised to find him with tears in his eyes, too.

“Father?” she asked.

She wondered if maybe what she was doing was terrible after all. She didn’t want to be someone who brought her parents pain. Not ever.

Ronan didn't bend to speak with her. Instead, he rose up to his true height and looked down.

“I’m proud of you, little bird,” he said. “Now go with Sloane. He will keep you well.”

He nodded to Sloane, and Sloane nodded back. He held out one hand to Alina.

But she didn’t take it. She hadn’t needed to take Zahn’s hand, and it seemed like this was a morning for bravery. She walked by him and beyond the castle gates, then turned to wait.

“You take good care of her,” Ronan warned.

Sloane was not an arrogant young man, even though he tried to look important.

“I will, sir,” he said, and then he turned and followed Alina inside.

* * *

She had been so excited to get to the gates that she’d forgotten to eat her breakfast. She pulled out the apple and took a huge bite. Then, she offered it to Sloane.

He shook his head.

"You'd better finish that fruit before we get there, or Zahn will not be pleased."

“Will there be food there?” she asked, concerned.

"Yes, of course, there will be food. Silly girl. But Zahn demands all of our attention whenever we are in his presence. I don't care how much your stomach rumbles; it would do you well to eat that fruit up as quickly as you can."

She was hungry, but she wasn't an animal. She took a couple more bites but did not eat the entire apple. Instead, she put it back into her bag for later. Who knew if sorcerers ate lunch?

They approached the other side of the square, and she saw that the merchants there were just starting to open up their shops. The difference between the shops here and the market on the other side of the wall was that the merchants' wares were kept inside, not out. During any rainstorm, they would stay dry, whereas, in the market, thick mud would quickly form, sucking at the boots of those walking by.

Here, cobblestones were tiled throughout the square as if it were one giant ballroom. She looked way up into the sky, and she saw all four towers, one in each corner of the castle wall. She wondered with a shudder what or who was kept up there. Stories of trapped princesses licked at the corners of her mind, and she forcibly lowered her gaze, trying not to think about things like princesses and tall prison towers.

Soon, Sloane led her to a hallway and a flight of stairs.

“You must be really something,” he said as they started to climb. “There are only two other students that Zahn has agreed to tutor, and I’m one of them.”

“Who is the other?” she asked.

“An older boy. Sixteen. He is Zahn’s favorite pupil.”

She was surprised that his voice wasn’t filled with jealousy, only respect.

Three. Just three of them.

Sloane led her to a large room several floors up.

“We will wait here for the others,” he said.

Alina wandered around the room, taking in the strange glass instruments and staffs made from wood. Out the window, the sun was fully up, and she warmed herself in its rays.

She wondered if the boy had given her mother back the cloak. It didn’t matter to her, but she knew that Marvina would fret over not having one for her to use when she came to visit.

They waited in silence for Zahn to arrive. Sloane stayed standing, but Alina sat down on the floor to wait.

“You’d be better off standing,” he advised.

She sighed, then hauled herself back up. And not a moment too soon, for Zahn and another young man entered the room right then.

“Good,” Zahn said. “She is here. Any problems?” he asked Sloane.

“No, sir,” he said.

Zahn nodded.

“This is Sheridan,” he said, introducing the boy. “Many of your lessons will be with him.”

She looked toward Sheridan and gave a nod. Sheridan held out one hand, looked at it intensely for a moment, and then bright red fire erupted in his palm. It must not have hurt him because he didn’t flinch. Then, with a slight blow of his lips, the fire was extinguished.

Zahn nodded approvingly.

“Sloane, you next.”

Sloane looked nervous, but he held out one hand, staring at it just as Sheridan had done. Only a tiny flame rewarded him for his efforts.

Zahn clucked at him, shaking his head in disappointment. Sloane shook his hand, extinguishing the flame, then lowered to his side. He dropped his head, clearly ashamed.

Zahn turned to Alina.

“Your turn,” he said.

Alina was suddenly a mess of nerves. She’d never tried to use her magic before; it had merely happened when she was scared, nervous, or even just annoyed. And when she was happy, her power was at its strongest.

Now, being watched intently by three others, she lifted her palm and stared at it.

Nothing happened.

Sheridan smirked at the two of them, and his arrogance made her angry. Suddenly, a bright white flame shot from her palm and hit the ceiling with so much force that some of the wood planks dislodged and fell to the floor.

Zahn smiled, but then, when he saw that she was still pushing the magic up into the castle, he scolded her.

“You must control it!” he shouted over the roar of the blast.

But she didn’t know how to control it. Wasn’t that why she was here? To learn exactly that?

She stared at her hand, just as the other two had done.

“Concentrate!” Zahn called.

Slivers of wood were still falling down from the ceiling, and one of the beams was starting to catch fire.

She stared hard at her palm, but she didn’t understand what to do.

Less magic. Do less.

She tried, but though she was getting tired, she still couldn’t stop it. So she ran over to the window and pointed her palm out into the meadow beyond the castle walls. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she ran out of magic, and she slumped, exhausted, to the floor.

“Stupid girl,” Zahn spat.

Alina was confused.

He strode over to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up from the floor. For a moment, she was sure he was going to slap her, but he didn't, though his words were enough to knock her down.

“I thought I’d found someone worth training,” he said angrily. Though she thought she saw something in his face besides anger.

Jealousy?

No, that wasn’t possible.

But she’d seen the same look on the faces of the school children when they regarded her. She didn’t have a single soul to call a friend there. They all hated her for her abilities.

But now…

Zahn released her and walked out of the room. The two boys followed him, and so she did as well.

“I’m taking you outside, girl,” he said. “And we can see what you’re really worth.”

She thought she understood why he was angry, but when they arrived in the square, she wondered if practically setting the castle on fire was actually the reason.

Once they were in the center of the square, he rounded on her.

“Stay here,” he said.

Then he strolled away from her, lighting his hands with magic as he walked.

She glanced at Sloane and Sheridan. Sheridan had a wicked smile on his face, but Sloane just looked scared. Perhaps that was his usual place in the pecking order; he was the frightened one with little magic, while Sheridan was the man at the top of the class.

Alina was tired, but she turned in Zahn’s direction and gritted her teeth. She wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but she suspected that it wasn’t going to be good.

“Ready!” Zahn called from thirty feet away. He raised his hands, palms covered in fire.

She instinctively did the same, only there was nothing but skin on her hands. Still, she raised them out before her, ready to fight.

Zahn’s blast came without warning, and soon she found herself on her back, ten feet from where she had started.

This angered her. She scrambled to her feet and put her hands up again, this time ready. Or so she thought.

Zahn raised his palms and took her down again with ease. This time when she hit the ground, she banged her head on the cobblestone. It took her a few moments to push herself back up to standing.

“You see, girl?” he called. “Don’t fancy yourself above me ever again!”

What? She had done nothing of the sort. But her power was wild, feral, in need of his tutoring. Wasn’t that what he, himself, had said?

He raised his hands too soon, too quickly, and she just barely got her hands out in front of her when her own power burst forth, creating a shield around her, blowing back against Zahn’s power until he was the one on the ground.

This pleased her, but she didn’t dare show it.

Zahn stood up before her. A crowd had gathered to watch the show, but instead of stopping, he called Sheridan and Sloane out into the center of the square. Both boys looked nervous, and Alina stepped aside, feeling as weak as ever. She suddenly wished she had finished that apple because now she felt hollowed out inside as if she hadn't eaten for days.

Zahn immediately threw his fire at both boys, one hand for each. He caught them unawares, and they both fell to the ground.

Zahn smiled a wicked smile, and then he turned to the crowd, who clapped in response.

She wondered if maybe they were scared not to.

He turned again, and this time the boys were up and ready. When his fire hit them, they were able to put up shields around themselves, but they were weak, and they were easily overpowered by Zahn’s magic. After a few moments of maintaining their shields, they both fell once more.

“You see, little girl?” Zahn shouted over the applause. “You are nothing compared to me!”

The crowd whooped at this statement. Sheridan and Sloane stood up, brushing dust off their robes.

Zahn strolled over to her, his head held high. He grabbed her by the arm and spoke to the crowd.

“This child, this wild wielder of magic, must go to the dragon who frequents our skies and take from him his most precious possession!”

Several people gasped. She was so young, after all.

“Then,” he glared down at her, “we will see whose power is the strongest. If you survive.”

* * *

She shivered, waiting. She had a name for the beast now: dragon.

She remembered seeing him just the night before, perched upon this very tower, blue, hot flame erupting from his great mouth.

But that was last night and a far distance from where she now stood.

She wondered why the dragon came to the castle every night. She’d read in fairytales that dragons hoarded riches. Did the king offer the dragon gold and silver? Was that why?

When she saw his silhouette against the moon as he took flight, shivers ran through her.

He was coming.

She stood tall, watching him as he came closer and closer, and as he howled with song, he spewed forth his fire.

He landed with surprising grace on the tower roof, then put his head back and blew his flame into the sky. Then, when he was done, he looked down at little Alina.

“You are not the one I seek,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.

She took a step back, surprised that she could understand him.

“I’m sorry…um…sir,” she sputtered. “I’ve been told to wait for you and to take your most precious possession.”

He might’ve laughed, but he was angry, and he growled instead.

“Who has sent you?” he asked.

“Zahn.”

“Then he will pay me double tomorrow. Why should I not eat you up and call you dinner?” he asked.

She thought about this for a moment, but she could only come up with one reason.

“I am too small to satisfy you for dinner. And I think that humans might not taste good to someone like you.”

The dragon grunted.

“About that, you are wrong. What’s your name, girl?”

“Alina, sir.”

His scales stood up, shimmering black like knives in the moonlight.

“Alina. Zahn must be angry if he has sent you to meet me. What have you done to him?”

“Just magic, sir.”

This time he did laugh, a roar of laughter and fire.

She felt lucky he had tossed his head back so that his fire didn’t burn her.

“I see,” he finally said. “Climb aboard me, child, and I will take you to my most prized possession.”

“You won’t eat me?” she asked. She couldn’t decide if she was nervous, terrified, or elated. Maybe it was all three.

“Do you think my eating you would make your master Zahn happy?”

“Definitely.”

“Then no, I think I’ll skip dinner tonight.”

He lowered his head until he was low enough for her to touch his nose. She found that his breath was burning hot, but not so much that she couldn’t handle it.

“I am Urvar,” he said as she climbed up his scales until she was straddling his neck. “Now, hold on tight. It is a far way down.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed against him with her knees. She couldn’t have been hanging on any harder if she tried.

Urvar took flight, and for a moment, she thought she would fall, but he seemed to sense this, and he moved his giant body in a way to correct for her imbalance.

Alina might’ve been terrified, but the glory of riding on a dragon’s back was too sweet to ruin with fear. She sat up once she got used to his movement and found that they were flying over the lake that lay outside the castle walls. She had only ever been to the lake once, and to see it now under the light of the moon reminded her of shimmering jewels.

“Why do you come to the castle every night, Urvar?” she asked as she settled in for the ride.

“It’s magic that I seek,” he said. “I have been robbed so many times by men that most of my treasures are gone. Magic, however, is difficult to steal.”

The wind that his wings made blew through her hair as they traveled.

“What good is magic to one like you?” she asked.

“Silly girl. I am magic. I’m made of it. And the more I have, the greater I become.”

“You mean it makes you bigger?”

He snorted, and flame issued from his giant nostrils.

“Something like that. Now, hold on. We are almost there, but we must go much higher.”

She did as she was told, and she soon found that she felt stuck to Urvar. It was her own magic binding her to him, making sure she wouldn’t fall.

Urvar changed course, and soon they were flying almost vertically. Alina whooped with joy.

“Urvar!” she called. “You are amazing!”

He didn’t respond; all of his energy was focused on topping the mountain where his lair awaited, and soon he leveled out again and perched on the highest rock in the range.

Alina looked down, and from up there, she could see her entire expanding world. There was so much that she could do, so many adventures that she could have.

But she was just a girl, barely old enough to tie her own shoes. She might’ve thought about staying on with Zahn, but considering he’d basically served her to a dragon like a fine dinner, she suspected that he wouldn’t want her back.

Urvar hopped down until he was at the base of a cave. Then he lowered his head, allowing Alina to slide down.

“It’s beautiful up here,” she said. “Is that why you like it?”

“I like it because I can watch my enemies from high above. The only way to get to this place is to fly.”

“Enemies?”

“Do you think I would require the magic from Zahn each night if he were my friend? Both he and the Lost Kingdom owe me dearly.” His gaze focused on the other side of the mountain range, and she saw another castle, this one even larger than the one she lived by, and she understood.

“What did they take from you?” she asked.

Urvar shook his great head back and forth sadly.

“Come inside,” he said.

His enormous feet made the mountain shudder with each step he took. She followed him blindly into the dark. She was no longer afraid of him, which maybe wasn’t wise. Maybe he did intend to make his dinner of her.

But she didn’t think so.

Instead, he blew his burning breath softly into the cave, lighting up the walls, which were covered in singe marks. She was surprised to find the cave all but empty; there was no dragon’s treasure here. All there was, off to one corner of the cave, was a pile of old bones. Old dinners.

Or so she thought.

He stomped heavily over to them, then rubbed the end of his nose against them almost tenderly.

And she understood.

“They took someone away from you,” she said. “Didn’t they?”

“They did. When I was younger, and my mate was small enough and fine enough to be bothered by something as insignificant as an arrowhead, they came for us. They killed her and wounded me, and it was the combined magic of Zahn and Drem from the Lost Kingdom that kept me from stopping them. They stole the treasure. They took everything from me.

“So now I take from them, night after night. And I think it would be wise for me to double the debt Zahn owes, now that he’s given me a small child to devour.”

She walked over to the pile of bones and touched them gently.

“She must have been very beautiful,” she said.

“She was mine,” he said simply.

Alina turned and approached him, then put one outstretched hand on his nose. Without even meaning to do it, she transferred power to him, and his body glowed blue and lifted up off the cave floor.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "Now I see why Zahn has sent you. He is jealous of your power! How wonderful for me and terrible for you. If you are wise, you will hide your power while that man is alive. Use it only when you are in the direst circumstances, only to save a life, your own or another's.

"But what joy for you to bring me this news. Now, what shall we send you home with?"

Urvar lit up the room again and looked around. Then, his eyes landed on the one thing he had to offer.

“It is the most powerful thing I can give you,” he said. “I have for thirty years taken Zahn’s power and poured it into these bones. Take your pick, child, and I will fly you home.”

“But shouldn’t we not give Zahn back all of his power?”

“You misunderstand me. He cannot access this power, even though it originated from him. He can only behold the bone and know that it holds within it more power than he has ever known, for it is mixed with my own.”

“So it is a joke?”

“Yes, but pray it will not backfire upon your head. Take a bone to him and throw it at his feet before you make your escape. Then, if you are wise, spend your days hiding from him until he is dead and gone, for he will not forget.”

“But that will be a horrible life for me,” she said. “I cannot hide forever.”

“No, but you can hide until the time is right. Until you are powerful enough to defeat him in every way. Use the coming years to practice your magic in secret. Then, when you are ready, confront him. Then you will rule the kingdom, not him.”

Alina was a smart girl, a powerful girl, but she was still a child, and the idea of hiding out for the rest of her life didn’t suit her spirit at all.

“Why can’t I defeat him now?” she asked, “and get it over with?”

"They will kill you if you try. You must be in control for the plan to work. I wish I could train you, but alas, I am not a wizard."

Alina looked over at the pile of bones and returned to them. She picked up one of the smaller ones and held it out for Urvar’s inspection. He shook his head.

“Choose a larger one,” he said. “He will think it is even more powerful because of its size. The fool.”

She did as he suggested and took a bone nearly as tall as herself.

“Perhaps that will serve you as a great staff when you are older, for you, of course, will be able to access its power.”

“Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“I am sure. Now climb back on and hold on tight. You can deliver his gift soon. The sun will rise an hour from now, and you will find him awake and elated. He will think you are dead, of course, but this will surprise him. And if he gives you any trouble, tell him that I will come to your door each night for as long as you live so that I can protect you from the likes of him.”

“You will do that? For me?”

“Of course I will, child. You are pure of heart, and you have been mistreated by a man mad with his own power. You will take protecting.”

She held out the bone but didn't see how she could possibly climb up onto his back with it in her grasp.

“Put it down. I will take it.”

She did as she was told, and Urvar picked up the bone delicately in his mouth as she climbed aboard.

At the mouth of the cave, she wrapped her arms around his neck, this time not from fear but with gratitude.

“Thank you, Urvar, for not eating me.”

The dragon laughed as much as a dragon can laugh, and she smiled. He stomped to the opening of the cave and took to the air again, gliding down, down, down, until they greeted the dawn, leaving the night behind them.

* * *

She waited, hidden in the training room, for the day to break in earnest. Any moment now, she was certain, Zahn would arrive.

But she was mistaken. Instead, Sloane and Sheridan walked into the room, both of them starting when they came upon her.

“Alina,” Sloane hissed. “What are you doing here? You can’t stay here. He will—”

“I have brought him the thing he wanted,” she said simply, and she held out the bone for inspection.

Sloane frowned, then touched it. The power coursed through him in an instant, and a wide smile took over his face.

“Where did you get this?”

“Urvar,” she said. “The dragon.”

“The dragon?” Sheridan asked. He put his hand against the bone next, and soon he was practically floating with delight. "Oh, this is a great gift. He was so angry yesterday, and now you've brought him something of great value. He will welcome you back with open arms."

Just then, the door to the hallway opened, and Zahn walked through. When he saw her, he stopped, looking alarmed.

“Why are you here?” he asked. “How are you here?”

“Urvar gave me this to give to you.” She walked up to him and thrust out the bone. “He says it is his greatest treasure.”

“Touch it, Zahn,” Sheridan said. “It is full to bursting with magic.”

Zahn scowled at Sheridan, but he took hold of the bone.

Nothing happened.

“Is this some sort of joke?” he spat.

“No, sir,” Sloane said, trying to help. “It is a gift so rare, I could not have dreamt it up myself. Can you not feel it?”

Zahn pointed the bone like he might a staff, but not only did he not feel the power coursing within it, it seemed that his own power disappeared when he was holding it. He threw it to the ground.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked, cornering Alina.

“Urvar gave it to me to give to you. He also said that he will require twice the magic from you from now on. And he said that he will be visiting me every night to check I’m safe. That was all he said.”

She turned to go, and Zahn sputtered behind her.

“You would be wise not to turn your back on me, little girl.”

She turned around.

“I am wise,” she said. “It is you who are lacking.”

She could say these things because she knew that Urvar frightened Zahn. She knew that her power was greater than his, too, even untrained. She opened her palm, and from it, a great fire rose up, blue this time, the flame of a dragon.

Zahn’s face fell, and she smiled.

She turned away, leaving the staff useless on the floor. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would get to hold it again someday.

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