“What about the black dragon?” I asked.

I was treading on dangerous ground, the longer I stayed here. And yet... Blake’s face became so animated when he spoke. Clearly this was a topic he was passionate about.

He laughed. “You mean the one you mounted?”

I flushed. “You don’t have to make it sound so...”

He waved a hand. “Fine. But if you’d have done that in real life, he’d have scorched you. His name was Nyxaris. He rode for House Avari. He was a Duskdrake. They were ferocious in battle.”

I looked at the black dragon’s serrated teeth and menacing eyes and shuddered. “So the red one was House Drakharrow’s?”

Blake stepped towards the red stone dragon and put a hand against the rough, unpolished sandstone. “Vorago. He was an Inferni. The Inferni flew for House Drakharrow, yes.”

“And what was special about them?”

He shrugged. “They were fucking indestructible. At least, when it came to attacks from other dragons.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means their weakness was themselves. They were volatile. Unreliable. Breeding them was a danger all in itself. House Drakharrow lost more dragons and dragon riders than any of the other houses.” He looked me over. “They were prideful, stubborn, and hard to control. Sound familiar?”

I flushed. “I’m surprised House Drakharrow wanted them.”

“We wanted them because they were the best. They were the fastest of the four breeds. When they were ridden by well-trained riders, their attacks could be the most powerful of any breed. Once a rider bonded successfully with an Inferni, they could draw on their mount’s strength and even their courage. At least, so they say.”

“So they say,” I echoed.

I looked around me at the four statues, trying to imagine a time when these beasts actually flew through the skies. “Their appetites must have been huge.”

He nodded. “Which is why only the four great houses could afford to own them.”

“Own,” I said bitterly. “Why must you try to own everything?”

He looked at me but said nothing.

I turned away and looked up at the red stone dragon. Vorago.

The dragon’s eyes were the most aggressive of the four. Whoever had carved him had perfectly captured a sense of burning passion and rage.

“He doesn’t want to be here,” I said quietly.

“He wants to fly,” Blake agreed. “He’s angry that he can’t. He’s trapped here for another few centuries. Until the stone he’s carved from finally crumbles and he falls to dust.”

He stepped up beside me, looking up at the red dragon, but made no move to touch me. Still, I could feel him there, just a few inches away from my shoulder. I held very, very still.

“Why are you really here, Pendragon? Obviously you want something. What is it?”

I hesitated, then leaped. “When I left the party last night, I saw a girl on the beach. A young highblood girl.”

He was close enough that I sensed him stiffen.

“She had clearly just fed,” I continued.

He snorted. “You can tell when we’ve just fed now, can you, Pendragon?”

“There was blood on her lips,” I said defensively. “And that isn’t all. After she passed by, I heard a cry.”

He glanced at me. “Was someone hurt?”

I was honestly shocked he’d even asked.

“Not someone exactly. An animal. Do you know what a fluffin is?”

He scoffed. “Everyone knows what a fluffin is. I probably had a stuffed one as a child.”

I tried not to show my surprise. “Right. Well, there was a little fluffin pup there in the sand. It was bleeding out.”

“Feeding doesn’t usually kill, if that’s what you’re worried about, Pendragon.” He was trying to sound bored. But I could tell he wasn’t.

“It hadn’t only been fed from,” I snapped. “Someone had left it bleeding from a huge gash in its side. They’d done that to it and left it there. To die alone, in the dark. A little puppy.” I looked at his profile, the angles of his pale face glowing in the late afternoons unlight. “I think it was the girl. She was only a child. No more than nine or ten.”

“You probably thought you saw a highblood girl but in reality she was just some blightborn brat who snuck over somehow from the city,” he said, waving a hand.

“She wasn’t a stranger. She was definitely a highblood. I knew her,” I persisted. “I saw her that first day when we came before your uncle. She was there, sitting on the dais.”

He froze.

“You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” I glared at him. “Who is she?”

He turned to me slowly. “Does it matter?”

“Does it matter? She hurt an animal. An innocent creature. A baby.” I shook my head. “But no, I guess it doesn’t matter. I should have known you wouldn’t care. It’s just an animal to you, isn’t it? After all, even highblood life is obviously meaningless to you.”

He leaned towards me. “That highblood you’re referring to would have liked nothing better than to sink his teeth into your pretty little throat. And do you think he would have stopped once he’d started?”

I refused to give an inch. “Who was the girl?” I demanded again. “It’s obvious you know her. So why not tell me?”

He turned his head. “She’s my younger sister. Aenia.”

“Your...sister?” I was shocked. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Yes, well, you don’t really know a fucking thing about me, do you, Pendragon? Besides despising me, I mean.”

“Fairly certain the feeling is mutual, Drakharrow.” But I found I could hardly breathe. His sister?

He ran his hands through his hair. “Aenia shouldn’t have been out there. She could have been hurt. It’s not safe for her. I’ll speak with her.”

I stared at him. “And that’s it? You’re more worried about her?”

He glared at me. “Of course I’m worried about her. She’s just a child. She’s still learning our ways. She didn’t know any better.”

That didn’t fit with the child I’d seen. She was young, yes, but she was lacking in innocence. There was something even more predatory about Aenia Drakharrow than there was about her older brother, and that was saying something.

“Fine. She’s your sister. I can understand your being worried about her. If it’s any consolation, I did ask her if she was all right. But she wouldn’t answer me. She just walked away and... I didn’t know if I should try to stop her.” I drew a breath. “But Aenia wasn’t the one hurt. The fluffin was.”

He frowned. “I assumed it died after you found it.”

“No, he didn’t die. I took him back with me. To the First Year common room.”

He shook his head. “Of course, you did, Pendragon. I’d expect nothing less.” Yet there was something almost admiring in his gaze, as if he might not be entirely mocking me.

“Right, well, not all of us think animals are meaningless,” I snapped. “Anyhow, I need your help.”

“You have a strange way of asking for it,” he replied.

I bit my tongue. “I was hoping I’d run into Theo instead.”

He laughed out loud. “Is that your way of asking for help? Telling me you wish I was my cousin?”

“I only mean that I doubt Theo would have to be asked. He’d probably just offer.”

“Offer what? I still don’t even know what you’re trying to say.” But the corners of his mouth slid upward. He knew.

“For fuck’s sake,” I said through gritted teeth. “Will you take the fluffin to one of your house healers or not?”

He looked at me for a long moment, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was going to laugh again.

If he did, I’d punch him in the face, I decided. No matter what he did to me after that, it would be worth it.

“Fine,” he said.

“What?”

“I said ‘fine.’ I’ll take the thing. Where is it?” He looked around as if I might have brought the fluffin with me.

“I... It’s back in the First Year dormitory,” I stuttered. “In Florence Shen’s room. She stitched it up last night. But now he has a fever and it’s getting higher. She doesn’t think he’s going to make it.”