I don’t know that I believe that. Someone just wanting to chat can come find me, not bribe me to go hang out with them. The offer of coffee is tempting, but I also know I’m being bribed. I hesitate.

“Is ok,” Murr says, looping a casual arm around my shoulders. He leans in and rubs his nose against my temple, holding me close. “Dakota get scared, Murr come get. Promise.”

So that’s how I end up having coffee with Melina.

To be fair to her, she’s an absolutely lovely and gracious woman. She has long, cascading hair that’s been braided back from her face. Her warm brown skin is set off by a floaty yellow dress that looks comfortable and elegant at the same time. She meets me in a private dining area that’s heavily guarded by the Fort Dallas militia. The exterior of the building is all concrete and metal reinforcement, but inside it’s charming and tastefully decorated. There are a few paintings hanging on the wall that I’m pretty sure were from a museum, and delicate glassware adorns the table.

Melina pours the coffee from a fancy teapot, and we sip it in old-fashioned cups and saucers that remind me of Dottie’s birthday presents. Man, she would love this tea set. The coffee is delicious, too. It’s harsh and strong enough to make me cough, which means I love it.

“You didn’t have to waste your coffee on me,” I say, even as she pours us a second cup. I downed the first one greedily, but Melina doesn’t seem to mind. “I know how precious it is.”

She gives me a small smile and pours more coffee for Gwen. “Coffee is for special occasions. I’m sorry it’s plain. I can’t get the kitchen to spare any sugar or honey, and there’s no milk.”

I know where she could get some milk. I think about the cattle herd and how I should bring it up to bargain. About the book in my pack. And yet…I don’t. It feels like handing over all our power. “Black coffee is fine, I promise. It’s nice to have coffee at all.”

“I’m all about making alliances with additional dragons and their mates. Gwen tells me you’re not interested in living in the fort?” She arches a brow, settling back with her coffee. “I’m not asking to pressure, just curious to know more.”

“We’ve got a good set-up where we are,” I tell her. “We’re happy to trade with the fort, but I don’t feel the need to live inside it when we can be independent.”

Melina nods. “Between you and me, if you can be independent, I’d rather you not be in the fort. Our resources are finite. We don’t turn anyone away, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and worry about how we’re going to feed everyone. Azar and I feel responsible for everyone that lives in these walls, and sometimes it’s a lot. I’d much rather have good allies to trade with than another set of mouths to feed.”

“Tell that to Thess,” Gwen murmurs as she sips her coffee.

Melina laughs, shaking her head. “Thess means well but she doesn’t see things the same way I do. She figures that if there are more people, all we have to do is get more food. But I’m thinking about housing, and waste, and schooling and a thousand tiny other things that have nothing to do with feeding hungry mouths.” Her gaze focuses on me. “Which is why I wanted to talk to you today.”

Here it comes. “Oh?” I feign innocence. “What about?”

“About your wealth,” she says in a blunt voice. “And how it can affect the status quo here.”

I sputter at that. Right now I’m wearing my torn jeans, grubby shoes, and an old T-shirt. I don’t have a lick of jewelry. I didn’t bring a single battery or solar panel to trade with. “My wealth? What wealth? The books? The meat?”

“Both of those are welcome but not really what I was thinking of.” Melina curls her fingers around her cup, raising it to her lips to take a sip. “I was thinking of the dogs.”

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CHAPTER 109

DAKOTA

Melina’s polite words surprise me. I’d tried to think of a million reasons as to why we’d been invited for coffee and a chat, but…the dogs? “What about the dogs?”

“You know as well as I do that a companion like that wasn’t possible for a long time. With dragons attacking the forts, a pet was a bad idea. Now that things have settled down quite a bit, we’ve heard requests from a lot of our residents for pets. Cats, dogs…I even had a gentleman asking to find a snake and bring it inside as a pet. We told him no. But a dog is doable, provided the owners manage their food supplies properly. Cats are trickier because they’re meat eaters. I’d be happy with some mousers here in the fort, but I also don’t want to bring in cats that won’t hunt, because then the responsibility is on us to feed them.”

I’m a little surprised at how much thought has gone into pets inside the fort. “Wow. You really have thought everything through.”

Melina’s expression remains sober. “I have to. We’re responsible for everyone. Something that’s not a problem today might be a problem in ten years if not handled properly. It’s our responsibility to try and think ahead and handle situations before they get out of hand. Which is why I wanted to talk with you about your friend Aggie and her puppies. Jonah spoke with Thess last night and Thess came to me this morning. From what it sounds like, Jonah would receive a puppy once it’s of age?”

“Yes. Aggie thinks it would be good for him to have a companion at his side. I know the dog won’t be trained a hundred percent as a guide dog, but if he can train it to learn certain commands, I think it’d be wildly helpful for him.”

“I agree. Jonah’s very clever, much like his father. If anyone can train a puppy, it’s him. He also mentioned that Aggie had more dogs and she was looking to pair them up with children here in the fort? If so, it’s an extremely generous offer, but that’s where I’m seeing that there could be problems. The children he’s thinking of are either poor, or orphaned, or in need in some other way, which means they’re also bigger targets for the more unscrupulous. I don’t want a child to get knifed over a puppy.”

That stops me in my tracks. I’ve forgotten about the realities of living in a fort. How many times had I stayed up all night with a knife at my side because someone had looked at Rabbit the wrong way? Giving a child a puppy in a situation like this, where so many people have nothing day to day, is bound to cause issues. “You’re right. It’s a bad idea.”

“No, actually, I think it’s a good idea,” Melina says. “I think it’s wonderfully generous. But it needs to be executed properly.”

Gwen glances between me and Melina. “Tell her what you had in mind, Mel. I don’t think Dakota or Aggie would want anyone to be in danger. They’re just trying to bring some happiness, that’s all.”

Melina nods again, her expression thoughtful. “You’re probably going to hate this idea, but it would be best if the dogs were not gifts from Aggie, but instead, assignments from Lord Azar. A gift is easily stolen, and since you don’t live at the fort, there will be little thought of repercussions.” She lifts her coffee cup again, using it to gesture. “But, if the dogs are traded to Lord Azar, he can ‘assign’ them to the little ones so they can pull their weight in the fort. They will be told to train the dogs and to check in regularly with Lord Azar’s team. This ensures that Lord Azar’s stamp is all over the situation and no one will harm a child or a puppy. Furthermore, it allows us to ensure that the animals are being taken care of…and that we can control any breeding that might occur.”