Malakai groaned and let himself slump in his seat. “Please tell me this doesn’t mean what I think it means?” He sounded so whiny, Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle at his misfortune, before she sobered up and realized just how serious this was.

  Nishpa clucked her tongue, her brow furrowed in thought. “Do you know where your aunt is?”

  Mal shook his head and brought it to rest in his hands with a huge sigh. “No. Also, don’t know anyone who does.”

  “I thought she was dead...” Quinn said, and realized she’d said the thought out loud. “Sorry. I just...”

  “No, it’s fine. I don’t know her. I’ve never met her. My mother has, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she knows where she is.” It was like Mal was trying to convince himself.

  “We should probably go and ask her. Make sure we can track Ardenil. Perhaps even go through the memories of the Library to check when she was last here. Anything to help us locate her.” Quinn spoke gently, not wanting to alarm Malakai.

  “Fine. When will we head out?” He asked sullenly.

  Quinn raised an eyebrow at Nishpa in inquiry.

  “Let me check this little eye out first. I have several tests I’d like to run. It really is fascinating.” She sounded totally preoccupied.

  Quinn peered at the eye. “You’re truly fascinated by it?”

  Nishpa blinked at her. “Of course. You pulled it out of your mind space. You manifested it in reality. It’s not... That’s not how they usually work. And they’re never this large.”

  Quinn shrugged. “I didn’t really have a basis for comparison...”

  “When you decided to pull it out?” Nishpa looked at her incredulously.

  “Well, of course. I wanted to take it with me and guessed it would be sort of like these flying eyes with bat wings from this computer game I played way back when. And then I sort of guesstimated just how big that would be. And I moved it to here using the affinities Dru had mentioned when she moved our camp back in the cave...” Quinn petered out. She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt the need to defend herself so vehemently.

  “Ah,” Nishpa’s eyes narrowed. “That makes a strange sort of sense. They’re usually about the size of your little fingernail.”

  “Oh.” Quinn said. She made a mental note not to base anything on her computer game experiences again.

  “So you’re saying we don’t have to go and see my mother in the next twelve hours?” Malakai asked hopefully.

  “No, I would think not,” Nishpa frowned. “It’s more that I need to understand elements of this eye before I’ll even have the questions we need to ask. I’m also curious why it wasn’t flagged as a foreign element when I gave you that scan what... a week ago or so? I gave you the all clear, with no foreign elements in your system. And yet... I wonder.”

  Quinn waited. And then she waited some more. After which she chose to poke Nishpa. “Wonder what?”

  “Oh,” Nishpa wrinkled her nose as she mulled over the right words to use. “Since it seems to have linked itself to you now, it might have registered as such, not only internally, but with the system when things came back online for it. Thus, it isn’t recognized as a separate part to you, because now, it’s technically part of you. Make sense?”

  “In a weird, I’m stuck in a magical universe sort of way, yes.” Quinn sighed. Couldn’t be easy, could it? “So, we will need to find Ardenil?”

  Nishpa shrugged. “If you want to know her connection to your accident, and why there was a damned eagle eye in your head? Probably.”

  Quinn nodded and shot a glance over to Malakai where she could see he was relieved. “In that case, I’m going to visit Drukala and see how she’s doing.” She hadn’t been to see her aunt in days, and felt like a pretty terrible niece.

  “She’ll like that,” Nishpa gave her a warm smile. “You could tell my niece to take a page out of your book.” And the Firionas Fae turned back to the eye, her fascination still evident in her barely contained glee.

  “Coming?” Quinn asked. Mal pushed himself up and trudged after her. “It’s not that bad. if we have to go see your mom, you know I’ll be right there too.”

  He glanced at her. “True. It’s just that I fought her not two weeks ago to avoid going back there for healing. I don’t want her thinking she’s won some kind of battle.”

  “Would that really be so bad?” Quinn couldn’t help but feel sad that she no longer had her mother to go to, regardless of whether they were blood related. But she also understood that not all parents deserved to be parents, and Malakai’s relationship with his mother was set for a reason.

  “Probably not. But she gets very superior when she thinks she’s right.” He shook his head. “Besides, I’ll make it clear I didn’t come back for her wants.”

  “Good plan. I can reiterate it for you.” She grinned and pushed open Drukala’s door.

  Warmth permeated the room in a tropical and glowing sort of way. Quinn couldn’t help but feel proud of the Library and the way it could contain and cater to its guests’ every need. This wasn’t much different from the species specific rooms they put together in the Library for those who needed their environments like home in order to study at maximum efficiency.

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  Drukala lay in a nest of what looked like clouds, even though Quinn knew that wasn’t possible. Her scales glistened and her moon like eyes fluttered open, fixing her with a gaze full of curiosity. The scarring on her face appeared to be mostly gone, and Quinn felt a surge of relief she hadn’t expected.

  “It’s frightfully dull here,” Dru complained, “But also extremely comfortable. Which gives me a conundrum of sorts. Tell me, what brings you here, to seek my company?”

  “I wanted to check on you.” Quinn said, feeling oddly flushed for some reason. “Wanted to see if you needed anything, or had any other thoughts?”

  Drukala watched her closely. “I’ve been talking to my sibling.”

  “Dri?” Quinn asked, hoping the other dragon had woken from his hibernation.

  Dru chuckled, and it wuffed out in a strange gust of hot, sea-salty air. “No. The Library. Been trying to make sense of a lot. Recall the memories. We’ve been making great progress.”

  Quinn felt a surge of contentedness through her link to the Library. That must have been a nice catch up from them. She couldn’t imagine having to go so long without speaking. But then again, most age and time references in the Library broke her brain. “I sort of wanted to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay?” Quinn asked tentatively.

  “Of course. As I said. It’s rather dull here. I’m almost healed up though, so I’ll be able to go soon. Better ask me any questions you have now rather than later.” Dru shifted. Her form began to shrink down ever so slightly and morph into a humanoid shape. Her hair grew as she morphed like liquid metal, legs turning into arms and legs, before she finally stood before Quinn, just as she had briefly back in Naka Region Gate 73.

  The scar was indeed less noticeable now, just a faint distention of her face through her collar bone.

  Drukala winked at Quinn. “You should see the other girl.” And grinned before settling herself on the bed in the corner of the room.

  Quinn found herself laughing softly. She’d love to spend more time around Dru, but she got the feeling that her aunt wasn’t exactly Library material. If anything, she didn’t think Drukala would be able to sit still for long. Ever.

  “Now. Tell me. What brings you to me?” She leaned forward, her pearlescent eyes large and alert.

  Quinn felt a little put on the spot. She hadn’t come in with some huge plan or anything, but figured it was a good opportunity to take advantage of, anyway. “Have you ever met Ardenil?”

  Drukala blinked very slowly. “Ardenil...“ she said it in a way that sounded like she was going through years of files to find a reference. “Oh. Ardenil Irishan ... darigháhnish, yes?”

  “That’s her.” Quinn couldn’t help but be relieved given she realized even Ardenil’s more than a millennium of living was nothing but a drop in the ocean for Dru.

  “I recall having met her once, I believe. Why? What happened?” She leaned forward as if eager for gossip.

  “Well, she seems to have implanted something of hers in one of my memories, and I was curious about her.” Which was the truth, but Quinn wasn’t entirely sure how much she should be sharing yet.

  Drukala’s eyes blazed. She’d obviously taken affront for Quinn. “That’s low. Do you need to find her? We could probably sniff her out. Heck... if she’s ever removed a book and returned it, you should be able to track her through her scent of magic.”

  “What?” Quinn asked. “I don’t even...”

  “Has no one taught you about your heritage? It’s one of the best parts ever. You can sniff stuff out like you wouldn’t believe. Trust me, no one will ever hide cake from you again.” Impulsively, she leaned forward and hugged Quinn.

  Oh. The Library actually sounded embarrassed. I completely forgot about that. It’s been so long since I was me that I forgot that aspect of our genetics.

  Quinn recalled always having a good sense of smell. Although she’d sort of lost it a bit since coming to the Library, what with everything else overwhelming it.

  “Wait.” Drukala said. “Have you been listening in?”

  There was another sheepish pulse from the Library. Well, of course I have. I am everywhere in here. I’m just occasionally preoccupied.

  “And you didn’t think to teach her about her heritage?” Drukala sounded so offended on Quinn’s behalf.

  Of course I thought of it. I just haven’t had time. We’ve barely been able to get her fire and scales under conscious control. You know, the important things. She’s only been here six months.

  Drukala looked at Quinn. As in, truly looked this time.

  Quinn bore it, but it felt like an examination.

  “You’re not... exactly like us.” Drukala pursed her lips. “But you’re so close as to be negligible. They’ve added... a few mixes in there. Totally agree with those, by the way. That was some smart thinking right there.” She leaned back, her smile contemplative.

  What are you doing? The Library sounded wary now. As if it was backing away slowly into a hedge.

  “I’m contemplating doing what it appears you haven’t done.” Drukala said with a bit of snark.

  “Wait,” Quinn interjected. “What are you talking about? What hasn’t the Library done?”

  It’s not a bad idea, said the Library. Actually, it’s probably one of the best ideas Drukala has ever had. I’m no longer corporeal. I haven’t been for so much longer than I was. I can barely recall it to be fair. I’m unsure how I’d teach you to be a true cosmicisodracus. Drukala would be much better at that.

  “Fantastic then!” Dru said, her eyes shining brightly as enthusiasm infused her. “I’ll get myself all healed up, and we’ll get you singing like a dragon in no time.”

  Quinn laughed. “I hope not. I get the feeling that’d be loud.”

  “Of course! What’s the point otherwise?”

  Well, that’s lovely, The Library said. But as to the reason, I came to find you in the first place.

  “Oh, i just thought you were eavesdropping.” Quinn grinned.

  No, well, also. But... Misha is ready to resume her role as supervisor.

  “That’s wonderful,” Quinn said, when all she really wanted to say was: about time. “I’ll go right away.”

  And Harish has those reports you asked for. The Library called after her as Malakai and she left the room.

  “So you’re going to learn how to be a real dragon?” Mal asked on the way to see Harish.

  “Apparently.”

  “That’s so cool...”

  Quinn really hoped it was.

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