Of Spellbooks and Thieves | SAMPLE

3 ~ The Dragon Keeper Pin

"So, she took your book and ran off?" Kase asked after Tobias told him all that happened in the last few hours. The dragon keeper took a drink from his flask, his face scrunched up as he thought. When he was done, he screwed the cap back on and shoved it into his saddlebag. "Yeah, that sounds like Eira all right."

Tobias plucked at the grass, twisting it in his fingers as he stared up at the sky. The sun had just begun to set, painting over the fair blue of daylight with a deep purple. The last of the brilliant rays of light streaked the sky with pink and orange. The two of them had sat in the scorched field, watching the sky grow steadily darker while Tobias dumped the entire story of the thievery onto Kase—who listened intently to every detail. He wasn't sure what sitting around and talking was going to do to help catch up to Eira, but each time he had mentioned that, Kase told him they needed a plan first.

Tobias grumbled to himself. He knew they needed a plan, but all he wanted was to have the book in his hands. He wanted to skip all the middle steps and just get to the end.

But of course, those middle steps wouldn't allow themselves to be skipped.

Sighing, Tobias leaned back on his hands and forced himself to stop picking at the grass. "You said you had a score to settle with her, right? What kind of score? What did she do?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kase shrug. The man reached into his pocket, pulled out the pin from before, and began to fiddle with it. "Just something that happened a long time ago. I don't like to talk about it."

Right. Should've known. Since that thread of conversation wasn't going anywhere, Tobias shifted to a new one. "Do you know my sister, Talia? When you spoke about her earlier, you seemed pretty familiar with her." Tobias always noted how people spoke his sister's title—usually with awe or sometimes even fear. But Kase had said it with a friendly gleam in his eyes. There was something about his face—or perhaps his name—that seemed vaguely familiar to Tobias. Like a stubborn memory that sat at the very back of his mind, just out of reach.

His curiosity leapt at memories like those, eager to sift through them for anything he could learn. This one in particular presented a struggle, but it could be easily solved depending on Kase's answers.

Luckily, Kase nodded eagerly in response to the new question. He looked down at the pin, a fond smile curling the corners of his mouth upward slightly. "She was good friends with my Mage and was eager to teach me more about my bond with Smoke." He smoothed his finger across the surface of the pin, staring at it for several more seconds before he pocketed it again. "She talked about you sometimes, but I doubt she mentioned me. I think she was disappointed I didn't drop Avi—my... Mage to become a full-fledged Dragon Rider."

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, combing his fingers through his raven black hair. "But she's a good person," he added as an afterthought. "I admire her."

Tobias thought for a moment, mulling over Kase's words, wondering if Talia had ever mentioned Kase to him. She was often quiet about her students, but Tobias was certain she wouldn't be able to resist telling him about Smoke had she met the dragon.

His gaze strayed to the red dragon, who was curled up behind Kase with the tip of his tail draped protectively across his master's lap. His amber eyes were watchful, and thin wisps of smoke trailed out of his nostrils each time he exhaled. Any time Kase fell silent and stared blankly at his hands in his lap, Tobias wondered if the two were conversing through their bond. A twinge of envy twisted his gut as that thought solidified.

Kase cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "How is she, by the way? Talia, I mean."

"She's fine," Tobias bit back. He bristled at the question, though Kase's tone was harmless. "She's busy. She had to step away from the school because she's..." He trailed off and fiddled with the blade of grass in his hands. With a sigh, he finished, "She's getting married soon."