Dragonlands(251)

Bastian looked at Connor, who shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," Bastian said. "Farah said she saw your great-grandmother when the villagers were held captive by the Red. It got me thinking that maybe there's more to this conflict than we thought. If I could find those pages..."

Tressa's shoulders dropped. Another accusation against Granna. The woman was infuriating. Maddening. But evil? Tressa couldn't believe it. There had to be another explanation. "Okay. I'll stay until the pages are found." She stood and set to looking through the bookshelf. Their search quickly came up empty.

"There's nothing here," Tressa said. She sat on the bed next to Connor, laying her head on his shoulder. He stiffened. Tressa popped up. She'd forgotten about how he'd changed. Her feelings for him had remained the same, despite everything that had happened, but he obviously didn't feel the same way about her. It was so strange. Her best friend was alive, but their relationship had shifted. Possibly for good.

"If we had all the pieces to the story, we might be able to understand everything better. Maybe then we'd know why the dragonlords continue to battle one another. And maybe it could help us end the wars." Bastian paced the small cottage, managing only a few steps before the wall forced him to turn again.

"I know what they are fighting over," Tressa said, "but not why. It's the honey."

"The honey?" Connor perked up, his eyes wide. "I don't remember everything, but I do recall working with the bees before we entered the fog. Why would they want the honey?"

"I don't know," Tressa said. "No one will enlighten me either. I think Granna knows..." she trailed off, knowing how that must sound.

"Unfortunately, she's gone and can't answer your questions anymore," Bastian said.

Tressa clenched and unclenched her fists buried in her lap. "Actually..."

"What?" Bastian asked.

Connor looked at her expectantly.

"Granna's not dead," Tressa said.

Bastian's jaw dropped. Connor didn't look surprised, his face calm. Perhaps he understood better than anyone how easy it was to beat death.

"How long have you known?" Bastian asked.

"Not long," Tressa said. "Only after I left Ashoom when I was sick. Fi took me to her. Granna's been in the Black."

"But her body—” Bastian looked at Connor. They had carried her together after her viewing, commending her to the fog. Connor's face remained neutral. Another hole in his memory. "She was dead, Tressa."

"So was I," Connor said, "and yet I'm here."

"That's different," Bastian said. "I didn't hold your cold body in my hands. Trust me, Sophia was dead." Sweat dripped from Bastian's hairline.

Tressa fought the urge to reach out and wrap her arms around him. Even though they'd drifted apart, she had to admit she still loved the man. Not in the same desperate way she had before, though. "I know she was. But there are things the dragons can do that go beyond anything we were taught as children. The world isn't as we were told."

Bastian took a deep breath. "And that's what I've been trying to tell you. Sophia is withholding information. You have to ask her about the honey."

"You think I haven't?" Tressa asked. She'd asked Granna so many questions, but the only real revelation involved the abortive tea. Tressa looked up at Bastian, her heart hurting. He deserved to know that their attempts to become pregnant had been thwarted. "She wouldn't tell me."

"Maybe she doesn't know?" Connor asked.

Bastian shook his head. "No. She knows. She has to. Otherwise, why all of the secrecy? Why fake her own death? Why take those pages from the book? Why put a spell on the cottage so no one else can enter?"

"I stopped here to sleep tonight. Tomorrow morning I'm headed back to the Ruins. I'll ask Granna while I'm there. This time I'll pressure her more." Tressa wasn't sure it would do any good, though. Granna hadn't appeared interested in sharing much of anything with her. "If I get answers, I'll share them with you as soon as I'm able. I have other tasks to complete too. Promises I've made that I must keep."

Bastian rolled his eyes. She'd made promises to him once, yes. She hadn't kept them, but she didn't think he was suffering. Elinor kept his bed warm now.

"You wouldn't want to break a promise, would you?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Tressa noticed Connor slip out the door. She took a deep breath. It was past time they had this discussion.

"Bastian, when I left you with our parents, I did it for the good of our people. After what happened to Connor, I couldn't let anyone else suffer. I also think, though it's too late to prove it, that my father manipulated me into leaving." She stood, her legs shaking with anger. "I did what I thought was right. I had every intention of coming back to you. But then everything spiraled out of control."