Dragonlands(253)

"No," Bastian said. "It's just that, I really like Elinor. Genuinely."

Tressa smiled. "I'm glad. You deserve to be happy, too."

"What about Jarrett?" Bastian asked. "I can't say I'm happy about the two of you. If you'd seen what he did on the Isle of Repose…he's a killer, Tressa. I'm glad he's gone from here. I think Connor would have killed him, given the chance. You're the only reason he's still alive."

Tressa fiddled with the ties to her top. "I know. But whatever happened on the island, it wasn't Jarrett's fault. Something had control over him. Connor should understand that. Sometimes our circumstances are bigger than ourselves. It's how we adapt to the aftermath that defines us."

Bastian laughed. "Look how we just adapted." He glanced over at the bed.

"A moment of weakness?" Tressa asked.

"A long goodbye," Bastian said.

She couldn't agree more. Her eyes swept the cottage. Part of her felt as if she'd never left. Another part knew everything she could see and touch was part of her past, including Bastian.

"We'll always be friends," Tressa said. "You, me, and Connor. We've changed, but we'll always have that connection. We got through the fog together, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Bastian said. "And we'll get through this together. After you've done whatever secret mission you're on, why don't you come back here? The three of us can keep digging for the truth about our village."

Tressa almost blurted out a "yes," but she caught herself. She couldn't make any promises, especially not to Bastian. Not again. If something else came up, she'd follow it without a second thought to what lay waiting for her in Hutton's Bridge. "Maybe."

Bastian cleared his throat and straightened his shirt. He had nothing more to say, and what could he say after her answer? "Anyway, thanks for letting Connor and I tear through the cottage last night. I think whatever was written on those missing pages could help us a lot. It could tip the balance in the war."

Tressa silently disagreed. What could words do when people were dying, fighting an enemy who seemed to have an unending supply of fresh warriors? At least with the Green behind them, they could easily triple their numbers. They’d have armor, too.

"I'm glad I could help." Tressa tossed a random dress she'd taken from the wardrobe into her pack. She stalled, hoping Bastian would leave. Suddenly it felt awkward, standing there with him. "I should get going. I have a lot of flying to do before the day is over. I want to get down to the ruins as soon as possible."

“Flying?” Bastian asked, his head cocked to the side. “Is one of the dragons meeting you here?”

A knock at the door broke into their conversation. Tressa breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t meant to blurt that out. It was the worse possible time to tell Bastian she was part dragon. She strode across the room and opened it. "Elinor," she said and stepped back into the cottage, giving Elinor room to enter.

The diminutive woman with the long blond hair swept into the cottage. Her eyes rested on Bastian, then flickered to the bed. "Connor said I might find you here."

"Bastian was just going through the bookshelves, looking for some old book my great-grandmother might have kept here," Tressa said. Bastian stood silent.

"That's what Connor said." Elinor relaxed, slipping her hand into Bastian's. Her smile lit up the room. "Let's go. Farah's asking for you."

"Thanks again, Tressa," Bastian said. He stopped, tugging on Elinor's hand. "Don't forget, we're putting the fog back up this morning. I'll tell the guardians about you, but I can't guarantee they won't try to shoot you down if you attempt to come back."

"Thanks, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon." Tressa avoided looking at Bastian. "I have a few things to take care of. And Jarrett will need me during his recovery."

"I'm the last one to judge," Elinor said, resting a hand on Tressa's arm. "My father was a disturbed man, and I lived with him for years. But I want you to be careful around Jarrett. Something changed him on that island, Tressa."

"The healers will help him." Tressa tried to sound more confident than she felt.

"Don't let down your guard, okay? Come back safely to us." Elinor stressed the final word of her sentence.

Tressa didn't need reminding. Even if Jarrett was lost to her, if the healers couldn't sever his connection to whatever was trying to control him, she wouldn't be back for Bastian. Not for all the good memories. Not after what happened the night before. It had been goodbye.

"I will," Tressa said with a smile. It wasn't genuine, and from the look on Elinor's face, she didn't know the difference. Just as well.