“I can’t wait to see you then,” Cadence said, trying to sound cheerful. She hung up, not wanting to tell Daisy that she had no idea where she would be in July, or who she’d be mated to. There’s no point in borrowing trouble from the future, her mother used to say. Just take care of today.
The fire and ice dragon planning committees were divided up, with each side doing the planning for their half of the field. Cadence ended up on the fire dragon side.
She was assigned to help out with the food vendors’ sub-committee. She spent the day going over the lists of vendors. She worked side by side with Laetitia, who was the logistics manager for the fire dragons’ committee.
Around eleven a.m., an ice dragon named Katherine, a young woman in her twenties who owned a jewelry design store, walked over to the folding table where Cadence sat with Laetitia. Katherine was carrying a giant bouquet of flowers, along with an enormous basket of sandwiches and pastries, which bore the note, “Don’t want the mother of my dragonlings to go hungry!”
So Orion was sending out a message to the ice dragon community, who would doubtless hear of this; Cadence felt a warm glow spread through her. Orion was thinking of her safety even when he wasn’t with her.
“These are for you,” Katherine said, setting them down in front of Cadence.
“You run along now,” Laetitia said with a severe frown.
Katherine started to back away. Cadence spoke up hastily. “I’m sure that what Laetitia meant to say, in the spirit of Lyndvale hospitality, was thank you, and would you like to join us to eat some sandwiches with us?”
“They do look delicious,” Katherine said, eyeing the sandwiches.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t want to deprive her dragonlings of their nourishment.” Laetitia pushed her glasses up her nose, using her middle finger.
“I ate an enormous breakfast,” Cadence lied. “Most of a pig and half a sheep, actually. And these dragonlings would only be a couple of days old at most, so they’re not consuming much energy yet.” She yanked the note off the basket, stood up, and yelled, “Hey, hello, attention! Orion sent pastries and sandwiches for everybody!”
Dragons, who were known for their enormous appetites, did not need to be told twice. Soon they were all crowded around, snatching up pastries and sandwiches, while Laetitia and Darlene, who was on the ice dragons’ planning committee, stood and glowered disapprovingly at the crowd of dragons mingling, and also at each other.
“There’s two sandwiches left,” Katherine said, and finally she set the near-empty basket in front of them. “Help yourselves!”
Laetitia and Darlene waited until Katherine walked away before glancing at each other.
“I do hate to see food go to waste,” Laetitia muttered, at the same time that Darlene said, “I do love roast beef.”
They each snatched a sandwich, glanced at each other, and sat down next to each other to eat.
“I see your grandlings signed up for peewee ice hockey,” Laetitia said. “My daughter wasn’t able to carry her clutch to term. Again.” She shoved half the sandwich in her mouth and looked away.
“My condolences,” Darlene said, blinking hard. “That new clinic is supposed to be making a lot of progress. I meant to tell you, your brochures are lovely.”
* * * * *
Frederick came to pick her up around three p.m., and they headed back to the castle.
As they pulled up to the roundabout by the front steps, Darlene saw a big SUV parked there, and half a dozen people were standing outside, yelling. Several of them looked vaguely familiar.
Frederick started reversing the limo.
She rolled down the window to hear what they were saying.
“She’s our family! You must let us see her, or we will complain to the Elders! What are you trying to hide?” they were yelling at several of Orion’s clan members who stood in front of the enormous front door, blocking their entrance.
“Hey! That’s my cousin Maude,” she said to Frederick. “Let me out. I need to see these people.”
“Well, Orion hasn’t authorized—”
“Screw authorization,” she said, and flung the door open.
She scrambled out and rushed up the steps. There was Maude, and her uncle Draken, and her aunt Aurelia. She still had never met them in person, but they’d sent her pictures and talked on the phone.
Nikolai, Cynthia, Alcott, and a group of Orion’s family members were in the doorway, glaring at them and blowing smoke from their nostrils.
“Cadence, thank God you’re all right! Have they been abusing you?” Maude threw her arms around Cadence.
“No, of course not. What are you doing here?”