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Savira didn’t look at any of them when she woke up. Instead, she snarled and began struggling against the crystal chains. The dragon’s rage was palpable, scratching at Lydia skin and making her step backwards.

“Let me go!” She twisted violently and one of the links in the chain cracked slightly but didn’t give. “I have work to do.” She struggled some more but they still held. “I was so close.”

“No you weren’t, Savira-ida,” Darylan actually sounded slightly sympathetic. “You were looking in entirely the wrong direction. It’s just your obsession making you think that you were.” His eyes hardened. “And even if you had been, it wouldn’t have worth what you did to your test subjects.”

Savira gave a loud scream of denial and finally raised her head to look around at her captors. Almost immediately her eyes fixed on Lydia. The rage drained from her face to be replaced by a steely determination and in spite of the chains, she launched herself at Lydia with murder in her eyes.

Ystelyan made a rapid gesture and the chains shortened, dragging her to the floor. He waited until she stopped struggling to reach Lydia before stepping down and grabbing her chin. “Now why don’t you tell us what this is all about?”

“That girl is dangerous!” Savira said. “A boobytrap or something! I don’t know what exactly but there’s no other reason Xantaria would let her go.”

“But she didn’t,” Darylan said. “We rescued her.”

“That’s what Xantaria wanted everyone to think, but she let you rescue her.”

“What?” he said. “I think you had better explain.”

“Yes, please do,” Lydia said. “Because I’d quite like to know as well.”

Savira stopped struggling against her chains and sank down the floor again. “You aren’t the only one who keeps an eye on Xantaria, Darlyran-iltian,” she said. “I know I have a reputation about not thinking about anything but my bond but I do recall what she did to my parents. She doesn’t expect me to spy on her so they get closer.”

“Iltian?” Alaryia stared at Darlryan. “I always forget you’re her mother’s half brother.” She looked at Savira. “So you have a spy who saw something that’s made you think this?”

Savira kept glaring at the floor but nodded. “Yes, after your raid when she was talking to Andarian-mirian. He was expecting her to be enraged but she was very contained. He asked her if she was upset and she smirked at him. Xantaria smirking is never a good sign.”

“No,” Darlyran said. “But just because she sees an advantage in the rescue doesn’t mean she planned it.”

“You don’t understand.” Savira frowned at the chains. “Okay, I think these will let me show you.” She closed eyes and projected an image to them all.

Xantaria was sitting on top of a crystal box in a very casual way. She certainly didn’t look distressed. Andarian was leaning against the wall frowning at her.

“Aren’t you upset?” he asked. “This has to mess up whatever you were planning?”

Xantaria cocked an eyebrow and smirked slyly at him. “Oh no, I’m not upset. I knew it was risky so even if it had gone wrong I wouldn’t have been too upset, but it didn’t. The timing was perfect.”

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