Heather Rutkowski

Into the Fire

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Several times Lexi had retraced the desert path, hoping to see them again, but each time she was met with nothing more than a desolate gorge. Jinn had even accompanied her, on the rare morning when he wasn’t fishing for their breakfast or dealing with matters of state. But he had never seen the dragons. Just as he has never seen the value of staying in New Alara, she thought bitterly. Guilt wriggled beneath her skin. She knew Jinn was trying to do what was best for his people. It was only her own selfishness that made her wish he would say, to hell with the Alarans - to hell with the whole planet! - and do what was best for them.