Balanced on the Blade's Edge (Dragon Blood, Book 1) by Lindsay Buroker Page A

office.
    Sardelle walked in, her own eyebrows raised.
“Have
you
read all the books on that
list?”
    Ridge lifted his chin. “I’ve read many of
them.”
    “Many? More than three?”
    “No less than five, I assure you.”
    She snorted, then a speculative expression
bloomed on her face. “A day off for anyone who can summarize a
book? For
each
book?”
    “That’s the deal I put out, yes.”
    “When’s the test?”
    “After a day of laundry duty, you’re ready to
take off?”
    “Oh, more than ready.” Sardelle rubbed her
hands together. “Do you have a copy of the list? I’m ready now.
I’ll even constrain myself to the ones you’ve read.”
    “How do you know you’ve read the ones I’ve
read? There are more than a hundred books on that list.” All the
classics they had in the meager prison library had gone onto the
list. Some of them were as dusty and old as the mountain itself. “I
don’t believe you’ve read them all.”
    “I’ve read enough for a day off. Or
five.”
    “Fine.” Ridge pulled his master copy of the
sheet out of a file in the bottom desk drawer. “How about
Denhoft’s Theories on Aerodynamic and
Aerostatic Flight
?”
    Sardelle clasped her hands behind her back.
“Written approximately four hundred years ago, the text dealt
largely with theory rather than proven scientific experiment.
Denhoft theorized that there were two types of flying machines that
could allow for lift to overcome gravity… ”
    Ridge had to consciously keep his mouth from
falling open in surprise as she continued on, offering a precise
and accurate summary of the book. He asked a few questions in the
end, and she answered them satisfactorily, though with a few
hesitations.
    “History is more my specialty,” she said
before he could compliment her. “I read a lot of the ones in that
left row in school.”
    Ridge had only read two of them. He started
with the ones he knew. She was more animated and confident in her
summaries of those books, adding opinions and gesturing with her
hands as she described the rise and fall of the imperial dynasties
that had claimed this continent before the original tribes had
rebelled, declaring themselves an independent sovereign nation and
fighting off any aggressors who sought to impose upon them
again.
    After summarizing the books he knew—and five
others he didn’t—she leaned forward again. “Oh, Dusmovan. Have you
read his book? It’s a fictional tale, but it’s incredibly detailed,
showing the archaeologist’s journey to discover what came of the
dragons. He hunted all over the world for fossils that would help
explain their sudden passing from our world.”
    Ridge lifted a hand. It did sound
interesting, and he would put it on his own reading list—on the off
chance this job gave him any free time—but… “You’ve already earned
eight days off, and I believe you came here this morning on another
matter?”
    “Oh.” Sardelle flushed, the red of her cheeks
bringing out her blue eyes.
    Ridge wouldn’t have minded letting her
continue on, but he had that meeting to get to. It had been a
surprisingly enlightening interlude though. His earlier theory,
that she might be some rogue professor here to hunt for crystals,
or even other artifacts, returned to the front of his mind. Would a
military spy be that versed in the classics? The classics of
his
continent? Not only that, but she was
clearly passionate about history.
    “By the way,” Ridge said, “this school where
you read these books… was it before or after you left your family’s
shepherd ways to become a pirate?”
    Her cheeks dimpled when she smiled, a shy
caught-me smile. “Before.”
    “I never knew a rural education to be so
thorough. Your teacher should be commended.”
    The smile drooped, and something flashed in
her eyes. Pain?
    “Yes,” Sardelle said more somberly. “She was
inspiring.”
    Ridge debated whether to apologize for
chancing across some painful past memory, but she spoke