looked at him, searching for words. She spoke at last, "I think our goblin is very old indeed. This one was made, not born. If his mother had been a goblin, her blood wouldn't have done anything when she died. If he was first-generation, his mother would have been..."
"A dragon?" Garrett asked.
Marla nodded.
"What is a blood flower?" he asked.
"Only the blood of the most powerful magical creatures would grow a blood rose," she said, "What he calls his mother would have to have been the dragon that sang him into being."
Garrett cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Marla," he said, "but the ghost asked me not to tell you what the flower was. I didn't know why it was important, but she was afraid that another vampire might find out about it."
Marla narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't want to keep it a secret from you," he said, "it's just... please promise me you won't tell anyone else. It seemed really important to her."
Marla looked away. "I don't know Garrett..."
"Why would other vampires want the flower anyway?" he asked, "I mean, it doesn't really have blood in it, does it?"
Marla frowned and looked at him again. "Not exactly," she said, "but some of the dragon's power, and some of its memories are bound to the plant that grew up where its blood was spilled on the earth. So much of that world has been lost forever. I don't know if we have the right to let this piece of it wither away in the darkness."
"What would you do with it if you had it?" Garrett asked.
"I would give it to my mother, and she would give it to the elders. They would take it back to Thrinaar where it would be kept safe and studied."
"Thrinaar?"
"Our home city," she said, "I was born there."
"Ah," Garrett said, "I guess... I mean… it's important to me that you don't tell anyone. I wasn't supposed to let anyone know."
"But you didn't," Marla said, "I found out for myself."
"I know... it's just, I don't know... it feels wrong. I think the ghost knows how to take care of the flower. I don't think she'd let it die."
Marla looked troubled. "All right," she said, "I won't say anything... for now."
"Thanks, Marla."
She smiled at him.
They turned to meet Warren as he came bounding up the dusty lane toward them. "Sorry guys," he said, "I gotta take you back now."
"What's wrong?" Garrett asked.
"The Chadiri have declared war on Astorra," Warren said, "We've all been summoned to a meeting tonight."
"Who’s Astorra?" Garrett asked.
"It's a kingdom to the north," Marla said.
"Are they our friends?"
Warren snorted in response.
"Not exactly," Marla said, 'but now they are our enemy's enemy. This could be very good news."
"Can they beat the Chadiri?" Garrett asked.
"Dunno," Warren said, "but at least we might have a chance against 'em now. Anyway, I need to take you both back to the surface so I can make the meeting. I'm supposed to see that you get to your uncle right away."
Garrett and Marla followed the ghoul as he led them out of Marrowvyn. By the time they reached the tunnel beneath the market and wrenched open the door to the surface, the light of day had already begun to fade.
"Thank you for a lovely time," Marla said, "both of you." Her smile made Garrett's stomach flutter a little.
"Yeah," Warren said, "thanks for the uh... spider thing, you know."
"Thanks for everything," Garrett said.
Marla nodded, and a strand of dark hair fell across her eyes. Garrett's fingers ached to brush it back.
"Perhaps we could do this again sometime," Marla said.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Garrett said.
Warren groaned impatiently.
"You don't have to wait, Warren," Garrett said, "I can find my way back from here."
"No way!" Warren scoffed, "Dad said to see you home right away, and I'd like to keep my hide intact, thank you!"
"All right," Garrett said, turning to face Marla again, "I had a really good time today."
"So did I," she said.
"I, uh, hope that..." Garrett stepped forward, leaning close. The flowery scent of Marla's hair sent a warm tingle through
"A dragon?" Garrett asked.
Marla nodded.
"What is a blood flower?" he asked.
"Only the blood of the most powerful magical creatures would grow a blood rose," she said, "What he calls his mother would have to have been the dragon that sang him into being."
Garrett cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Marla," he said, "but the ghost asked me not to tell you what the flower was. I didn't know why it was important, but she was afraid that another vampire might find out about it."
Marla narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't want to keep it a secret from you," he said, "it's just... please promise me you won't tell anyone else. It seemed really important to her."
Marla looked away. "I don't know Garrett..."
"Why would other vampires want the flower anyway?" he asked, "I mean, it doesn't really have blood in it, does it?"
Marla frowned and looked at him again. "Not exactly," she said, "but some of the dragon's power, and some of its memories are bound to the plant that grew up where its blood was spilled on the earth. So much of that world has been lost forever. I don't know if we have the right to let this piece of it wither away in the darkness."
"What would you do with it if you had it?" Garrett asked.
"I would give it to my mother, and she would give it to the elders. They would take it back to Thrinaar where it would be kept safe and studied."
"Thrinaar?"
"Our home city," she said, "I was born there."
"Ah," Garrett said, "I guess... I mean… it's important to me that you don't tell anyone. I wasn't supposed to let anyone know."
"But you didn't," Marla said, "I found out for myself."
"I know... it's just, I don't know... it feels wrong. I think the ghost knows how to take care of the flower. I don't think she'd let it die."
Marla looked troubled. "All right," she said, "I won't say anything... for now."
"Thanks, Marla."
She smiled at him.
They turned to meet Warren as he came bounding up the dusty lane toward them. "Sorry guys," he said, "I gotta take you back now."
"What's wrong?" Garrett asked.
"The Chadiri have declared war on Astorra," Warren said, "We've all been summoned to a meeting tonight."
"Who’s Astorra?" Garrett asked.
"It's a kingdom to the north," Marla said.
"Are they our friends?"
Warren snorted in response.
"Not exactly," Marla said, 'but now they are our enemy's enemy. This could be very good news."
"Can they beat the Chadiri?" Garrett asked.
"Dunno," Warren said, "but at least we might have a chance against 'em now. Anyway, I need to take you both back to the surface so I can make the meeting. I'm supposed to see that you get to your uncle right away."
Garrett and Marla followed the ghoul as he led them out of Marrowvyn. By the time they reached the tunnel beneath the market and wrenched open the door to the surface, the light of day had already begun to fade.
"Thank you for a lovely time," Marla said, "both of you." Her smile made Garrett's stomach flutter a little.
"Yeah," Warren said, "thanks for the uh... spider thing, you know."
"Thanks for everything," Garrett said.
Marla nodded, and a strand of dark hair fell across her eyes. Garrett's fingers ached to brush it back.
"Perhaps we could do this again sometime," Marla said.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Garrett said.
Warren groaned impatiently.
"You don't have to wait, Warren," Garrett said, "I can find my way back from here."
"No way!" Warren scoffed, "Dad said to see you home right away, and I'd like to keep my hide intact, thank you!"
"All right," Garrett said, turning to face Marla again, "I had a really good time today."
"So did I," she said.
"I, uh, hope that..." Garrett stepped forward, leaning close. The flowery scent of Marla's hair sent a warm tingle through
Similar Books
