Chapter 7

"Dragons don't draw magic directly from the Ether like most living things," she said. "Instead, when they're around gold they make it resonate and--"

"Ale!" A slightly squeaky voice shouted from outside.

Ale moved so fast that Seth wasn't even aware she'd moved until she was halfway across the room. She grabbed her bow and whipped around toward the door. Seth got up and peeked out into the darkening sky. The white-haired man from Drousin's cave was outside sitting on a horse. He was flanked by two others wearing long dark robes. Something about them made the scales on Seth's neck stand up.

"What do you want, Hermair?" Ale appeared right beside Seth at the door, but didn't leave the house. She had an arrow nocked on the bow, but it was pointing at the ground. She was ready, but not threatening

"I want that abomination," called the