The room door creaked. Kita’s head poked through the crack.

“Oh, would you go in! She doesn’t bite!”

Xyra took one more bite of pear before placing it back on its plate. That’s Miss Vora’s voice. Despite the late hour, Xyra was wide awake. Thoughts of home kept her up. Whenever she did sleep, it was rarely peaceful. Her dreams always took her back to the cage, with masked elves whispering words she couldn’t understand. If not that, it was darkness, and something awful within it.

Kita stumbled into the room. It was clear that Miss Vora had pushed her, and she hadn’t been gentle. The door swung open, and she stood there, hands planted firmly on her hips.

“Kita has a gift for you, Xyra,” she said.

“Oh? Really?” Only now did Xyra notice that Kita held a small bag.

“Hand it to her,” Miss Vora ordered.

Kita didn’t seem to hear. Eyes wide, mouth apart, she was terrified of something.

Me, Xyra thought with a sinking feeling. It was she who froze Kita in place, too scared to even listen. “Kita, what’s that? It’s for me?” She smiled as warmly as she could, hoping to thaw the cold grips of terror that the girl was in.

“Everyone gets along in this house, dear,” Miss Vora said. “You were welcomed with open arms. You must extend the same courtesy to Xyra.”

Kita turned her head stiffly. “Yes, Lady Vora…”

“Then why aren’t you moving?”

“I…I can’t, mistress.”

This wasn’t like Miss Vora. Her face was stern, her voice hard. She never looks like this.

“Your legs work, don’t they?”

Kita didn’t answer. That was for the best.

“Miss Vora, it’s fine if she leaves it,” Xyra said. Guilt threatened to overtake her. If she wasn’t here, Kita wouldn’t be terrified.

Miss Vora gave her a look, then shook her head. “No, it isn’t. Have you not told me how Kita makes you feel, being fearful all the time? Doesn’t it make you sad?”

“Yes, Miss Vora, but I understand her. It’s fine if she doesn’t like me, really, I’m used to it.” I said too much.

“That isn’t an option I’m willing to give her,” Miss Vora said.

Bang!

Xyra jumped, then looked to see what could have made such noise.

The door. Miss Vora had slammed it shut, and that was enough to break Kita free of her stillness. She screamed and pushed herself against the wall. “Miss Vora, please! Please!”

No answer from the door. Kita inched along the wall, too scared to look away from Xyra. When she reached the door, she spun, and pulled at the handle. The door creaked, but remained as shut as before.

“Kita, why don’t you sit with me?” Xyra smoothed over a bit of the bed next to her. A gesture Kita didn’t see, and Xyra was sure she wouldn’t care even if she had seen it. “We can be friends!”

Kita banged on the door’s wooden body with all her might. “Miss Vora, please! Whatever I did, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again. Please let me out!”

Is she always this scared? Xyra thought back to all the times she’d passed Kita in the halls. All the times Kita had flinched at the mere sight of her. She always tried to smile for her, to let her know that she was no threat at all. How mocking that must have been to someone so terrified.

Now, she sat quietly, hands resting in her lap. Her claws were gone, rubbed down to resemble a human’s nails instead of a dragon’s weapons. And still she was feared.

Kita continued to bang for a while before realizing that Miss Vora didn’t care. After that, she slid down the door and sobbed. Loudly, at first, but as she grew tired, her sobs grew softer. Strangely, the softer they grew, the more powerful they became.

Xyra looked over the pears that sat heaped on the plate. That one looks good! It was the largest by a good bit, and though it pained Xyra to know that she wouldn’t be the one enjoying it, it would be well worth it.

With a leap she was up, and with the pear pressed tightly to her chest, she walked softly towards Kita, stopping at the end of the bed. The girl was silent, her dark-haired head pressed against the door. Xyra thought of tapping her back, but she was already frightened. Any touch would feel like an attack to her.

“Kita,” she called quietly.

Kita spun to face her. “Stay away from me!” she shouted, and Xyra was afraid that she would push through the door with how forcefully she pressed against it.

There was quite a large distance between the bed’s end and the door. Xyra thought herself careful in not coming too close, but like all else she did, it was of no use.

“I bought too many…” Xyra reached out with her peace offering. “Would you like one? They’re really good!” She smiled as warmly as she could. It was no different from the other times she smiled at Kita, and there was no reason that it would work this time. But she hoped it would.

Her hopes were washed away with Kita’s first tear. Xyra saw it clearly. Welling up in her eye, until it spilled onto her pale cheek.

Xyra’s smiled turned itself over. What Miss Vora wanted wouldn’t happen-couldn’t happen. Kita wanted nothing to do with her.

All because I’m a dragon! Xyra was in the middle of turning around, unable to bear the teary-eyed girl, but the thought took hold of her. She squeezed the pear, and had she not caught herself, would have turned it into a mushy mess.

“I just want to be friends, Kita,” she said, turning back around. She walked forward, and this time didn’t stop at the bed.

Kita’s head turned from left to right and back again, quickening with every small step Xyra took.

By now Kita’s cheeks were glistening with tears, and she sniffled uncontrollably. She didn’t want to scare her, but how else could she make her understand? Words didn’t matter. So she kept on, until little more than an arm’s length was between them. Across it she reached, offering again her show of peace. “Please, Kita? I’d love to-“

Kita let loose a scream and lashed out with a foot that found Xyra’s open hand. The pear flew to parts unknown, but wherever it landed, it did so with a loud thump. Xyra hadn’t tried to follow its flight. Her eyes were fixed on the hand that once held it. Fingers curled from the kick, a slight sting, but nothing compared to things she’d felt before. Nothing at all.

Why? She tried to ignore how blurry the hand was, but she knew that tears came when they wanted.

“I-I told you to stay away!” Kita spat. Xyra’s eyes focused on her small face. It was twisted with fear and something else, something akin to hatred.

“Miss Vora,” Xyra called softly.

“Yes, darling?” Miss Vora answered.

She never left. Even while Kita begged her to leave.

“Kita’s tired, and she wants to leave. I think we’ve talked enough for tonight.”

Xyra turned for her bed before Kita could see the tear droplets make their way down her scaly cheeks.

“What in the goddess’s name is blocking this door?” Miss Vora shouted.

A few moments later, the door opened, and hard footsteps echoed down the hall. Xyra felt the slight disturbance of the bed, the sign that Miss Vora now sat next to her.

“She…really doesn’t like me.” Xyra’s hands rested in her lap, her tail coiled to her side.

Miss Vora sighed. “I knew as much, but I thought if she could just see how gentle you were, she’d come around.”

Xyra sniffled and shook her head. “She thought I was going to hurt her. She was so afraid. I don’t want anyone to feel like that.”

“Sometimes, that isn’t up to us, no matter how much we believe it is. I have experience with this, being burdened with good blood as I am.” Miss Vora placed a hand over Xyra’s tail. That made her jump a little; she still wasn’t used to such a gentle thing.

Xyra closed her eyes. Sleep sounded pleasant, nightmares and all, but so did Miss Vora’s company. Or maybe it wasn’t Miss Vora’s company at all, but the company of someone that wanted to be around her.

“I’m sure we can convince her, but it’ll take time, dear.”

But I’ve been here so long already, Xyra thought. She’d lost count of the days since she and Volsten rode into Tregar, and Kita wasn’t any less scared.

“In the meantime, I have an idea for us, my dragon.”

Xyra opened her eyes. “What is it, Miss Vora?”

Miss Vora’s lips made a sort of half-smile, one that made her look frighteningly young. “I’ve thought of it ever since you first told me you could do magic. Would I be mistaken if I said that you have no training in it, given how averse your people are to its gifts?”

Xyra rubbed her eyes. “I’ve only used it a few times.”

“Well, how about we fix that?”

“What do you mean?”

“I teach you. I already teach Princess Farruca when she deems me necessary, so I’m in a bit of a teaching mood.”

“But what if I’m not good at it?”

“Nonsense,” Miss Vora said, waving the thought away. “Even if you’re dreadful, it’ll be time spent together. And I love spending time with you.”

That forced a smile from her. Miss Vora was right; dreadful as she might be at it, it wouldn’t hurt to try. She certainly wouldn’t have been given this chance at home.

“Ok, Miss Vora! But I don’t want to learn to hurt people.”

“Yes!” Miss Vora jumped in excitement. She leaned forward and placed her lips on Xyra’s forehead, right between the horns.

A kiss? Xyra’s face caught fire.

“A dragon that knows magic?” Miss Vora said, taking her into a hug. “I believe that you will be quite special, in the end.”