Sophie didn’t go back to visit the dragons’ cave, but she began to think about its inhabitants much more often. Not just because of the great beasts - certainly, she had been impressed by the sight of them, but the main reason was Nadia, who spoke about Taneen all the time.

The girl, who was usually of few words and, Sophie had thought, a little grumpy, became a different person when she talked about the little dragon. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks became redder. The fact ...