I returned with Sassafras to the Daeva, to deliver the good - or scary - news the drach would be arriving literally a moment before the air of the room burst open and the human-formed dragons stepped through.

Not all of them, clearly - perhaps fifty or so. They all had the same basic appearance, diamond eyed and gray skinned, dressed in long, gray robes. But the longer they stood there, the more diverse their faces became to me as Max and Syd stepped forward to ...