by Rachel Aaron
And it was in that silence that the white dragons appeared.
Chapter 3
Before this moment, Julius would have sworn it was impossible for dragons to simply appear out of thin air. Now, he was forced to revise his opinion, because there was no other explanation for what had just happened. Since he’d never seen anything like this before, he could only assume it very powerful magic. Considering which dragons had just appeared in the icy doorway, though, magic wasn’t an issue.
There were three of them—all female, all pale as snow, and all dressed head to toe in unrelenting white. Julius recognized the two in the back instantly: Katya, looking even more terrified than she had when he’d confronted her in the diner, and Svena, cool as always with frost trailing from her fingers as she let her magic fade. He did not, however, recognize the tall, willowy, snowy-haired dragoness standing at the front of the group, but given how the other two were obviously under her command, it was easy enough to guess.
“My, my,” Estella said, looking over the crowded throne room with a smile as cold as the ice at her feet. “Such a turnout. One would almost think I was expected, but I know that isn’t true.”
Her gaze landed on Bethesda as she finished, but the Heartstriker just turned up her nose. “My seer has better things to do than predict something as regular as your arrogance, Northern Star,” she said haughtily, walking out of the crowd. “But I don’t believe you were invited to this gathering.”
“You’re right,” Estella said. “I don’t need to scrounge for invitations to affairs of this…quality. But I had business to discuss with you, Heartstriker, and my sister was happy to extend the invitation.”
Svena did not look happy at all. If anything, she looked ready to bury the whole room in an avalanche of ice. Conrad stepped forward in answer, hand ready on the hilt of his Fang. A heartbeat later, Chelsie appeared beside him. Julius hadn’t even known she was here until she stepped into position on Bethesda’s left, hand resting on her own sword, which was incongruously strapped over what would otherwise have been a very nice black pants suit.
The two Cs weren’t alone, either. All around the room, Heartstrikers were reaching for weapons. But then, just when open war seemed inevitable, Estella raised her hands in surrender.
“Call off your dogs,” she ordered. “Our clans have their differences, but we would never be so vulgar as to spill blood as guests in your home.”
“Then why are you wasting my time?” Bethesda snarled. “You said you had business with me. Speak it or go. I have no more patience for your dramatics.”
“You would be the expert in that department,” Estella said, but then, before the Heartstriker could take offense, the seer turned and laid her hand on Svena’s shoulder. “It seems my dear sister has become inexplicably fond of your whelp of a son. Naturally, this came as quite a shock to me. We are the daughters of gods, above you in every way, but even I can no longer deny what I see in our shared futures.” She heaved a heavy sigh, like this was the worst thing that could happen, and turned back to Bethesda. “It seems that an alliance between the greatest dragon clan and the largest has finally become inevitable. Therefore, I have come to you in peace to discuss terms for a mating flight between Svena, Second Daughter of the Three Sisters, and Ian Heartstriker, to take place as soon as possible.”
Stunned silence filled the room. Bethesda’s jaw was actually hanging open for several seconds, and then her face split into a Grinch-like grin. “Is that so?” she said, the words practically oozing with smug satisfaction. “I’m always open to securing a new alliance, but this is no place for such delicate negotiations. Why don’t we stop putting on a show for the crowd and go discuss the details of this contract in private?”
“As you like,” Estella said, descending gracefully down the icy steps. The crowd parted in front of her, creating a path straight to Bethesda. Svena followed a second later, but Katya stayed behind, hovering in the icy doorway like she wanted to bolt right back through it.
That struck Julius as very strange, but everyone else seemed to be too busy watching Estella and Svena to care. When the two dragons reached her at last, Bethesda’s smile grew even wider as she turned and took Ian’s arm. Knowing what he did about his brother’s plans, Julius was probably the only one who saw him flinch, but Ian had always been a perfect dragon, and now was no exception. If he had any doubts, he hid them instantly, nodding regally to Svena like this has been their goal all along.
“Come,” Bethesda said, leading the way around her massive throne to the doorway in the wall behind it which led to her private apartments. “I already have a mating flight contract prepared in my study. What a stroke of luck.”
Luck nothing, Julius thought with a scowl. That contract was the entire point of this trap of a party. But while that should have been the biggest warning in the world, Estella and Svena didn’t say a word. They just fell into step behind her, leaving Conrad and Chelsie to bring up the rear as the heads of the world’s two most powerful dragon clans disappeared into Bethesda’s lair.
***
The moment they were out of sight, the throne room erupted into whispered conversation as the speculation began. But while the rest of his family seemed to be falling over themselves in their rush to divide up the spoils of the Three Sisters’ apparent surrender, Julius was making a beeline for Katya.
“Hold up.”
He paused and looked over his shoulder to find Amelia glaring at him. “What are you doing?”
“Going to talk to a friend.”
Even as he said it, Julius didn’t actually think it would work. Estella was a seer, and talking to Katya was the most obvious move. There was no way she hadn’t planned for this, but Julius had to do something. His mother had set this whole thing up using his name. Katya deserved an explanation for that at least, and though it had never felt like much of one, this was still his family. He couldn’t just stand by while Estella did…whatever it was she was here to do. Talking to Katya was literally the least he could do, and he was about to start pushing his way through the crowd when Amelia grabbed his arm. “Let me give you some advice.”
“Can it wait?” he asked, trying not to sound frustrated.
“No,” she said, looking down at him with a strange expression. “You’re a cute kid, Julius, so here’s a survival tip, from one Heartstriker to another: don’t get involved.”
“But I have to,” he said. “Mother’s—”
“Bethesda’s going to do what Bethesda’s going to do,” Amelia said bitterly. “And that’s what’s best for her. Not for you or for me or for the clan. Her. The sooner you understand that, the happier you’ll be.”
Julius had never had a problem understanding that, but his sister was wrong. “It’s because she’s like that that the rest of us have to do what we can,” he said angrily. “We can’t count on her to save us.”
Amelia shook her head. “You need to focus on saving yourself. Or is that seal on your magic just for decoration?”
He winced. “You noticed?”
“Hard not to,” his sister said with a shrug. “Mother’s work, I’m guessing?”
Julius nodded, and Amelia’s expression darkened. “Look,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on, and I really don’t care, but you’re barking up the wrong mountain if you think sticking your neck out for the Heartstriker will get her to unseal you. Once Bethesda’s got her claws in, they never come out.”
“I know that,” he said. “But I’m not doing this for her. There’s a lot more dragons than just Bethesda who’ll be hurt if Estella strikes. You’re safe because you can just go to another plane, but the rest of us are stuck here.” Like Katya, like himself, like Bob and Chelsie and Ian and Justin and everyone else in his family he didn’t want to die. Not to mention that, if he didn’t do anything, and things did go bad, he’d never be able to forgive himself.
“I appreciate your advice,” he said, smiling at his sister. “You’re the only one w
ho’s treated me like I had a brain tonight, but I can’t let this go. I don’t know if it’ll do any good, but if I have a chance to figure out what’s going on, I need to at least try.”
Amelia stared at him for a long moment, and then she shook her head. “You’re an odd little bird, Julius Heartstriker. I’m beginning to see why Bob picked you.”
Julius wished she’d tell him, but it was too late. His sister was already turning away. “Do as you like,” she said. “Personally, I’m going to get while the getting’s good. If you’re still alive later, maybe I’ll drop by and meet your mage. Sound like fun?”
It sounded like trouble, but Julius didn’t want to insult his sister any more than he already had. And besides, for a dragon like Amelia, “later” might be in twenty years. “Sure,” he said. “See you then.”
She waved over her shoulder as she walked back out onto the balcony, presumably to fly away, but Julius didn’t have time to wait around and see. He was already plunging into the crowd toward Katya.
Given how many whispering Heartstrikers were staring her down, Julius had fully expected Katya to bolt. By the time he got close enough to catch her attention, though, she was still in the frozen doorway, sticking to the ice like a lifeline. Her blue eyes lit up when she spotted him coming toward her, but Julius shook his head rapidly, pointing instead to the discreet door that led to the toilets. When she nodded, he turned back around and started slipping his way through the whispering crowd in the same direction.
Like all places meant to be accessed by dragons, the hall leading to the toilets was richly decorated in a lavish display of Bethesda’s wealth. In this particular instance, it was her collection of antique textiles, including several historically significant Mesoamerican wall-hangings and carpets, which Bethesda kept unprotected on her walls and floor, because nothing said “I have money to burn” like walking over an irreplaceable historical artifact on your way to the restroom.
Since Katya had to give a whole room the slip, Julius fully expected to have to wait, but by the time he’d weaved his way through the crowd and down the hall, she was already there, sitting on the black leather ottoman that marked the discreet entrance to the ladies’ room. She jumped up the moment she saw him, grabbing his hand and yanking him into the alcove behind a 13th century Mayan serape before he could even say hello.
“What’s going on?” he whispered, pushing the heavy wool hanging away from his face so he could see her. “Are you okay?”
Katya put her finger to her lips and stuck her head back out into the hall, looking up and down its entire length as she breathed deep through her nose. She must not have scented anything, though, because she ducked back in behind the hanging a second later. “I don’t know,” she said frantically. “I didn’t even know Estella was back until she blasted her way into our bedroom this morning. She nearly killed Ross.”
Julius winced in sympathy. Ross was Katya’s beloved human mage. “Is he okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Katya said. “Estella took my phone. She won’t let me contact anyone, and she won’t say why. She doesn’t even talk to me unless she’s ordering me around, and worse, Svena’s helping her.”
She said that like it was unthinkable, but Julius didn’t understand. “Don’t they usually work together?”
Katya shook her head. “Not anymore. Svena’s made a lot of changes to the Daughters of the Three Sisters. If you’d asked me yesterday, I’d have sworn she’d die before she let Estella rule her again, but now—” Katya’s voice broke as she grabbed his hands. “Something’s wrong with her, Julius!”
“I believe you,” he said, clutching her fingers reassuringly. “Ian mentioned she was acting strange as well, but do you have any idea why? Is there some kind of blackmail or threat Estella could be holding over her to make Svena go along with her plan?”
“Nothing that could make her act like this. She won’t even talk to me.” Katya bared her teeth. “Estella must have done something, trapped her in a spell. Whatever it is, I’ll kill her for it. No one hurts my sister!”
The raw fury in her voice surprised him. When she’d been on the run, Katya had been…not meek, exactly, but wary. She was like a wounded animal: ready to fight if she had to, but more interested in running away. Now, though, Katya looked ready to charge in and start ripping things apart for Svena, which was kind of touching. No one in Julius’s family felt that way about him. But while he was sure Katya would give it a good try, there was no way she could beat a seer. At least, not directly.
“We’ll figure this out together,” he promised. “First, though, we need to find out what Estella’s actually after. Can you tell me about this mating flight?”
“I found out about it when you did,” Katya said angrily. “Svena and I knew this party was a trap the moment we read your invitation. We were still planning to accept—I think Svena wanted to show your mother that she couldn’t be manipulated—but never in a million years would I have guessed that Estella would want to come here. She hates the Heartstriker.”
“Could it all be a ploy just to get close to Bethesda?” Julius asked. “Mother’s well protected, but offering her the mating flight she’s been obsessing over for months would be a surefire way to get her to the negotiating table and into striking range.”
“I thought about that, too,” Katya said. “But you don’t have to be a seer to know that wouldn’t work. Svena’s amazing, but even she can’t beat a throne room full of Heartstrikers. Attacking now would be suicide for all of us, but I don’t know what else Estella could want.”
Julius didn’t either, but her words made him remember something Bob had said. “Do you think she could be going mad?”
That was a terrible thing to say about someone’s sister, but he didn’t know how else to phrase it, and Katya didn’t look surprised in any case. “It’s possible,” she said sadly. “All seers lose their minds in time, and Estella is the oldest of us all. But she doesn’t seem mad. Just the opposite, she’s been more driven and alert today than I’ve seen her be in ages. Svena’s the one acting strange. Normally, ordering her to do something is the fastest way to make her do the exact opposite, but she’s followed everything Estella’s said today like an obedient doll. It’s creepy. Sometimes, she looks at me, and I don’t even recognize—”
Her voice cut off with a gasp. For a heartbeat, Julius couldn’t understand what was wrong, and then he felt it. An icy wind was blowing down the hallway, chilling him to the bone.
“Go ahead.”
Even though he knew it was coming, the soft, cold voice still made Julius jump. He came down with a thump, peeking out from behind the wall hanging to find Estella standing in the hall directly in front of them.
“Go ahead, Katya,” she said again. “I’ve already found you conspiring with the enemy, why not finish the job? It’s not like I haven’t already foreseen what you’re going to do.”
“I—” Katya stammered. “I was only—”
Estella silenced her with a wave of her hand. “Save your excuses. If you’re delusional enough to think you can betray me, do it now and be done. Otherwise, go back and wait until you’re called.”
Katya’s hands tightened to fists, and for a moment, Julius thought Estella had pushed her too far. But then, without a word, Katya turned and fled, racing back down the hall toward the party. Julius watched her go with growing dread. He hadn’t wanted her to stay and suffer her sister’s wrath, but now that she was gone, he was alone with Estella.
“Don’t move.”
Julius hadn’t moved since he’d spotted her, but he froze again anyway, not even daring to breathe as he met the eyes of the seer whose plans he, Bob, Justin, and Marci had ruined so thoroughly four weeks ago. He’d never actually seen Estella before tonight, and never up close until now. But while she was every bit as beautiful and terrifying as one would expect from the oldest daughter of the Three Sisters, what struck Julius the most was how sickly she looked.
Even under the heav
y white gown that covered her from her shoulders to the tips of her fingers and down to the floor, it was obvious Estella was grossly underweight. Her cheeks were so hollow, the bones stood out like blades, and her eyes were ringed with dark circles. But what would have signaled weakness in a lesser dragon only made Estella look more deadly as she studied him, her ice-blue gaze boring into his until Julius was forced to lower his head.
“So,” she said at last, her voice as cold and distant as a snow-topped mountain. “You’re the one he’s set against me.”
She reached out as she spoke, and Julius couldn’t hide his flinch as her icy fingers landed on his face. Normally, he would have said Estella wouldn’t dare kill him with so many Heartstrikers around, but that was before Katya had told him she might be mad. As her hand dipped down to trace a sharp nail over his windpipe, Julius believed it, but he had no idea what to do. Running from a dragon only made it want to chase you, but staying was feeling like a worse idea every second. Estella wasn’t even looking at his face anymore. She was just staring at his throat like she wanted to rip it out, her fingers spreading to dig into the soft flesh on either side of his windpipe, and Julius squeezed his eyes shut with a whimper. Why couldn’t Chelsie be waiting behind him now?
But then, just when he’d decided to take his chances and run, he heard whistling in the distance. Someone was coming down the hall, whistling a happy, jaunty tune Julius didn’t recognize. He couldn’t see who it was with Estella blocking him, but even with her back to the hall, the seer must have known, because her face broke into her cruelest smile yet.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.”
She turned as she spoke, loosening her grip on Julius’s neck just a fraction as Bob stepped into view.
Julius’s relief was so intense it hurt. He had no idea how or when his oldest brother had arrived, but he’d never been happier to see someone in his life. It didn’t even matter that the seer looked like he’d just rolled out of bed in his ratty, red terrycloth bathrobe, cat-print pajama bottoms, and bare feet. He was here, and that was what counted.