by JD Monroe
Adron’s head lolled, and he groaned like the words were being torn out of him. “He’s going to enslave their bitch queen, then tear Farath to the ground.”
“When?” Marlena asked.
Adron shook his head. “When he’s ready. Very soon.”
“And what were you to do here?” Velati asked.
“Keep Ironhold under control,” he said. He raised his head. “We watched for over a year. We knew if we controlled her spawn, she wouldn’t act.”
“T’haran dan keth ikh sharivan,” the queen spat. She lunged off her throne, hands wreathed in flame. Her amber eyes were like flame burning in her skull. For a split second, the air around her shimmered, as if the dragon would tear its way through her and devour Adron where he stood. Kaldir stood in the queen’s path, standing firm until she sank back into her seat. As he turned back to watch the proceedings, his eyes drifted over Sohaila. A strange, almost sad expression crossed his face.
“And what was to happen to Ironhold after that?” Velati asked.
“Same as everywhere else,” Adron said. “The dragons can kneel or die. Preferably the latter. He planned to keep the city intact, so we were to take it with minimal destruction.”
“You’re a dragon,” Marlena said incredulously. “Why would you help him destroy your people?”
“Loyalty is rewarded,” Adron said. “You are not my people. You mock us. You call us the Shadowflight and erase the glory of our kind. You left us to our fate.”
“What are you talking about?” Marlena asked. She looked back at Velati. “What is he talking about?”
“You fucking idiot,” Velati muttered. “The other flights welcomed you after your lands were destroyed. It was your Mad Empress that forbade you to leave and cursed your bloodlines. And the Chosen are responsible for your fate. They picked up the bloody work the Raspolin left behind.”
He grinned at Velati, his teeth bloody. “Yet they still did more to help us than any of you,” he said. “Master Sidran made sure I wouldn’t die feral and mindless.”
“And instead you’ll die bloody and screaming,” Tarim said sharply.
“Enough,” Sohaila said. She stepped forward, joining Marlena.
The fear he’d shown with Marlena turned to contempt, his split lip curling into a sneer. “Look at you, displaying my handiwork. I really wish he’d have let me even it out. There’s something appealing in symmetry.”
A faint growl rumbled behind her. She glanced back at Kaldir and shook her head. With a sick, hot feeling spreading in her chest, she knelt and touched Adron’s cheek. She savored the flicker of fear in his eyes as her fingers trailed over his cheek in an imitation of his claws.
“Go ahead,” he said, not pulling away. “It’s only fair.”
She shook her head sadly. “I don’t need to hurt you. You and Sidran thought you broke me, but I am Chosen myself. Chosen by the Skymother. Chosen by the flames of the Ironflight. I am forged by flame and divine light, and you cannot take anything from me, you insignificant little creature,” she said, her voice even. His eyes were wide, the sneer gone. “And I want you to know that Sidran will fail because of you. The best revenge for me is that you’ll have to live with knowing that his decades of work are going to fall apart because you were insufficient. You failed him.” With that, she patted his cheek and stood up. Marlena grasped her arm gently, giving her a squeeze.
“The Marashti may show you mercy, but I will not,” the queen said. Sohaila’s stomach churned at her cold proclamation. “Take him to my dungeon. Give him a warm welcome, befitting of one who would threaten my daughters and steal this city from under us.” Two of her guards gave her a vicious grin, then hooked their arms through Adron’s and pulled him out amidst a string of curses and protests. Tarim watched them go, her hard gaze never faltering. Finally, she looked down to Kaldir. “What will you do now?”
“I would rally the Iron Blade and send them to Farath to finish this,” he said.
Tarim’s amber eyes gleamed with flame. “He has my brother.”
“With all due respect, su’ud redahn, that cannot hold us back,” Kaldir said.
“Sidran could kill him.”
“And he could kill ten thousand more innocents if we wait,” Velati said. “It is not a request.”
The queen’s eyes flared bright, like fire behind amber. “And who are you to make demands of me?”
“I am the Cold Death, and as it stands, I am the voice of the Arik’tazhan,” he responded calmly. “I would prefer you offer willingly, but your troops are mine if I need them.”
Kaldir gave him a withering look. “My queen,” he said. “This is not a choice. Your brother would tell you the same. As much as he values his own head, he would not risk the fate of our people to protect it.”
She was silent for a long stretch, her eyes sweeping over the expanse of her throne room. Finally, her expression faltered. “Give me your word that you will bring him home.”
“I will do everything in my power,” Kaldir said. “If I fail, it will not be for lack of trying.”
“That’s not good enough,” she said.
“It will have to be,” Kaldir said. “Send word. Regulars and reserves. I want them mustered at the training grounds at dawn.”
The queen sighed. “It will be done.” She gestured broadly. “My palace is yours. Whatever you need, just ask. For now, I need to see my family.” Her eyes lingered on Kaldir. “Those who remain.”
He watched her as she descended from her throne and followed one of the Iron Blade out through a side door. When she was gone, he sighed. “Nothing can be easy, can it?” he said quietly. He glanced at Velati. “Shall we meet?”
The older man nodded, though he looked exhausted, with rings of shadow under his eyes. “We have to.”
“We have to talk about the Aesdar,” Marlena said firmly. “And sending me in.”
“No,” Velati said flatly.
“He has a dozen of them. And even with all of the Scalebreakers, there are not enough of us to deal with that many,” she said. “You’re strong, but you’re not that strong.”
“I said no,” Velati said.
“Is this the Cold Death or my partner speaking?” she said. His jaw dropped. “You’ll command a queen to give up her army at a snap of your finger, send thousands of people to fight for you, but you won’t consider this?” She grabbed his arm, leaning in close. “You cannot keep ignoring this.”
He said something to her in a language Sohaila didn’t understand. Her expression softened, and she looked stricken. Then anger sharpened her features again. “Fortunately for your people, I don’t need your permission. Sohaila can make it happen,” Marlena snapped. She looked at Kaldir. “Plan for some extra help.”
“You are not—”
“You can’t stop me!” she snapped, eyes flashing bright. Her voice echoed in the cavernous throne room. “Get your head out of your ass and accept it.”
The temperature plunged around them. Sohaila felt like she’d stepped into a blizzard, her breath pluming in short, smoky bursts. Velati’s nostrils flared as he drew a sharp breath and said, “Get out.”
“Gladly,” she said. As she stormed down the center aisle, she threw up one hand, her middle finger raised high. It wasn’t a gesture Sohaila recognized, but Velati clearly did, judging by the way his eyes narrowed.
Velati pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. “Nothing can be easy, can it?” he murmured. He gestured to Kaldir. “Round up our people. Tell them to find somewhere to sleep. We’ll gather after dawn with a plan. Apparently, this is a complication that has to be dealt with now.”
Kaldir raised a brow. “Yes, sir.” She started to follow him, but Velati stepped into their path.
“Sister, would you walk with me?” Velati asked.
Her heart thumped. Thanks a lot for throwing me into it, she thought uncharitably. Marlena had kicked the angry dragon and then left her to deal with it. “Yes.”
“Somewhe
re outside. I need air,” he said. Tension pulled his jaw taut, like he was biting down on something he didn’t dare release. She escorted him through the palace, simply waiting for him to talk.
It had been decades since she’d been in the palace, but she still knew its long cavernous halls and towering spires like her own reflection. She led him through the ground floor, and outside to the large contemplation garden near the landing terrace on the west side. A mosaic of red and orange glass created a massive stylized flame on the ground, with stone benches arranged in a circular array.
She sat on one of the benches, watching as he paced. Finally, he paused in front of her. “Can you really bring her back?”
“I can,” she said.
“I knew this was coming. From the day she turned on them and promised to help me.” He shook his head. “Maybe I do have my head up my ass.”
“A little,” she said.
She’d hoped for a smile, but he didn’t react. “I know I have to let her do it.” He put up a hand as if to stop her from protesting. “Before you say it, I know it’s her choice. But I told her I would always protect her. So how can I stand back and let her do this?”
“You won’t need to protect her if she changes,” she said. “You’ve seen the Aesdar.”
He stared at her incredulously. “She’s still just one. If he’s got a dozen of those things, they’ll tear her apart. Maybe that’s enough of a distraction that we can win, but she…” He sat down on the next bench, burying his face in his hands. “And she knows that. She’s got a good heart and a guilty conscience, even though she’s paid for it a hundred times over already. I can’t watch her suffer.”
She took a deep breath and slid to the bench next to him. Exhaustion dimmed the light in his eyes, a bone-deep weariness that made her heart ache. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“Good question,” he said. He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe because the Marashti are supposed to be wise.”
“I don’t know why you have that impression. We’re as foolish as the rest of you,” she said with a laugh. “Are you looking for me to reassure you?”
“I don’t know what I need from you,” he said. “Until now, I’ve been able to balance being a leader and being the man who loves her. Now I have to choose.”
“Do you?” she asked. He frowned at her. “I know you love Marlena. She knows that, too. You want a future with her, don’t you?”
“Of course,” he said quietly.
“Do you think we can win without her?”
“We could.” He sounded uncertain.
“Let me ask this a different way. How costly do you want this fight to be? If you hold her back, and a thousand of our soldiers die, will you still look at yourself the same? Are you ready to accept that burden every time you look at her? I know that’s not what she wants.” His jaw tensed. He didn’t have to speak for her to hear his answer. She shook her head. “I don’t want her to do this, either. It’s going to be hard and painful, and I’d rather she didn’t go through it.”
“You’re not convincing me.”
“I’m not trying to. I’d rather be honest with you because I respect you,” she said. “Do you have any reason not to trust me?”
“You haven’t given me one,” he said.
She touched his jaw gently, guiding him to look directly at her. Her power couldn’t touch the pain that haunted his eyes, but she released a gentle wave of energy anyway. “Then you know I’m telling you the truth. I can help her make the shift safely. And more importantly, I can get her back. What happens in battle is out of my hands. But if you can get her on the ground with me, then I’ll bring her back to you. I promise.”
Velati stared at her for a long stretch, his cold eyes searching like he was looking for a lie. “I sometimes wonder if this would be easier if I didn’t love her. Maybe that’s the smarter choice.”
“Easier, maybe,” Sohaila said. “Certainly not better for either of you, though.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Do you wish you hadn’t met her?”
“No,” he said without hesitation.
She shrugged. “You have something worth fighting for, and so does she.”
“Maybe you are wise,” he said wryly. “What do we have to do?”
“First, you should find her and apologize for being a stubborn asshole,” Sohaila said.
“Ouch,” he said. “Is that how you speak to a superior?”
“You asked for Marashti wisdom,” Sohaila said. “Don’t be mad if you don’t like what you get.” Despite his words, he smiled faintly. “Do what you need to mend things with her. Then start making your plan with her as part of it.”
“Thank you, Sohaila,” he said. To her surprise, he knelt and clasped her hand, raising it to kiss her knuckles. Then he sighed and left her behind, shoulders slumped as he returned to the warmth of the palace.
When he was gone, she lingered in the garden for a while, breathing in the familiar air of home. Everything was coated with a fine green dust that tickled her nose. But the crisp, cold air was familiar, with the hint of ocean air and smoke from the short battle in the city.
Feet scuffed on the stone, and she looked to see Kaldir behind her. Just the sight of him warmed her all over. It was one thing to lecture Velati about being a leader, about putting aside his affection to make the right choice. Looking up at Kaldir, she thought I would do anything to keep you safe.
“Did he scold you again?” Kaldir asked, casting a glare over his shoulder.
“Would you challenge him if he did?” she asked playfully.
He rubbed her shoulders gently, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Maybe.” His lips grazed her ear. “The Iron Blade are moving through the city looking for stragglers and seeing to it that our people are freed.”
“Good,” she said, leaning back into his warmth. “What about the royal family?”
His brow furrowed. “They are all safe, except Zayir. Princess Ohrena has already tried to convince me to take her with us to find him.”
“I assume you told her no.”
“Of course I did,” he said. “She is powerful in her own way, but I would not let her endanger herself. And Zayir would have my balls for a necklace if I did. I gave her my promise to find him.”
“Then that should be assurance enough for her,” she said.
He chuckled, but worry still lingered on his face, etching creases around his warm eyes. “She has not known me long enough to trust such a promise, but I will do my best to keep it even so. I also sent a messenger to check on your family.”
She smiled up at him. “Very thoughtful. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I’m to be up at dawn, which isn’t far off,” he said. “Will you come to my quarters for the night?”
A thrill rushed through her. “I will.”
There was a pleasant buzz of noise in the palace as they climbed the stairs. He clasped her hand tightly, leading her upward. Her heart thumped in anticipation.
“You’re not sleeping in the barracks anymore?” she asked.
“Not for quite some time,” he said. “When I’m here, I meet with the queen so often that she arranged for me to have my own quarters in the palace.”
On the second floor, he stopped at a humble wooden door and pushed it open. The air was still and stagnant. The sparsely furnished room was perfectly neat, with no useless fripperies like statues or ornaments. There was no mistaking that it was Kaldir’s place.
“This is nice, and—” She squealed in surprise as he spun her around and pinned her to the door. He sealed her lips with a kiss, ravenous and searching.
“I need you,” he rasped, his voice low and nearly a growl. “Before we leave here and go to war.”
“We’re already at war,” she murmured as his lips grazed across her throat.
“You know what I mean,” he said. Wrapping his arms around her tight, he lifted her easily and plopped down on his bed with her in his lap. She laughed a little
as they jolted, but he was on a mission. His hands roamed over her chest, caressing her before settling on her thighs. “Will you be with me tonight?”
“Don’t be a fool,” she said, already untying the thin laces on her dress. “Help me out of this.” He lightly batted her hands out of the way and dispensed quickly of her clothing. She stole another kiss, then reached down to untie the loose pants slung around his waist.
“If this is the last time we—”
“Kaldir Dawnblaze,” she said sternly. She looked down at his groin, then back at his solemn face. “We are not doing this if you’re going to deliver a speech about dying beforehand.” Moonlight poured through the small window, filling the room with a pale silver glow that illuminated every perfect line of his body. She could have devoured him whole.
“I just need you to know that—”
“No,” she said firmly. “Now put that mouth to better use.” Despite the sadness in his eyes, he smiled and embraced her, obliging her demands. As his lips and tongue danced with hers, one hand crept down, sliding into the warmth between her legs. She gasped, easing herself open for his fingers.
She could have kissed him all night, drowning in the simple carnal heat of it. But she couldn’t stop hearing his words. Refusing to listen didn’t make his words any less true. Each demanding stroke of his tongue, every aching throb in her core, made her keenly aware that it was all in jeopardy. Everything hung by a tiny, fragile thread.
How was it fair that he’d stumbled back into her life under these circumstances? That he could be dangled before her only to be snatched away by his own nobility and integrity? The Skymother may have given her blessing, but there was cruelty in it too.
She broke away from him, pushing herself up. “I can’t wait any longer,” she said. As she slid down onto him, she opened herself physically and mentally to let her healing power flow through him.
Now you’re safe, she thought irrationally as pleasure, both his and hers, cascaded through her. He wrapped his arms around her, clutching her tight to his chest as she began to move. If she could just hold him here forever, safe within her arms, his body joined to hers, nothing could hurt them. Joy and sorrow tangled together in her mind.