by Delia Castel
Sterling transformed the floor into a map of Igneous and performed a series of incantations that took nearly three hours. The wizard had even provided a hearty lunch of stewed rabbit. Polaris suspected that he was making a show to feel better about having taken so much gold. Eventually, Sterling located Princess Snowdrop in a mountain cavity within the ice quarries of Gelus. It was a remote location within Boreas that produced nothing but crystals of permanent ice, used to keep pantries cool. After thanking Sterling for his assistance, they left the cottage.
“How long will it take to reach our destination?” asked Marigold.
“A four-hour flight, depending on the wind.” He took off his clothes, enjoying the way her eyes lingered on his body. When a flush brightened her cheeks, he gave her a growl that promised another lengthy session of love-making.
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. “Where will you put the Princess?”
“In the headquarters of the King’s Regiment. She can explain what happened to make her flee. The elders will keep her until the palace is safe.”
Marigold nodded and climbed on his back. In the blink of an eye, he transformed and launched himself out of the forest.
The journey did not take as long as he had anticipated, as the winds were mild. Although he was unfamiliar with the area, Sterling’s magical map, combined with a dragon’s natural sense of direction, helped him to identify the landmarks he needed to follow to reach Princess Snowdrop. Shortly after crossing the border of Occidens, the temperature plummeted. Tiny icicles swirled in a biting wind, and he turned his head to check on Marigold, who dozed against his knapsack. Hopefully his body temperature and enchanted leather garments would keep her warm.
He flew over acres of snow-covered pine forests, over frozen lakes, and over villages built around massive glasshouse facilities. Boreas lacked the variety of other districts in Igneous, and Polaris understood why Uncle Hertz had been so desperate to escape his banishment.
Soon, the ice quarries of Gelus came into view. Glacial mountains loomed from beyond a sparse forest. They had been mined, leaving lake-sized pits deep into the earth. A barely visible covering of snow lay on the landscape, giving Polaris a good view of the exterior of the cave in Sterling’s directions. After circling the area, he swooped down and landed in a nearby clearing,
“Are we there now?” Marigold slurred from his back.
He transformed and guided her to her feet. “Not far. It’s time to wake up. Did you see Berrin?”
Nodding, she rubbed her eyes. “Matheson was there with Nanny. They were arguing with the High Sheriff that Uncle Hertz’ cowardice and treason was reason to release Berrin.”
Irritation fizzed through his veins, and he pinched his lips. “And I expect he is refusing?”
“He says Governor Hertz needs to be found guilty of treason before he can release Berrin without a trial.”
Polaris clenched his teeth, picturing a number of grizzly demises for the ash-haired sheriff. “When this is over, and Berrin is safe, I intend to challenge that idiot to a duel. Someone needs to remove him from office in the most permanent manner.”
Marigold’s gaze drifted down to his groin. “I agree.”
Polaris smirked. “I had better get dressed before you distract me from my mission to find Princess Snowdrop.”
The mention of the Princess’s name caused her face to tighten, and she gave him a grim nod. His heart twinged. He hoped she wasn’t still upset about the King’s announcement of his supposed betrothal. Pulling on his clothes, he tried to reassure her that he would not allow King Vulcan to bully him into mating with his daughter, no matter what.
She shrugged and glanced away.
A breath of frustration pushed its way out of his lungs. Her sentiments were understandable. Having grown up in a district where authority was absolute, it made sense that she would think King Vulcan always got whatever he demanded of his subjects or of the officers of his Regiment.
The forest surrounding the mines was sparse, mainly consisting of conifers and ferns. Pine scents mingled with ozone, adding to the atmosphere of desolation. They would have traveled under the cover of the trees, but there wasn’t enough vegetation to hide their approach.
“Why would she come all the way up here?” whispered Marigold.
“If I were a young, high-profile she-dragon being pursued for treason, I would hide in the most remote of locations.”
Marigold nodded, and they continued through the forest. Eventually, they reached an overhang within the mountains, under which stood a cottage made of stone bricks. A slate veranda hung over the length of the dwelling, shading its intricately carved pine doors and window shutters. Polaris gaped. He had expected a wooden shack, not something so well-constructed.
He turned to Marigold. “Until I give the word, stay behind the trees. She is likely not alone.”
“All right.” She scurried away to hide behind a crooked pine.
Polaris strode beside the garden path, tapped the door with a transformed claw, and stepped back. He glanced over his shoulder to find Marigold peeping out from her hiding space. After shooing her back behind the tree, he extended his senses, listening out for inhabitants.
Dismissing Marigold’s heartbeat from behind the copse of trees and those too small to count, he sensed one heartbeat within the house. It belonged to a person about the size of a small woman. He flared his nostrils and inhaled the scent of numerous, unfamiliar dragons. Perhaps Snowdrop had fled to the home of allies. He had expected to find her huddled and alone, or residing with a kindly old woman or couple.
Within the cottage, light, tentative footsteps creaked closer, gaining in volume. Polaris’ heart accelerated. In minutes, his mission would be complete, giving him time to focus on tracking down and killing Uncle Hertz.
“H-hello?” asked a shaky, female voice from beyond the door.
“Princess Snowdrop, this is General Auburn. His Majesty Your Father sent—”
Her blood-curdling scream pierced the air.
“Your Highness?” Polaris pounded on the door. “Are you well?”
“Stay away!” she screeched.
“I’m here to help you—”
Rapid footsteps retreated to the back of the house, and a bell rang out from its roof. Polaris peered out into the cloudy sky. What in the name of Vulcan was the Princess doing? She of all people had to know that officers of the King’s Regiment were oath-bound to protect King Vulcan and his family. He had never seen someone so skittish. Kneeling at the keyhole, he tried to reassure her that he knew she was innocent of the attempt on her father’s life, but she continued wailing and ringing that blasted bell.
A chill fell across the air, and three dragons, each with scales of varying shades of blue, glided in from the skies. Polaris clenched his teeth. These had to be allies of the Princess. He straightened, stepped out from beneath the overhang, and waited for them to land in the clearing.
Raising his hand, he said, “Good after—”
The nearest of them blasted him with a shower of ice shards. Polaris jumped to the side and rolled out of the way, only to fall into the path of the second dragon’s spray of freezing water. A chill spread through his chest, straight into his ribs.
He scowled and pushed himself off the floor. “I come in peace!”
As he stood, the third dragon opened his mouth and exhaled a spray of frigid vapor. Polaris shifted and blew out a stream of red flames.
The dragon somersaulted back through the sky, and Polaris launched himself up to growl a warning to the first, who had circled around, ready to attack with more ice shards. His orange flames melted all the ice attacks and kept the dragons at bay. He let out a loud, bellowing roar of reprimand. Couldn’t these impatient oafs have waited for him to finish his sentence before attacking?
The three flew higher in formation, each spraying Polaris with pellets of ice. He curled back his lips, exposing his fangs. They might have overwhelmed an ordinary fire dragon, but he could m
ake fire almost as hot as that of an elder. Holding his breath, he flew up into the skies, swirling his flames in the fire chamber in the back of his throat. He had to subdue them, and low-level flames weren’t sufficient threat to these dragons. Soaring higher, he rotated his fire, letting them pick up heat and speed.
His attackers pursued him with ice shards, but he dodged them all, leaving them to growl with frustration.
When his fire chamber was full, he flipped in mid-air and blew out a stream of blue flames.
All three dragons plummeted to the ground. On the way down, they shifted back to human form to heal their burns. Polaris shook his head. This could have been avoided if they had waited for him to finish introducing himself. Now that he had demonstrated his strength, he hoped that they would be more amenable to a conversation. Few dragons would subject himself to a second attack of blue flames. Not even those who breathed fire.
“Watch out!” cried Marigold from below.
Another four dragons emerged from the other side of the mountain. Polaris bared his teeth and snarled. They had probably lain in wait, watching their comrades test his skills. The four flew over the quarry towards him, and the other three surged upwards.
Polaris’ heart stuttered. If he didn’t retreat, they would surround him in moments and freeze his blood. He flew back towards the forest and turned. Gathering his fire, he spun it within his chamber for a massive blast. It was important to get the temperature right. White flames were his hottest attack, but such heat would devastate their surroundings, potentially killing Marigold and Princess Snowdrop.
The seven dragons glided towards him from the front, their blue scales shimmering in the pale sunlight. Polaris blasted a wide spray of flames in their path. They scattered, and three of them flew low, while the others flew wide.
A cold wind permeated Polaris’ nostrils. Each breath filled his lungs with increasingly cold air, and a chill seeped into his veins. He glanced around to work out what the dragons were doing.
They formed a wide perimeter around him and blew a frigid mist. Polaris ground his teeth. The dragons were freezing the air! Flapping his wings, he soared above them, but they followed at a distance out of range of his fire attacks.
Polaris tried to harness his flames, but everything had gone cold. His heart would have pounded, but terror had gripped it in its icy fist. The first three had been a decoy to gather intelligence about his capabilities, so the group could work out their best method of attack. If he had known there were seven dragons, he would have used stealth to approach Princess Snowdrop.
As the buoyant air in his lungs shriveled, he had to work harder to keep himself from plummeting. But ice had encased his wings, making each movement numb and stiff. Still, he had to retreat, get warm and retrieve Marigold. If those blue dragons found her…
A shriek broke him from his thoughts, and he peered down.
Marigold stood outside the cottage, her arms around Princess Snowdrop’s neck. Her fingers had transformed into wicked-looking claws. “Leave him alone!” she yelled. “If you don’t stop attacking my mate, I’ll kill yours!”
Chapter 10
Marigold whispered into the other she-dragon’s ear. “Stop wriggling, or I might cut you by accident.”
Princess Snowdrop stilled. “You’re not trying to kill me?”
“We came to rescue you.”
“Then why are you threatening me with your claws?” The pitch of her voice rose to a squeak.
“I had to do something to stop those seven from freezing my mate to death!”
“Oh.” She relaxed. “General Auburn is one of the nicest dragons I’ve met.”
Marigold clenched her teeth. It was an effort to not slit the Princess’s throat. If she knew Polaris was a good person, why had she screamed and rung the bell to call for seven… she didn’t know what kind of dragons they were. She glared up at the sky. The dragons had stopped blowing icy mist over Polaris, who exhaled a tiny ball of fire. Marigold let out a relieved breath and relaxed her grip.
The Princess also exhaled. “Will you let go of me, now?”
“Not until they’ve shifted back.”
“Y-you should probably come down,” shouted Princess Snowdrop.
The dragons, to Marigold’s surprise, obeyed the weak order. She stared at the frightened Princess from the corner of her eye. Her porcelain-perfect skin, doe eyes, and cherry-red lips gave her the appearance of an expensive doll, not a she-dragon capable of commanding seven males. Marigold supposed the helpless damsel-in-distress look swayed the dragons’ protective instincts.
“Are you mated to just General Auburn?” asked the Princess. “I thought officers of the King’s Regiment weren’t allowed to mate with she-dragons.”
Marigold pressed her lips together. Explaining Berrin was going to be too complicated for a hostage situation, so she said, “I bonded with his younger brother the day before yesterday.”
“Matheson?” She sighed. “He’s so handsome and charming!”
Marigold furrowed her brows. “You know him?”
“He’s my brother’s best friend. Is he really as well-endowed as they say?”
“I wouldn’t know,” muttered Marigold. “We haven’t yet consummated the King’s Blessing.”
Her breath caught. “How’s Father?”
“His Majesty is well,” Marigold replied. “He misses you, though.”
Once the seven dragons landed, they transformed into men around Matheson’s height. They had the muscled appearance of men who toiled for a living, but their scowling faces reminded her too much of Matheson to find them attractive. Each had hair the color of water, ranging from sea-foam white to the darkest ultramarine. They surrounded Marigold, flashing their eyes, baring their teeth, and filling the air with their growls.
Marigold raised her chin and stared at the one advancing on them. She wasn’t scared. It had taken the lot of them working together to slow down Polaris. If Berrin had been here to watch his back, these weaklings would have been charred husks.
“We have released your mate, now release ours!” snarled the white-haired dragon. His pale turquoise eyes glinted with malice.
Marigold held onto her hostage. “How do I know you won’t attack us again if I do?”
“It’s all right,” said Princess Snowdrop. “My father sent them to look for me.”
Polaris landed behind the dragons and shook himself off. Tall and proud and not taking notice of the seven threats, he walked through the circle of males. Marigold straightened and suppressed a prideful smirk. Her mates were so much bigger and more handsome than these pale, little dragons. Their growls increased in volume and ferocity, but Polaris didn’t flinch.
He knelt at Princess Snowdrop’s feet. “Your Highness, it is good to see you looking so well.”
Marigold loosened her grip on the other she-dragon, who smoothed her hands down her blue, hand-stitched dress. “Thank you, General. Does anyone else know of my whereabouts?”
“Not even the elders of the King’s Regiment. His Majesty sent me to find you, but…” He glanced around at the seven furious dragons. “We did not imagine you to be so well-guarded.”
The Princess tilted her head to the side and smiled. “Why don’t we all come inside for a cup of tea?”
The dragons all shared incredulous looks, but they held their silence. However, when Polaris stood, the white-haired one, who Marigold assumed was their leader, said, “Are you sure about this, Snowdrop?”
“Yes.” The Princess beamed. “The General is loyal to Father, and his mate only threatened me to stop you from bullying him.”
Marigold choked at her description of events. It seemed to work, because the dragons’ body language relaxed. Even the white-haired dragon, who seemed to be scowling the most, gave her a sharp nod.
Princess Snowdrop tapped Marigold’s arm. “Will you let me go now, please?”
“I will, but I’ll help you make the tea.” She put as much threat in her voice for the benefit o
f the other dragons in case they decided to ambush her mate again.
Polaris rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a crooked grin.
A warm scent of sweet spices and vanilla engulfed Marigold’s senses as they entered an unexpectedly cozy cottage.
Princess Snowdrop’s eyes sparkled. “My goldbread should be ready by now.
Marigold’s mouth watered, and she wondered if the Princess was willing to share. Only the wealthy such as Lord Arctos enjoyed goldbread during Festival Week, due to its main ingredient being ormel, a rare form of mead brewed with golden argan fruit, which only grew in Chrysos.
Marigold glanced around at the interior. A large, ivory-walled room served as kitchen, dining room, and parlor. Pinewood beams, matching the polished floor, ran across the ceiling. In the alcoves, firewood piled up high against the walls. She passed a trio of comfortable-looking sofas, each large enough to seat three. In the middle of the room stood a sturdy dining table and eight chairs, one of which seemed freshly-carved. The kitchen consisted of a few dressers and a large, cast iron stove that served as both cooker and heater.
The Princess grabbed a cloth and lifted a copper kettle from a hotplate. “I suppose I’d better tell you how I came to this place.”
Polaris leaned against the wall. “That would be a good place to start, Your Highness.”
“Put these on,” snapped the white-haired dragon. He held a pair of loose, drawstring trousers.
Marigold covered her laughter with a cough. She hadn’t seen many naked males until now, but it was clear that Polaris’ body was extraordinarily well-apportioned.
Princess Snowdrop told of an assassination attempt on the King. It had been staged to look like she had murdered her father after he caught her with a wolf shifter in her bedroom. Marigold’s eyes bulged, and she glanced at Polaris, who listened with an increasingly concerned expression. The other dragons stood around watching the Princess, seeming like they had heard the story already.
Polaris stepped forward. “Have you noticed anything strange about His Majesty’s state of mind?”