Downfall of the Curse

by Deborah Grace White

  The trouble was, Lucy wasn’t sure King Giles’s survival would be enough. Even with their king at their head, Balenol’s forces were woefully unprepared for the attack that was imminent. Lucy just wished she knew of some way to even the odds.

  “You look like you slept as poorly as I did.”

  Lucy turned at the sound of the king’s voice. She was standing just outside the entrance to the base tree, looking out at the jungle through the haze created by a light but constant drizzle of rain. She couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to look so regal, even in his disheveled state.

  She glanced at Eamon, deep in conversation with Cody nearby. As attuned to her as ever, he met her eyes, and a smile softened her face in spite of everything. She might have to ask King Giles for tips, now that she was going to have a place among Kyona’s royals after all. Provided they survived all of this, of course.

  “I slept very little, Your Majesty,” she said, returning her attention to him.

  “Perhaps no sleep is better than troubled sleep,” he said darkly, his eyes scanning the jungle. “And my dreams were very troubled indeed.”

  Lucy froze, staring at him with her mouth slightly open. The king looked over and caught her expression, raising one eyebrow.

  “What is it?”

  “Dreams,” Lucy whispered. The thought that had been tickling her mind since their confrontation with the court the day before had finally taken shape. Was it total madness to think that it might work?

  King Giles frowned, looking bewildered and a little alarmed. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Lucy shook her head, not wanting to give him any assurances she might not be able to fulfill. She hurried over to the other Kyonans, interrupting their conversation.

  “What’s the plan, Cody?”

  Cody frowned in the general direction of the city. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I assume Rasad’s agent has brought word by now that the assassination was successful.”

  Eamon nodded. “If I was Rasad, I would have given the order for the army to cross the border at first light.” He looked troubled. “But the court,” he lowered his voice, “and the king, probably won’t believe that until they see it for themselves.”

  “Which might not be until they’re approaching the city, if Rasad has managed to incapacitate any scouts or sentries,” said Lucy grimly.

  Eamon nodded. “Exactly. And at that point, they might believe our story, but it won’t help much. The Thoranian army will still find Balenol unprepared and ripe for annexation. We can’t offer any practical help, beyond restoring the king.”

  “Actually,” said Lucy, “I might have an idea about that.”

  “What?” asked Cody, frowning.

  Lucy shook her head. “It might not work, but I might be able to get some…help.”

  Eamon looked as confused as Cody, but he didn’t have the chance to ask questions. King Giles was approaching, clearly done with waiting.

  “Your Majesty,” Eamon greeted him with a half-bow. “I know you must be eager to get back to Nohl—”

  “No.” The king cut him off. “I want to see this army you claim is marching against my kingdom now that I’m supposedly dead.”

  Cody gave the king a considering look. “If we had mounts, we could probably reach a good vantage point to see their approach and still have time to comfortably return to the city ahead of Rasad. But not on foot.”

  “Somehow I doubt our horses would still be tied up where we left them,” said Lucy dryly.

  “For their sakes, I hope not,” said Lord Yosef, appearing alongside the king.

  Cody gave a light chuckle. “If I go back to Nohl, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble acquiring us some horses. But I might have difficulty getting five steeds out through the gate unnoticed.”

  “Acquiring horses?” King Giles repeated dryly, but Cody just grinned.

  “Being good at acquiring things was a necessary part of life in the resistance.”

  “I’m sure,” muttered the king, but he didn’t press the point. “I’d better go. I can retrieve horses, and warn my general to mount what defense he can, just in case.”

  “Your Majesty,” said Lucy, alarmed. “I know you’re not entirely convinced of all this, but if you show yourself in Nohl, Rasad will find out, and we’ll lose any benefit we’ve gained by letting him think he succeeded in killing you.”

  King Giles frowned. “I understand that, Luciana, but I don’t see how else I can check the truth of your claim for myself.” He glanced at Cody. “I think you overestimate your ability to even get back into the city undetected. If I’m believed to be dead, Nohl will be on high alert. I wouldn’t be surprised if the gates were closed to pedestrians.”

  “Oh, I won’t use the gates,” said Cody cheerfully. “I’ll just go through the tunnel.”

  “There’s a hidden tunnel into my city?” King Giles demanded, clearly shaken.

  “Of course,” said Cody. “Not far from here in fact. How do you think your cousin nipped from the Overseer’s manor to this base almost every night?”

  King Giles ran a hand over his face. “One of these days, Scarlett and I are going to have a conversation about all the things she neglected to mention last time she was here.”

  Lucy chuckled in spite of herself. “So it’s decided, then. Cody will go.”

  King Giles didn’t look entirely satisfied, but he didn’t argue further. “Is there parchment down there in that base of yours? I want to write a message for you to take to my mother. She knows you came after me, and she’ll believe you when you tell her I’m alive. She’ll have some influence with my general. And she can certainly supply you with five horses.”

  Cody nodded, ducking back into the base tree to retrieve the parchment.

  “She’ll only need to get four horses,” Lucy said to King Giles. “I’m staying behind.”

  “What?” Eamon protested.

  “I need to explore that idea I told you about,” said Lucy, lowering her voice. “I can meet you all in the city when you come back. Aunt Mariska will look after me.”

  “There’s no way we’re leaving you alone in the jungle,” said Eamon flatly. “I’ll stay with you.”

  Lucy hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She had made the mistake of not trusting Eamon with her secrets before. She wasn’t going to do it again.

  As soon as King Giles had written his note, Cody led the group carefully through the trees. They were all soaked through within minutes, and the mud made progress painful, but it was still easier than the nighttime trek to get to the base tree.

  It wasn’t far to the entrance to the tunnel. The city walls were in sight, but still a stone’s throw away when Cody bent down to clear some bracken. An opening was revealed, and King Giles peered inside in fascination.

  “It looks like it’s been recently disturbed,” he said, sounding alarmed.

  “Yes, I took Matheus through here when we were in Nohl a few weeks ago,” said Cody cheerfully. “He was impressed.”

  Lucy thought King Giles looked torn between being impressed himself, and being irritated by the further evidence of deception on the part of his guests. All things considered, it wasn’t entirely surprising he wanted to see the truth of their story about the Thoranian army with his own eyes before taking action.

  Cody wasted no time in entering the tunnel, and Lord Yosef and King Giles began preparations for their trek east through the jungle toward the road, where Cody would meet them with the horses.

  “Safe travels, Your Majesty,” said Lucy, as the two pairs said farewell. “Don’t fall afoul of anything deadly out here.”

  King Giles gave a rueful smile. “You know, I’ve never admitted it, but part of me was a little jealous of your mother, after I found out about her double life. I thought it must have been quite an adventure to be a jungle rebel.” He glanced up at the canopy above, dripping constantly with rain. “The folly of youth, I suppose.”

  Lucy smiled. She had indulged in similar env
y herself. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, Sire,” she said. “But I swear to do all in my power to prevent the destruction Rasad is trying to bring on Balenol.”

  King Giles nodded curtly, his expression instantly becoming serious again at the reminder of the threat to his kingdom. He and Lord Yosef disappeared into the foliage without further conversation, and Lucy and Eamon found themselves alone.

  For a moment they just stared at each other. They hadn’t had a moment to stop since Lucy’s declaration back at the Jeweled Peaks. There was so much between them, so much they still hadn’t said, so much that would still have to wait.

  “So what do we do now?” Eamon asked at last.

  Lucy drew a deep breath. “Now, we hope this works.” She took Eamon’s hand suddenly, and although he was startled by the gesture, he returned her grip firmly. She closed her eyes, turning her face toward the sky.

  “Qadir! Can you hear me?”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  It was barely a moment of suspense. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Lucy’s senses began to swim and spin strangely. She opened her eyes and jumped back with a gasp.

  Qadir was standing in front of her, his huge form impossibly folded into the confined space of the jungle.

  “You came,” she gasped. She could hardly believe it had worked. And now that she had the dragon’s attention, she was more nervous than ever as to the wisdom of her mad idea about what to do with it.

  “You called, young Kyonan,” the dragon replied expressionlessly. “I had not yet checked in on you in the short time since I told you I would keep an eye on you, but surely you didn’t think I would fail to hear my own name.”

  “No…that is…how did you get here so quickly?”

  “I am not with you in flesh. I am projecting my image into your mind, as I did at our last meeting.”

  “But I’m not asleep,” Lucy protested.

  Qadir’s mouth stretched strangely in a reptilian smile. “It’s true, your mind is less susceptible to manipulation when awake. But only marginally. It is no challenge for me.”

  Lucy turned to Eamon, and was startled by the way he was looking at her.

  “What?”

  “Who are you talking to?” he asked uneasily.

  Lucy looked between the prince and the dragon in astonishment.

  “He cannot see me,” said Qadir patiently. “As I said, I am visible in your mind.” He gave Eamon a considering look, and the prince suddenly gasped. “But I have no objection to including you in our communication, son of kings. We are old friends, are we not?”

  Eamon, clearly able to see the dragon now, recovered himself quickly. He bowed deeply, looking every inch the prince as he addressed the creature.

  “I am honored to continue the friendship of my fathers.”

  Qadir inclined his head in acknowledgment before turning back to Lucy. “I must assume you called me for a reason, young slayer. What was it?”

  Lucy shook off any discomfort at the form of address, getting straight to the point.

  “The South Lands are in trouble. Thorania is going to invade Balenol, and we need help desperately if there’s any hope of preventing a takeover.”

  Qadir flicked his tail slightly, the movement creating no effect on the undergrowth around him. “What is your purpose in telling me such information? We do not involve ourselves in disputes between kingdoms.”

  Afraid he was about to disappear again, Lucy cut in quickly, trying to speak with more boldness than she felt. “But you said I had done a service to dragonkind. You said you were in my debt.”

  Qadir leveled a long look at her, and she gulped, wondering if she’d stepped over a line. The creature was alarmingly huge, and knowing that he was only a vision did nothing to reduce the impressiveness of his monstrous form.

  “I did say that, but that does not equate to an offer for my colony to fight a war for a kingdom with which we have no connection.”

  “But there is a connection,” Lucy interjected hastily. “Rasad, the man behind the invasion, is using dragon magic to manipulate Thorania’s king, much like Scanlon manipulated Eamon.”

  Qadir went still, his interest clearly captured. His gaze was uncomfortably intense as he fixed his orb-like eyes on her, but Lucy met his scrutiny steadily.

  “You mean to tell me this man also received forfeited dragon magic, from the same dragon who gave his power to your uncle?”

  “Not exactly,” Lucy clarified. “He didn’t receive magic into himself, like Scanlon. But he convinced the dragon to bring him crystals from the Dragon Realm off the coast of Valoria before it passed away. And…” she swallowed, nervous about describing what she’d found in Rasad’s secret dungeon, “he also convinced the dragon to go to Thorania to die. He has the creature’s body still. I’ve seen it, at his fortress in Thorania’s north.”

  She could feel Eamon’s astonishment—she hadn’t yet told him that detail—but she didn’t allow herself to get distracted. “Rasad has been experimenting with the crystals, and scales and such from the dragon’s body. He’s been using dragon magic to control people, animals, and now whole kingdoms. He wants to create an empire that will swallow the South and North Lands.”

  Qadir’s already enormous form had seemed to swell as she spoke, and Lucy could tell that it wasn’t Rasad’s political ambitions that had ignited the beast’s fury. Because fury was the only way to describe the deadly glint growing in the dragon’s eyes.

  “You tell me this man dares to collect pieces of the Dragon Realm as though they are his possessions? He has the effrontery to use our brethren’s body like his personal apothecary? He has desecrated the remains of one of our kind in order to dabble in magic he has no business even knowing about?”

  Lucy flinched at the dragon’s tone, but she nodded earnestly. Maybe there was hope of Qadir intervening to stop Rasad after all.

  Without warning, the dragon opened his mouth wide, and spewed out a jet of startlingly orange flame. Eamon’s cry of horror reached Lucy a moment before she felt his arm go protectively around her. She knew a brief second of terror, sure that Eamon would be killed as he tried to throw himself between her and the dragon fire.

  But of course there was no heat, no agonizing death by burning. The flames were a vision as surely as the dragon was, the real fire being released into the air somewhere across the sea, presumably in Kyona’s mountains.

  Eamon drew back, his expression showing the same mixture of relief and embarrassment that Lucy felt. But Qadir didn’t seem to have even noticed the reaction of the humans. His initial rage had cooled, but he was no less determined.

  “We will certainly become involved,” he said. “No dragon can be left to rot in the hands of a human. We will investigate, and destroy these crystals and experiments you speak of. No trace will be left.”

  “And…” Lucy hesitated. “What about the invasion? Can you break Rasad’s hold on King Abner? Or at least, stop the army before it reaches Nohl?”

  “I already told you,” said Qadir patiently, “we do not involve ourselves in disputes between kingdoms.” He inclined his head. “We will, of course, endeavor to be swift in destroying the human who has dared to desecrate one of our kind, and any who march with him. Whether we do so before they reach their destination I cannot say for certain.”

  “What?” cried Lucy, aghast. “You can’t destroy the whole army! The Thoranians are innocent in this, other than the few who are knowingly working with Rasad. They’re just following the order of their king, and he’s not in control of his own decisions!”

  Qadir gave a rippling, reptilian shrug. “That is not my affair.”

  “Please,” Lucy said earnestly, horrified by the results of her intervention. “Please don’t kill them all.”

  “What did you expect me to do, young human?” Qadir asked, lowering his head to look more closely at her. “You sought my intervention, but now you do not wish for it?”

  “I thought you would stop the a
rmy without slaughtering them all!” said Lucy.

  Qadir frowned at her. “I do not intend to take chances with the kind of evil you have described. This Rasad must be destroyed.”

  “I don’t dispute your right to take action against Rasad for what he’s done,” said Lucy hastily. “But surely you don’t need to kill everyone else as well!”

  The dragon inclined his head. “It is the surest way to be certain he has not escaped. And did you not wish to prevent the invasion of Balenol? It seems to me that you should welcome my intended action, since it would have that effect.”

  Lucy put a hand to her head, her mind reeling at the unexpected direction of the conversation. Was she going to have to choose between the total annihilation of either Thorania’s or Balenol’s forces? Neither outcome was one she could live with.

  “What if we can separate Rasad from the rest of the army?” asked Eamon quickly. “We’ll draw him out somehow. We can identify him after all, and then you’d be sure you had the right person.”

  Qadir fixed the prince with his snake-like stare. “That is an acceptable alternative,” he said calmly. “But be warned. If you do not succeed in separating this Rasad from his army, and doing so efficiently, we will destroy the entire force, to ensure the threat has been fully contained.” His gaze passed between the two humans. “I take my leave of you.”

  Lucy opened her mouth and closed it again. If anything, they were now further from a solution, but she was afraid of the outcome if she made further requests of the dragon-ruler.

  “Wait,” said Eamon unexpectedly. “You spoke of the friendship that exists between my fathers and yourself, and I am honored to be included in that history. But I also have a…connection with another dragon. I believe Elddreki lives in the other Dragon Realm now, in Valoria. But am I right in assuming you can communicate with him, even from a distance?”