Kingdom of Ashes

by Rhiannon Thomas

  Aurora closed her eyes. Fifty people, dead because of her. Dead, because she could not bear for Finnegan to die. This was the cost of her selfishness.

  “You must stop this from happening again.” Orla looked at Aurora’s charred hand. “You claim that taking the heart killed the dragon, and that eating it gives a person the power to control them. That, then, is our best hope. You will take another heart, and we will use the dragons to defend our city against further attacks.”

  “No,” Aurora said. She couldn’t put more of that power into the world. Celestine already had one dragon heart. What would happen if she got more? What would happen if other people took that magic too? “I won’t do it again.”

  Orla’s eyebrows flew upward. She looked at Aurora for a long moment, seemingly genuinely lost for words. “You won’t? You would save countless lives.”

  “Or destroy them. We can’t predict what would happen if I took more hearts. It could increase Celestine’s power.”

  “That witch has already half destroyed my city. What does it matter if she gains more power, if she already has far more than we do, and this could give us the chance to fight her?”

  “If you took the hearts of all the dragons,” Erin said slowly, “the witch wouldn’t have anything to control.”

  “You want me to wipe them out?”

  “No,” Orla said firmly. “But with a heart or five, with you here, we could have them under control. They could be an asset.”

  “And you want me to give that power to you?”

  She certainly owed it to them. She had been the one to let the dragons across the water, the one who inspired a direct attack on the city. Orla had helped Aurora, protected her, and this destruction was her reward.

  But dragons were not a defensive force. What would Orla do, with all this fire at her command? Every other kingdom would be terrified of her. They would bow to any of her demands. And although Orla seemed fair and just, the needs of her kingdom would come before anything else. They would certainly come before the needs of Alyssinia.

  And Aurora remembered their conversation, when Orla had spoken of Vanhelm’s right to Alyssinia. She did not want revenge, she had said. But she said had nothing about her plans for the throne.

  Aurora wanted to help her. Wanted to trust her. But as a princess, as a witch, as someone with responsibilities that she had avoided for too long . . . no. She could not take that risk.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t.”

  “You can’t?” Orla stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t stop more dragons attacking my city? They’re gone for now, but they will come back. We need to be ready for them.”

  “You will be,” Aurora said. “I’ll help you. But I can’t give you the dragons.”

  Orla’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “You and Finnegan created this mess,” she said. “You acted like fools, both of you. It’s your responsibility to fix it.”

  “And it’s my responsibility to Alyssinia to protect them.”

  Finnegan stepped forward. “She did the best she could, mother,” he said.

  “Do not speak back to me,” Orla snapped. “You’d better hope that she agrees to this. If you were true king material, you would not have created this mess. Vanhelm cannot have a prince who endangers the city for his own ridiculous whims.”

  “I was working to protect the city,” Finnegan said. “The dragons have been coming closer for years. We needed to find a way to defend ourselves from them.”

  “And instead, we got attacked.”

  “And we fought them off.”

  “That is not good enough,” Orla said. “And if you do not fix this, I don’t see how I could allow you to be king.”

  “Are you threatening to disinherit me?”

  “I am saying that you had better do what is right,” Orla said. “As your sister would do.”

  “That’s unfair,” Erin said. Her voice was soft and clear. “I don’t know what I would do.”

  “You would not have created this mess in the first place.”

  Aurora had heard enough. “I will not do it,” she said. “And it has nothing to do with Finnegan, and it has nothing to do with Erin. It’s just me. And you will not convince me to change my mind.”

  Orla stared at her, disgust all over her face. “Then go.”

  Aurora nodded, conceding to Orla’s anger, and walked out of her room.

  She had remained in Vanhelm too long. She had as strong a control over her magic as she ever would, had learned as much as she could from this kingdom. And she had definitely outstayed her welcome.

  If she left, Celestine would surely follow her, as she had followed her here. It would be safest for everyone if she left.

  Aurora hurried to her rooms. Her hair smelled of smoke, her feet throbbed, and the world had become hazy after days without enough sleep, but she pulled her bag toward her and started piling her possessions into it.

  Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. She did not need to look to know it was Finnegan.

  “Have you come here to convince me to change my mind?”

  The footsteps paused.

  “No,” Finnegan said. “I know you won’t.”

  “How do you know?”

  “You’re a terrible liar, remember? I can read your face like a book.” Silence. Then: “I have news.” His voice was too light, too casual. Bad news, then.

  “About the dragons?”

  “About Alyssinia.”

  She turned to look at him. He stood in the doorway, a roll of parchment clutched in his hand. “What is it?”

  He stepped inside and closed the door. “A letter came for me while I was injured,” he said. “A guard just gave it to me. It was from Nettle.”

  “What does it say?”

  “You’re not going to like it.”

  “Then tell me faster.”

  Finnegan unrolled the letter, but he spoke without really looking at it. “John’s arrested Rodric,” he said. “Everyone in the kingdom will know by now, but Nettle says she heard it early, from a reliable source. She says he’s being charged with treason.”

  Treason. Aurora had been afraid this would happen, but that had been before. Before Finnegan’s burn, before Celestine, before the dragons. In all the more immediate danger, she had almost forgotten Rodric. But he had been caught.

  And John burned people for treason. He burned people for less.

  The thought was too huge, too terrifying after everything else, so she grasped for another detail, something else to focus on. “A reliable source?” she said. “What does that mean?”

  “Someone in the castle, I assume. Did you hear what I said? Rodric is being charged with treason.”

  She had heard. But what was there to say? “I suppose the rumors were true.”

  “Perhaps,” Finnegan said. “He was connected to you, and the king’s not exactly reasonable. John must have decided his son was too much of a threat.”

  Aurora reached for the parchment, as though she could make any sense of Nettle’s code, as though she could drag some other meaning from the page. Finnegan did not give it to her. “That’s not all,” he said.

  “What else could there possibly be?”

  “He claims that he has arrested you as well. You will be tried together, but the verdict seems set.”

  Aurora closed her eyes, but it did little to calm the buzzing in her head. “He has someone he’s pretending is me?”

  “Nettle certainly thinks so.”

  It was possible the king was bluffing. But why would he risk that, when he could use any blond girl off the street? She was a story, after all. Any girl could play her part. “When?” she said. “When’s the trial?”

  “Seven days from now.”

  A long wait, from capturing them to putting them on show. Was he doing it on purpose, trying to tempt her back to save Rodric and the innocent girl he had taken in her place? Or was he dragging it out, to get a confession from Rodric, to get the greatest
advantage from the promised burning of the princess?

  “I have to go back,” she said. “Now.”

  “You’re going to fight him?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I have to.”

  “For Rodric?”

  “Of course for Rodric. He’s a good person. He’s my friend.” She couldn’t make a deal with Celestine to save Finnegan, and not even try to help Rodric, not after his kindness to her, not when she ran and left him to help the people in Alyssinia alone. “He needs to live through this, so he can be king, so things can be better.” She had the answers she’d wanted; she had control over her magic; she had a piece of dragon heart beating beside her own. She was as ready as she would ever be.

  “What’s your plan?” Finnegan said. “My mother won’t help you, not after that.”

  “I have something that she wants,” Aurora said. “She’ll listen to me.” Aurora had never been good at negotiation, but she could not back down now. And their kingdoms had a long history of unbalanced bargains and broken promises.

  She might not be fit to be queen, but she had the power to help. She had to use it, whatever that would mean.

  “As for the king . . . I can fight him,” she said, the certainty building inside her. Finally, she had conviction. Finally, she knew what to do. “I have you. I have magic. And I have a dragon.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  “THESE ARE MY TERMS.” AURORA STARED AT ORLA, determined to look the part of a queen, negotiating with an equal. “I will take the captured dragon to Alyssinia and overthrow the king, to what I believe will be our mutual benefit.”

  Orla raised her eyebrows. “Finally seizing the throne for yourself?”

  “I’m not seizing anything,” Aurora said. “John is killing my people, including his own son for his association with me. Maybe Rodric will be king, maybe someone else, maybe I will rule. Regardless, the path seems simple to me.”

  “And you expect me to let you take a dragon there? How will I know you won’t turn around and attack my kingdom?”

  “You can send soldiers with me as well,” she said. “As many as you like. Help me to defeat John. And once that is done, I will help you deal with the dragons. Whatever you need.”

  Orla domed her fingers under her chin. Her expression was impossible to read. “And how can I trust you?”

  “You’ll have to,” Aurora said. “I’m the only one who can help you.”

  “If you go,” Erin said, “how will we stop the dragons if they attack again? We’ll be defenseless.”

  “I don’t think you will be,” Aurora said. “The dragons are after me. Celestine was sending a message to me. She won’t attack when I’m not here.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “No,” she said. “I can’t know it. But I believe it.”

  Orla walked around her desk, never taking her eyes from Aurora. “I gave you refuge,” she said. “Resources. I believe you already owe me.”

  “I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” Aurora said. “I do. And I’m sorry for the problems I’ve caused. But I must think about Alyssinia first. If you want an alliance, you must give me this.”

  “And what inspired this sudden change of heart?” Orla said. “An hour ago, you said you would never help me.”

  “I spent the last several days hiking through the waste and fighting dragons. I needed time to think it through.”

  “Time to scheme, you mean.” But Orla looked contemplative. “All right,” she said. “You can take the dragon, and I will lend you a few soldiers as well. But I want a dragon’s heart in return. Do we have a deal?”

  “Yes,” Aurora said. “After I’ve dealt with John, after you help me, I’ll give you that dragon’s heart.” The lie almost stuck in her throat, but she shoved it forward, refusing to flinch. Finnegan always said she was a terrible liar, but she had to be believable now. She had to make Orla think she would cooperate. There was no backing down from this.

  She could sense Finnegan watching her, and she knew, she knew, that he had seen the truth of her. She would not kill another dragon. She would not give that power away.

  Orla stuck out a hand, and Aurora shook it, her grip firm. “A deal,” Orla said.

  “A deal.”

  “You lied to my mother,” Finnegan said in an undertone, as they walked back to the docks. “Impressive.”

  “Do you think she knew?”

  “If she’d known, she wouldn’t have made the deal.” He looked out across the river. “So, how are we going to get this dragon across the ocean?”

  She stopped. “You’re really going to come with me?”

  “My mother was wrong. The best way to protect Vanhelm is to get you out of here. And you’re not losing me now, Rora. I’m going to see how this ends.”

  “And the dragon?” she said. “That doesn’t influence your decision at all?”

  “The last attempt to use them to help Vanhelm didn’t go that well. I’m not about to try and seize one for myself.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her close. “I’m not going to betray you, Aurora. Not now.”

  She tilted her head to look at him. “I believe you,” she said. And she did. She trusted him, whatever happened next.

  The dragon still lay by the docks. The soldiers had chained it to the ground, but the fire in it was awakening again. Every few minutes, it thrashed its tail or beat its wings, sending the men around it grasping for water. Aurora ran up as it whipped its tail again, smashing against the stone.

  “Unchain him,” she said, in her most commanding voice. “Queen Orla has ordered that he come with me.”

  The soldiers looked to Finnegan, who held out a paper with the royal seal. “It’s all here,” he said. “We’ll take a small boat. Soldiers will follow in the other. And . . . what do you think, Aurora? We’ll chain the dragon to ours so it can fly behind?”

  “No,” Aurora said. She rested a hand on the ridge above the dragon’s nose. Its eyes followed her movements with a lazy flicker. She could still feel the connection there, the extra beat in her chest, the desire and anger muted now to something more like longing. You will stay with me, she thought, as she ran her fingers along the dragon’s nose. We are meant to be together, you and I.

  And the second heartbeat whispered yes.

  “No chains,” she said. “He’ll follow.”

  “Miss, I don’t think—”

  “I am not a miss,” Aurora said. “I am Princess Aurora, heir to the throne of Alyssinia, and your queen has commanded you to help me. Do you want to be the one who defies her? I hear she does not suffer fools gladly.”

  The man stared at her for a long moment, and then he bowed. “As you wish, my lady.”

  “Impressive,” Finnegan whispered in her ear. The hum of the word made her shiver.

  “What can I say?” she murmured. “I was born to be a queen.”

  Aurora stood by the side of the boat until Vanhelm faded from sight. The dragon circled overhead. Every now and again, it screamed or thrashed its wings, but Aurora simply glanced upward, and it quieted again. The heat of it, the smolder, was less over the water, like it had left part of itself on the shore. But the heat inside Aurora, the burning in her heart . . . that was fiercer than ever, a heartbeat that grew stronger every mile they sailed from the shore, as though she were driving the dragon onward, as though her own heart were keeping it alive.

  Night fell, and still the dragon circled, lighting up the sky. Not a single breath of fire slipped past its teeth. It just flew, around and around and around, as though tethered to her somehow, as though waiting for the moment when it could land again.

  Finnegan waited in her cabin below. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she said, as she paused in the doorway. It seemed safer, admitting the truth in the dark.

  Finnegan was leaning back on the bed. “You can do anything you want to, dragon girl. I knew that from the start.”

  “I don’t know if I want to,” she said. “If I kill him . . . I’ll be as bad as he is
. Won’t I?”

  “Sometimes you have to do terrible things,” Finnegan said. “Sometimes it’s the only thing to do.”

  “That shouldn’t be true.”

  “It shouldn’t, but it is.”

  “Celestine . . .” She trailed off, searching for the words. “She said that I was only good for destruction. Maybe she’s right. Maybe this is exactly what she wants.”

  “Maybe,” Finnegan said. “Is that going to stop you?”

  She thought of Rodric, of flames, of the hunger in Celestine’s eyes when she looked at her. Of the whisper of dragons, and the power that was hers and hers alone. “No,” she said. “It won’t.”

  The journey to Petrichor seemed endless. They marched through the day and the night, weaving through forests and around villages in order to reach the capital before Rodric’s trial. Crowds gathered wherever they went, people come to stare at the soldiers and the dragon, mouths open in astonishment, eyes wide with fear. No one attempted to speak to them or question their presence. Did they know who she was, Aurora wondered, or did they see the dragon and assume she was from Vanhelm, a long-feared enemy invading them at last? She had felt so trapped before, hating their desperation for her to save them, but now was almost worse. Now she was a creature from their nightmares, come to tear them apart.

  Aurora kept the dragon’s fire tight within her chest, but her control hardly mattered. As they walked, they passed burned-out fields, whole villages that had been torn to pieces or reduced to ash. Endless groups of travelers limped along the road, heading to and from the capital. Nowhere, it seemed, had been safe while Aurora was gone.

  Aurora swallowed her guilt. A few more fires, one more fight, and things would start anew.

  And perhaps it would not come to that. Fear of dragons was a powerful thing. Who would face one, when surrender was an option?

  They did not meet any Alyssinian soldiers on the road. Either King John had chosen not to fight, or he had pulled his men back to guard the capital.