by Lea Doué
Oblivious to the new threat, the razor-tail didn’t falter but kept chasing Keir as if spurred by madness.
Keir rushed straight at the other dragons, ducking underneath them at the last moment. He circled around behind them, and, as one, they roared a challenge.
The razor-tail twisted around, tucked its wings, and dove into the trees.
It wasn’t stupid after all.
The black dragons hovered and circled around the spot where the intruder had disappeared, unable to follow it into the thick canopy. Keir flew on, leaving them to guard his back.
The flight to the palace passed in a blur as Neylan clung to the saddle. Keir flew low and fast, but not so fast as to unseat her. When he landed beside the lopsided oak, she peeled her fingers from the leather, unbuckled the remaining strap, and slid down his leg onto the ground. She stumbled a few feet away, and then her legs gave out.
Keir tore off the saddle and flung it behind the tree. After tucking his wings, he laid down beside her, his sides heaving as he fought to regain his breath.
She tossed the goggles after the saddle and wrapped her arms around her knees, the images of the razor-tail’s lightning-fast attack playing over and over in her mind. “That was the same dragon I saw at the tower.”
He blinked and raised a spiky eyebrow.
She hadn’t realized black dragons could do that. What was she saying? Oh, the razor-tail. “This one had the same pale patch around its neck. I don’t know what that means.”
Keir growled low and shook his head. He didn’t know what that meant, either.
She shivered and moved closer to him, until she was leaning against his chest near his shoulder. His scales were comfortably warm. “I don’t think I can walk back to the palace yet. My legs feel like water.” She had no intention of leaving his side.
He laid his head down beside her.
The silence of night surrounded them, filled with small rustlings and hoots. Wist crept out from her cloak and flew off into the fog for a couple of minutes. When he returned, he was chewing on something. He landed on Keir’s nose and gave him a pat, as if thanking him, swallowed his snack, and then snuggled down in Neylan’s hair.
Exhausted, she slid into the grass and fell asleep.
*
“Euna!” Neylan bolted upright in her bed, still wearing her clothes.
Euna wheeled in with a concerned expression.
She rolled her shoulders and groaned, her neck stiff from sleeping outdoors. And from the wild flight from the razor-tail. “What happened? I mean, how did I get here?”
Euna poured a glass of water and handed it to her. “I worried when you didn’t return last night and sent a note to Lady Vanda. Not long after that, a guard brought you in practically sleepwalking.”
Neylan sipped the water and then held the cold glass to her temple. She vaguely remembered walking in the dark, but she’d thought it was a dream. “Will you please send a note to King Sebastian? I need to speak with him this morning.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“Thank you. How is your training going with Majesty?”
Euna beamed. “She’s a gem. Teo said we’re almost ready to go.”
Neylan washed up and changed into one of Zared’s creations, a pink dress with a hem that looked like it had been freshly dipped in strawberry juice. Euna wrangled her damp waves into a single plait down her back and secured it with a matching ribbon, and then Neylan shooed her off to the training grounds.
Wist was nowhere to be found, so she opened a window in the sitting room in case he returned while she was gone. He hadn’t spent a night away from her since he’d been injured. Perhaps he’d decided to stay with Keir for a while.
Clouds had rolled in overnight and lay over the gardens like a grey canvas. Neylan rubbed her arms against the unseasonable chill as she walked to the palace.
Before stopping by to see Baz, Neylan joined the throng in the dining hall for breakfast and sat at a table with a married couple from Oji who had known Euna’s grandparents. They were both hard of hearing and didn’t notice the nearby table full of red-gowned ladies gossiping about Neylan’s departure from the ball with Keir the night before. Neylan tried to hide her dismay. Hopefully no one saw them “sneaking off” into the darkened gardens, as well.
Her cheeks heated, and she excused herself from the table. Perhaps she should keep her distance at the next ball, just to quash any inappropriate rumors. She could invite Zared to escort her and finally show her thanks for his help in the woods.
When Neylan approached Baz’s study, a woman with a handful of scrolls walked out and nodded pleasantly as she passed. The door guard let her inside.
Baz walked around his desk and gave her a warm hug.
“I hope this isn’t a bad time,” she said.
“I got your note. Please stop by anytime.” He waved her into a seat. “Would you like some tea?”
“Thank you, but no. Have you seen Keir today?”
“I’ve spoken with both Keir and Gram this morning. Gram is none the worse for wear, but Keir is exhausted. I’ve all but ordered him to slow down, but he’s stubborn.” He rubbed his eyes. “Oh, and he said if I see you first, to tell you he has your dragon.”
She smiled, pleased that Keir knew she would be concerned.
“Now, what can I do for you? Ask for something big so I can make amends for letting a razor-tail almost catch you. Twice.”
“You had nothing to do with that.”
“You’re under my protection, and it’s the first sighting in Mazereon in ten years.”
“Well, it’s not like you invited it to the celebrations.” She leaned forward. “As I said repeatedly in my letters, Baz, you’re not to blame for any of this. Do you know how many times I blamed myself for what happened with Tharius? It solved nothing. You have to move forward. That’s all we can do.”
“Vanda says the same thing, but I can’t help feeling responsible for Keir’s situation.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You can still ask for something big.”
She chuckled. “I want to invite Journeyman Zared to attend the ball tonight.”
“He’s the one who found you in the woods and brought you back, correct?”
“Yes.”
A look of uncertainty passed over his face. “Keir may not be too pleased, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t attend. I should have thought of it myself. He’ll be like a child in a confectioner’s shop.”
“Indeed. Thank you.” She pushed aside the thought that bringing Zared might upset Keir and focused on the fact that Baz looked almost as exhausted as his friend. “Your first months as king have been difficult.”
He leaned back. “I’m managing. With Keir’s help, I’ve been able to find some good advisers, but the taint of Father’s dabbling in sorcery and getting the kingdom cursed continues to linger.”
The former king hadn’t actually practiced sorcery, but he had used a spelled object and had planned to kill Gram. Baz had also let people believe their assumption that his father had been responsible for the barrier placed over the kingdom—they needed someone to blame, and the truth was far too messy to explain easily.
A knock at the door interrupted his next words.
She stood. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Baz gave her another hug. “I have dragon soldiers patrolling, but take a guard if you go into the city. And remember to stop by anytime.”
The clouds teased Neylan with raindrops as she returned to the garden manor to fetch her cloak. Sending a note to Zared would have been the “proper” way to invite him to the ball, but she decided to risk the impending deluge and invite him in person. The books would wait for another day. At the moment, she couldn’t get his words out of her mind: Don’t give up hope.
What did he know?
Euna had returned from the training grounds early. Neylan told her to keep her cloak on, and the two of them set off at once with a guard.
Zared smiled broadly w
hen she stepped into Master Jiri’s shop. His gaze darted from her shoulders to her hips, and then a relieved expression crossed his face. He wouldn’t have to tell her to keep Wist away from the fabrics.
Hopefully Wist was enjoying his time with Keir. She’d grown used to having the little dragon around but was glad he’d found another friend.
“I have your next gown ready,” Zared said, “but I’d like to show you something else first, if you don’t mind.”
While chatting with the matronly woman, Euna situated herself in the doorway to the back room to keep an eye on Neylan.
Zared held open one of the curtains and waved Neylan into a windowless workroom with a square table in the middle and lined with shelves full of boxes and baskets. Lanterns hung from hooks on the walls and lit the space with a warm glow.
“I heard about the razor-tail sighting near the city last night after the ball,” he said. “I’m so glad you were back safely in your rooms by then.”
“Oh, uh… yes.” So the razor-tail had outwitted the black dragons.
His eyes narrowed. “You did go to your rooms after we parted, didn’t you?”
She bit her lip and shrugged. “Eventually.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes widened in shock. “It found you again?”
Again? He must have suspected it was the same one, too. “Briefly. It chased me when I was… flying with Keir.”
He dropped into a wooden chair so hard it skidded back a few inches. “You were fl—flying.” He sounded out of breath, almost panicked. “How could I possibly—” He glanced up sharply, as if suddenly remembering she was standing right in front of him, and stood abruptly.
She backed up a step. Why had she told him that?
He followed and grasped her hands. “Neylan, you have to keep your distance from that… that man. It’s not safe to be around him. That’s twice now you’ve been attacked when he’s near. I can’t…”
“I understand you’re concerned, but I’ll be fine. The dragon soldiers are out looking for it, and it’s only one juvenile razor-tail.”
His jaw worked, and he gazed into her eyes as if he wanted to say more. Finally, he let go of her hands and turned away with a nod.
She gave him a minute to collect himself and then said, “You wanted to show me something?”
He cleared his throat. “Yes. Right.” He strode to a desk strewn with sketches, pulled one out, and laid it on top for Neylan to inspect. “It’s not red,” he said, as if apologizing.
She traced a finger over the blue dress, which reminded her of a waterfall, complete with foamy layers at the bottom. “It’s beautiful.” Her youngest sisters, twins Ruby and Wren, loved to draw and paint and could learn a thing or two from Zared.
“I have the real thing over here.” He uncovered a dress form beside the desk to reveal the completed gown.
She stepped close to study it. She’d never seen anything like the blue fabric he’d used, which shimmered, almost flowing with the colors of sapphires and clear skies and the jewel tones of a peacock’s feathers. It winked with highlights like sunlight on water. How had he created such effects?
“What do you think?”
“Zared, it’s breathtaking. I’m overwhelmed by how much you’ve accomplished in only a few months. You must have had to hire a small army of seamstresses to bring all these designs together.”
“Yes. About that.” He rubbed his neck and blew out a quick breath. “Do you remember what you said last night about wanting to know more about sorcery, but no one wanting to speak about it? Well, it doesn’t have to be like that, and this gown can help answer your questions.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Here, let’s have a seat.” He pulled out a chair for her at the table and then sat around the corner from her. “I want to tell you something, and I need you to hear me out before you pass judgment.”
She looked into his eyes and saw only sincerity. “All right.”
“You’ve been wearing dresses and ballgowns that I’ve… that I’ve enhanced with spells, Neylan. No one knew, not even you.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she hid her shaking hands in her lap, sure her face was chalky white. She glanced at the dress she wore, the one that looked freshly dipped in strawberry juice, and looked back up at him with one question in her mind.
How could I let myself be fooled again?
Chapter Fifteen
Neylan swallowed hard and stared at Zared, her fists clenched in the lap of a dress he’d just admitted was spelled. “You’re a sorcerer?”
He laughed softly. “Of course not. I’m just a journeyman dressmaker, an artist who uses a few spells to express my creativity. That’s all, dearest. I’m not out to hurt anyone or take over the world.”
His words went against everything she’d ever heard about sorcery, as little as that was. And yet… he made sense. He hadn’t hurt anyone. In fact, he’d gone above and beyond to help her when he found out about the razor-tail at the tower, searching for her and risking his own safety.
He watched her in silence, worry creasing his brow. Finally, he said, “Do you hate me?”
“No!” she blurted, though it was true, not mere politeness. She didn’t hate him.
“Do you fear me?”
She thought for a few moments before choosing her words. “I don’t fear you. I fear… sorcery itself, I think.”
“You understand, then! It’s not sorcery that should be feared, but how it’s used.”
She shook her head, trying to shift her thoughts into an understandable pattern. Everything she’d been taught about sorcery warned against it and those who used it. Yet she’d always been curious to know more. “But how could everyone be wrong for all these years?”
He leaned forward. “Fear has led to misunderstanding, don’t you see? The fear made sense centuries ago, when the soldier-king rallied the kingdoms against a few corrupt sorcerers during the Dragon Wars. But it doesn’t have to be like that now.”
His history lessons must have been spotty, because there had been more than a few corrupt sorcerers during those years. They had been responsible for razor-tail dragons breeding out of control and roaming the countryside, destroying towns and farms, crops and herds. This deadly distraction enabled the sorcerers to do as they pleased. The soldier-king had been the first to effectively stand against them, first training farmers and townsfolk to be dragon soldiers, and then hunting down and imprisoning the sorcerers one by one.
And yet, what Zared said made sense, too. His creations were beautiful and harmless.
Returning to his original comment, she pointed at the gown. “I don’t understand how this can help me.”
His voice lowered until he was almost whispering. “You said you need to know more about sorcery. I can teach you what I know. It’s not much, but it might help you.” He placed a hand on the table and looked at her earnestly. “I want to help you however I can, Neylan. You’ve showed me more kindness than almost anyone else in my life. Please, let me help you.”
Her eyes misted, and she averted her gaze to stare at the gown. No one had ever offered to freely share any helpful information with her. If she accepted Zared’s offer, she might be able to learn what she needed to determine what, if anything, was going on with Ivy, and, if so, to help save her from a fate she didn’t deserve. Like Zared said, she didn’t want to hurt anyone or rule the world.
The gown shimmered like a wave through her tears.
“Will you wear it tonight?”
She’d almost forgotten about the ball. Could she wear such a gown, knowing he’d used spells to enhance it? She should say no and wear the spare gown Mel had found. But… she’d already worn Zared’s creations, was wearing one at the moment, and no one had known. Not even Gram, who had seen the flame gown. They were harmless, just as he’d said.
“I’ll wear it if you’ll come with me.”
He laughed as if she’d told a joke. When she didn’t laugh in return, he said, �
�But… why?”
She wouldn’t tell him about trying to quash rumors about her and Keir. “Consider it my way of saying thank you.”
“Do you mean it? Do you really want me to join you?”
“Yes, I do. You’re not a bad dancer, you know.”
His eyes lit up hungrily, no doubt thinking of all the gorgeous gowns he would get to see in the grandeur of the palace.
She nodded at the waterfall gown. “Should I try it on now?”
His lips widened into a smug smile. “You can, but it will fit perfectly.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“It’s one of my special skills.” He paused. “Maybe I can show you sometime?”
She hesitated for a split second, heart pounding, and then said, “I think I’d like that.”
“Wonderful! I’ll have your dress delivered soon, and now I should probably work on something for myself.”
She hadn’t thought of that. “Oh, I hope you have something to wear. I assumed—”
Waving his hand around the room, he escorted her to the door. “I think I can find something suitable among all these bits and pieces.”
“Until tonight, then.”
“Until tonight, dearest.” He kissed her hand, and then he stood in the window watching her and Euna head back to the palace.
*
That evening, after a fruitless day searching through more of the former king’s books with Vanda, Neylan stood shivering as Euna laced up the waterfall gown. Somehow knowing Zared had altered it with spells made it feel more… significant. More important? More something.
The gown fit perfectly, just as he said it would.
“He’s outdone himself with this one.” Euna handed her a pair of matching slippers embroidered with tiny blue moonflowers. “It suits you better than the reds, no offense to Lady Vanda.”
Vanda would likely not want to see red at all once the celebrations had ended.
Euna handed her a box. “This came with the gown.”
Inside, nestled on a bed of creamy white silk, rested three blue-and-white moonflowers, the pure white in the center spreading outward to the edges like paint washing away indigo ink on a canvas. She scooped one into her hand and showed it to Euna, who oohed and aahed over the unique coloring before pinning them into Neylan’s hair. Where had Zared found them? She’d never seen their like in the moonlight garden, or anywhere else.