Kull and I both sat at one of the long tables. Heidel joined us but sat a few chairs down from her brother and didn’t make eye contact with him. Above us, I noticed that the dragons no longer flew overhead but were perched on the balconies surrounding us. Jahr’ad, Zariah, and Maveryck sat across from Kull and me. They made small talk for several minutes, and then Jahr’ad turned to Kull.
“Tell us,” Jahr’ad said, “what news do you bring from the Wult lands? Is the kingdom still unstable without your father as ruler?”
“Who says it’s unstable?” Kull asked.
“I do. The trading at Wult outposts has grown increasingly scarce. I can only assume this is because the Wult kingdom is not supporting its outlying villages the same way it did in the past.”
“Our borders are safe and our people are free. Nothing has changed.”
“Of course you would say that since you’re the king.” Jahr’ad laughed. “But what does it matter to me? I have no interest in Wults. We separated from that society long ago.” His eyes met mine. “Trading is what I’m interested in.”
The look of cold calculation in his eyes made a shiver run down my spine, but I met his gaze with equal contempt.
“What is it you wish to barter?” Jahr’ad asked.
Maveryck spoke up. “Knowledge,” he said, and then pulled the lotus cube from his cloak and placed it on the table. “This symbol was sent to us as a message from the dragon lady, Silvestra. Should we fail to respond, it could mean the death of someone very powerful. We need to know what this symbol means.”
Jahr’ad picked up the cube and studied the facet with the golden oval. “This is a lotus cube, made of a black onyx only found in the mines near the western coast in the pixie lands. It’s a rare mineral, and with the magic infused inside, it could fetch a hefty price—that is, if one is able to find a buyer willing to pay it.
“The symbol is odd. At first, the swirls look random, but I suspect there’s more to it.” He glanced at Maveryck. “Do I have your permission to perform a simple test?”
“For what purpose?”
“A spell to divine the meaning of these patterns. I assure you, the stone will remain intact.”
“Very well, as long as you do not disturb the spell’s meaning.”
Jahr’ad handed the stone to Zariah. “Use a sun spell and focus it in the center-most pattern. That should do the trick.”
She took the stone from him and focused on the gold pattern. Her eyes clouded with a red-tinted magic, and then she whispered a word in a low, guttural voice. Her magic repulsed me, making my skin crawl. I’d never felt magic so primitive and vulgar. The emotion it elicited was hard to describe, except the feeling was akin to experiencing violence—a sensation that set my teeth on edge.
The red magic left her lips and entered the stone. As soon the enchantment connected with the swirling patterns, the golden light coming from the pattern grew brighter and then re-formed, creating words instead of the swirls. But as I glanced at the stone, I found the words written in symbols I’d never seen before. I didn’t know how much good the spell had actually done if we still couldn’t read it.
She handed the stone back to Jahr’ad.
“What sort of magic is that?” I asked her.
“I’m not sure of the proper name, but I call it blood magic,” she answered.
“How did you discover it?”
She cocked her head. “I came upon the power many years ago by sapping the energy from a dying magic user. I use a… creative process to obtain it.” She leaned forward. “Would you like me to show you how it works?”
Snickering came from the men surrounding us.
“Zariah, leave her alone,” Jahr’ad snapped.
“I was only jesting.”
“But our merchant is in no mood for your games,” he said as he turned back to the stone. “This is as I suspected. It’s written in an ancient language known as rhenuroc, some also call it high dragon. Of course, it’s a dead language, so no one reads it anymore, but it’s not uncommon to find it written on stones such as these.”
“Do you know how to interpret it?” Maveryck asked.
“Yes, I know what it says.”
“Will you tell us?” I asked.
“That depends, doesn’t it? What have you brought to trade?”
“Trade?” I asked.
“You are a merchant, aren’t you? Haven’t you brought something to trade?”
I glanced at Maveryck. “Well, I…”
“Come now,” Jahr’ad said. “I look forward to seeing the latest trinkets from Delestria. Surely you’ve brought something of value?”
“I… I haven’t brought much. That is to say…”
“You’ve come all the way from Delestria and brought nothing to trade? Surely you cannot expect me to believe that. You are a merchant, aren’t you?” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “Or are you?”
His shrewd gaze made it hard for me to make any kind of answer.
“Jahr’ad,” Maveryck said, “we are not here to bargain over trinkets.”
“Then why are you here?” he asked.
“We seek to challenge you in the fights. Our champion against yours.”
Jahr’ad’s eyes lit up. “What’s the wager?”
“If we win, you tell us the meaning of the stone’s symbol.”
“And if you lose?”
“If we lose, then you keep the stone.”
Jahr’ad frowned. “Not good enough. If you lose, then we keep the stone, plus, the merchant stays with us. Forever.”
Kull clenched his fists. “I will never agree to that.”
“Then I will never tell you what’s written on that stone. Besides, you have no say. Did I fail to warn you? When you’re here, you play by my rules.”
“Your Majesty,” Maveryck said, “perhaps you should first evaluate what challenge is being considered?”
“I don’t care,” Kull answered. “Whatever it is, I do not accept the terms.”
“No?” Jahr’ad said. “Would you rather be tied up again? Would you accept those terms?” He laughed. “You should at least hear us out before refusing the wager. With your reputation, I am surprised you are not at least a little interested. We’ve all heard the rumors about you, of course. Remind me again what you’re rumored to have accomplished? Wrestling a jagamoor while tied up? Perhaps we ought to tie you up again and see what happens when you challenge one of my dragons.”
“Dragons?” I asked.
“Yes, love. My dragons against one of you. That’s how this game works. Would you like to volunteer?”
Laughter echoed through the room.
“She won’t be involved in this,” Kull said.
“No? That’s a shame. What’s it about that woman anyway that makes you want to protect her? Is she a lover of yours? Is she a good lay?”
Kull stood abruptly, making his bench fall with a loud clatter to the ground. “Leave her out of this.”
“Ah, so she does mean something to you. Even better. This just got ever so interesting. There’s nothing more rewarding than taking another man’s woman while he watches. What do you say, Wult? Care to be tied up and watch as I bed your woman?”
Kull lunged across the table and punched Jahr’ad in the face with a loud smack that could have split the man’s skull. Jahr’ad let out a high-pitched screech as he fell back with his hands clamped over his mouth.
Jahr’ad’s men surrounded Kull, while others ran to their leader and helped him sit up. When the commotion settled down, Jahr’ad got to his feet as he held a bloody handkerchief to his mouth.
“Wult bastard.” He spat a mouthful of blood at Kull’s feet. “I should have killed you when you first arrived. Tie him up,” he shouted at his men. “If he fights, throw him to the dragons.”
Overhead, the dragons beat their wings as they waited on their perches. I glanced up to find them chained to posts. The metal loops clanked as the dragons wrestled with their restraints, looking
on us with hungry gazes.
Jahr’ad rounded on Maveryck. “You should have known better than to bring this man here. What were you thinking?”
Maveryck threaded his fingers together. His calm aloofness bothered me. “If you do not wish to continue with the bargaining, we will leave.”
Maveryck took the lotus cube and placed it in his pocket. He stood and turned to leave when Jahr’ad stopped him.
“Wait,” Jahr’ad said. “I’m not finished with you yet, thief. Stay and fight if that’s what you wish, but I have few demands.”
Maveryck turned around to face Jahr’ad. “You are in no position to make demands. I am here to negotiate. That is what I do, and that is what I have always done. Do not cross me, Jahr’ad, or my trading with you will come to an end.”
Jahr’ad fisted his hands. “Fine,” he said after a pause. “We’ll do it your way. My dragon against your man. If I win, I take the box and the girl. If you win, I get the box, and you get information.”
“And,” Maveryck added, “we are all free to leave in peace?”
“If your man wins, you shall all leave in peace. If not,” Jahr’ad’s lust-filled gaze flicked to me, “then one of you will not.”
He had the audacity to smile at me. Gag me with a spoon. The idiot had no idea what a huge mistake he was making. Magic gathered in my chest, pulsing with a rapid heat that begged to be released. I restrained it for now, but if the man so much as touched me, he’d get what was coming to him.
“Now,” Jahr’ad said, “it’s time for us to choose which dragon will fight the Wult king. This is the fun part. Have you ever witnessed a dragon fight, merchant?”
“No, I can’t say that I have, considering it’s illegal.”
“Illegal? Says who? The sky king? That beast is no ruler of ours.” He spat. “In my house, we treat the dragons the way they ought to be handled—as animals. Am I right?”
He raised his arms, and cheers erupted. The dragons flapped their wings, making the candlelight sputter.
“Who’s ready for a fight?” he shouted. The cheers grew louder as some of the men moved the tables to the corners of the room.
Above us, the dragons grew increasingly agitated as their shrieks mingled with the cheers. The noise grew to a fever pitch as Zariah walked to the center of the room. Dust clouds billowed around her, and the thousands of candles seemed to focus on her, like a spotlight on a stage, as she raised her arms.
Crimson magic gathered around her, spiraling and twisting. It reeked of blood and violence, repulsing me until I felt I would vomit. The dragons grew frantic, their roars turning to a frenzy.
Zariah’s tattoos glowed as her magic ignited. A rhythmic pulse, like a heartbeat, came from her powers as the magic swirled upward and enveloped the dragons.
“What is she doing?” Heidel asked Jahr’ad.
“She’s goading them so they’ll fight. It took us some time to control the dragons. We learned that if the magic was removed from the creatures, they eventually lost their speech and their flight. Without magic, the dragons are just primitive reptiles.”
“Then how are these dragons able to fly?” Heidel asked.
“Trial and error on our part. We began breeding the non-magical dragons and noticed that their species adapted at an alarming rate. Using magic to speed up the growth process also helped aid in the adaptation process. After several generations, we were left with smaller, non-magical dragons that can fly. They were also bred to be highly aggressive, which suits our purposes perfectly.”
Zariah’s magic surrounded the dragons, making them gnash their teeth and twist their necks as they tried to break free from their restraints. With her arms still raised, she slowly backed away and off the floor. As she stepped beside me, she lowered her arms and a red-glowing shield surrounded the inner floor to create a closed arena.
“Let them loose,” Jahr’ad shouted.
Sounds of snapping echoed through the domed room as several men unfastened the dragons’ chains. With a violent clash, the dragons attacked one another. I counted six animals altogether, and each one carried scars that marred their flesh. They fought with uncontrolled violence, lashing out as the magic goaded them. Wind brushed my cheeks from the dragons’ beating wings. I fought the urge to vomit as the red magic pulsed around me, forcing the animals into a rage.
Backing away, I found a spot under an alcove where the magic wouldn’t be so close. Sweat slicked my forehead, and I worked my hands open and closed to combat the magic tingling through my nerve endings. Closing my eyes, I tried to keep a calm mind and take deep breaths to combat the blood magic’s effects.
“Is something the matter?” Heidel asked.
I opened my eyes to find her standing next to me. She was talking to me now? I decided to play along. Perhaps she was ready to be reasonable.
“I’ll be all right once that magic goes away,” I said. “It’s not pleasant to be around.”
“Hmm, sounds like my brother.” She crossed her arms and leaned on the wall beside me.
The dragons fought with a wild frenzy that sickened my stomach. What Jahr’ad and his people had done to these dragons was inexcusable. Fan’twar would raze this place in a heartbeat if he knew about it, which was why Maveryck was so set on keeping me from revealing my identity.
“I wish I would have never come on this journey,” Heidel said. “I knew from the start it was a bad decision.”
“I’m beginning to agree with you. The only reason I did it was to save my stepfather. Let’s hope we get out of here with the information we need.”
“And let’s hope we do it while we’re still alive,” Heidel said.
“Yeah, that would be nice too,” I said.
“I…” she hesitated. “I apologize for what I said earlier. I know there is no excuse, but I have not felt like myself of late.”
“It’s okay. I certainly know what it’s like to not feel like yourself.” If only she realized how much I understood.
Two of the dragons clashed and fell to the ground. One made it back up and flew into the air, while the other remained on the ground. The creature struggled to get up, but even from this distance I could see deep gashes on its neck and hindquarters. Blood dripped from the gaping wounds. The glowing red magic dimmed around the injured dragon, and the beast limped out of the arena and back to its perch.
“It doesn’t surprise me that my brother chooses to wait to bed you,” she said casually, as if there weren’t a colossal dragon fight happening right before us. “He’s always been honorable to a fault, even if he doesn’t show it. And now, with the weight of the kingdom resting on his shoulders, he wants to do things the right way, even if no one notices.”
“If that’s the case, then you should know he does forgive you. He would never go back on something as important as that.”
She shrugged. “I still hate him.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. He knows better than to bring up my past, especially with… other things troubling me.” Her gaze focused on Maveryck, who stood nearby, studying her. As soon as their eyes met, they looked away.
“Will you help me, Olive? I have to know what happened in Earth Kingdom. I hardly feel like myself anymore.”
“I can try, but I can’t promise I’ll be successful in restoring your memories, and it will have to wait.”
Several more dragons fell until only two remained—a small, blue-gray and a larger brown, diamond-backed beast. The blue-gray had speed and agility on its side. It moved with a lithe nimbleness and used its stealth to its advantage. The brown monster looked older, with barbs lining its head and running down its neck, ending with large spikes at the end of its long, snakelike tail. Its yellow eyes looked calculating and dangerous, as if it were only waiting for the right moment to strike.
The blue-gray snapped at the larger one’s neck, tearing the flesh, and the brown dragon shrieked and soared upward. Blue-gray followed. They clashed at the top of the dome, clawin
g and biting until they were both covered in open wounds.
Below the dragons, Jahr’ad’s people cheered, their shouts mingling with the dragons’ roars. In a split second, the brown dragon lashed out with a powerful burst of fire, blasting and singeing the smaller dragon, forcing it into a corner where the white-hot fire singed the blue-gray’s scales. The smaller dragon fell and landed in a bloody, smoking heap on the arena floor. The smell of burning flesh pervaded the air, and I watched in disgust as several men threw ropes around the dragon’s corpse and hauled it off the field.
The brown dragon watched from above like a hawk scanning its prey.
“We have a champion,” Jahr’ad shouted.
Clapping and cheering deafened my ears.
Jahr’ad pointed at Kull. “It’s your turn, Wult, but we can’t have you fight an injured dragon. It wouldn’t be fair. We’d like to see a fair match, wouldn’t we?”
“Yes,” the crowd cheered.
“We can’t have a healthy man battling an injured dragon. It wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“No!” the crowd roared back.
“Then we will even the match,” Jahr’ad called. “Bring out the dragon whip. Two lashes ought to do the trick. We’d still like him a little healthy—oh, and leave him tied up. We’ll see if those stories about the jagamoor are true. We’re going to watch a fair fight after all!”
I cursed under my breath. Jahr’ad had gone too far this time. “What in the world are they thinking?” I muttered as I charged toward Maveryck and grabbed his tunic. Magic rippled through my veins. “You can’t let them hurt him.”
He glanced at my hand on his collar. “Do you think I have the ability to stop them?”
“Yes, I do. They’re going to hurt him, Maveryck. You can’t let it happen.”
“I assure you, if I had the ability to stop this, I would do it.”
Anger rose within me. “Fine. If you won’t stop them, then I will.”
I marched toward the crowd where Jahr’ad and Zariah gathered around a tall wooden post and prepared to tie Kull to it.
“Jahr’ad!” I shouted.
Keeping my magic trapped inside was no longer a possibility, so I let it flow from my hands and my heart, rippling in waves of amber and blue, so strong it distorted my vision.
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