by Megg Jensen
"Yes," Tressa said. She purposely kept her eyes from Donovan's. "I know a black dragon named Mestifito. He is a good and kind dragon, who fought for the lives of humans when the Red Queen attempted to kill us. He is not only the ruler of the Charred Barrens, and the Ruins of Ebon, an underground city, he is also my blood."
"What?" Hildie hissed. "What are you saying? You are a dragon?"
Kadrin stood, his sword in his hand. "I like you Tressa. You seem a nice girl. But if this is true..."
"It is true," Tressa said. "Donovan wanted me to hide it from you. If you truly serve him, if you truly believe he is your leader, then you need to trust in me, too. You need to know that even though I am different from you, I fight for life, for love, and the right to live as I choose. If any of you would kill me for this, then do it now." Tressa held out her arms, her chest open to their blades.
A metallic swish swung through the air. Tressa felt a thud on her chest as she fell backward.
Chapter Eighteen
Connor flew above the Dragonlands, the wind blowing over his scales. He felt Hazel on his back, even though she was so small compared to his bulk. Knowing she was there gave him some comfort. Still, his heart pounded inside his gigantic dragon ribcage, not just from the strain of the flight, but also from fear.
He worried about his dragons and his boys. They were so young and defenseless. Connor hated to leave them, but he couldn’t wait for the shadow to come back. It was up to him to find help.
At first Pia had balked when he and Hazel presented their plan. She claimed she wanted nothing to do with the children and reminded them she'd only come to Hutton’s Bridge to protect her own baby. She'd argued Connor had promised he would look after her, not the other way around.
Connor appealed to her vanity. He reminded her how valiantly she'd fought the shadow that had attacked Hutton's Bridge. Her magic was the only thing keeping it away now. It mattered not if Connor and Hazel left for a few days.
He hoped.
He flew north toward the Red. Perhaps Sophia and Mestifito, or one of their mages would be able to help.
Connor coasted to the ground, landing as softly as he could in the tall grass. He knelt down on one knee and waited for Hazel to slide off. She walked around to his snout, laying a gentle kiss on it. Connor took a step backward, then turned into his human form.
"You must be exhausted," Hazel said as she laid out their bedrolls.
"I'm okay," Connor said. "Hungry, though." He eyed the bedrolls. "You did that wrong."
"I did?" Hazel asked, confused.
Connor scooted the bedrolls together so they were touching. "Much better."
"I agree." Hazel smiled. "Do you want some bread?" She pulled a loaf out of one of the bags they'd packed.
"Thanks." Connor tore a chunk off and stuffed it in his mouth. He noticed Hazel watching and tried to chew in a more polite manner, despite having so much bread in his mouth he could barely breathe.
She laughed. "It's okay. You've been flying all day. You must be famished. Do what you need to do." Hazel tore off a dainty piece of bread and popped it in her mouth, chewing like a lady.
"Sorry," Connor said, after he swallowed. "Usually when I'm done flying I kill some wild game and eat it. As a dragon. I don't think my human body would appreciate raw meat."
"Then go ahead," Hazel said, waving. "I'm fine here."
"Are you sure?" Connor asked. "I don't want to leave you unguarded."
Hazel pulled up her skirt to reveal a dagger strapped to each leg. "Don't worry. I'll be fine on my own while you're gone. After you've filled your belly, you can come back here and pretend to protect me."
“You don’t know how to fight,” Connor protested.
“I know more than you think, my dear. Trust me. I’ll be fine. Go! Eat!" Hazel sat down on her bedroll. "I'll be right here. I promise."
Connor moved away from Hazel and changed back into his dragon. His huge, sharp teeth glinted in the waning sunlight. Hazel waved. Connor's tail swung from one side to the other. He thrust his wings out, pushed down on the ground, and took off into the air.
Connor watched the ground for movement, his slitted eyes scanning the top of the tall grass. Nothing rustled below. He looked back at Hazel. She chewed on her bread and didn't even seem to notice him flying above her. He took off to the east in search of something to eat. Anything would do. A rabbit would be tasty, though meager. A small coyote would be enough to slake his hunger, but he doubted he'd find one at this time of day. They preferred the cover of night.
He flew farther from Hazel until she became a dot in a sea of grass.
A rustle attracted his attention. An animal, similar to a horse but smaller and with black stripes, jumped over a downed tree. Connor sped toward the ground, easily snapping the beast up in his jaws. He chewed even more sloppily than he had with his bread back at the camp. One of the animal's legs broke off and fell.
Connor finished his meal, then landed next to the leg. He reared back, letting loose a roar as he cooked the leg with his dragonfire. Then he gingerly placed it in his mouth. Pleased he was able to get food for Hazel too, Connor flew lazily to camp.
Hazel wasn’t there.
Though the trees all looked the same, Connor knew exactly where he'd come from. His dragon form gave him an incredible sense of direction. He descended to the ground, landing on the same place he'd taken off. The grass was still flat from his previous landing. Connor dropped the creature’s leg and changed into a human.
Hazel couldn’t have just vanished, and she wasn’t the kind to play tricks. Connor ran, frantic, to the tree she’d sat under. "Hazel!" He yelled over and over until it came out a garbled scream. She wasn't there. Their bedrolls lay askew.
"Where did she go?" he asked himself.
A shrill cry, far away, floated on the gentle breeze.
He'd been so busy looking for Hazel on the ground that he hadn't thought to check the sky.
Connor dropped the book and took to the air, his wings flapping furiously. He looked to the east. Nothing. To the south. Nothing. To the north. Then he looked to the west, toward the Meadowlands. A small speck retreated from his position.
Connor took off after the other dragon, swearing he'd kill whoever had dared to steal his wife.
Chapter Nineteen
Connor gave chase over the grasslands, heading west and ever closer to the border of the Meadowlands. Every curse he'd ever heard, and some he invented, raced through his mind. The Green were supposed to be their allies. They were good people. Why would they snatch Hazel like that?
He followed, ignoring the ache in his wings, already exhausted from the day's flight. As the sun set over the prairie, he found himself straining to keep up. His eyes focused on the dot in the distance, refusing to give up until he had Hazel back.
The other dragon descended into a fortified village, and Connor breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have far to go. He hoped he didn't have to fight for Hazel when he landed. He wasn't sure he had the strength to stand up to anyone.
Connor dropped to the ground just outside the wooden fence. It stood twice as tall as he did after changing back into human form. The tops of the stakes had been whittled into spikes. He'd considered landing inside the village, but thought it better to knock at the gates first. If he had to, he could easily fly over it. He had a feeling that words would aid him better than force.
Before Connor could raise a fist to the door in the fort, it opened.
"You're here for the woman?" an old man missing two front teeth asked.
Connor nodded.
"Come in, come in. They are waiting for you." The man opened the door all the way and held out an arm.
Connor walked in, acting as if he wasn't completely confused. "Thank you," he said.
A blond woman and a man with freckles strode up to him. Their expressions were neutral, giving Connor no indication of what to expect.
"Why did one of your dragons take my wife?" he asked, his e
yes traveling between the man and the woman. It wasn't clear who was in charge.
"Is she your wife?" the woman asked. "She didn't say she was married to the only dragon in the Blue. Connor, right?"
"I want to see Hazel. Now," Connor demanded.
The freckled man looked to the woman, who didn't take her gaze from Connor.
"Why haven't you made her into a dragon?" the woman asked, ignoring his request. "You are the last of the Blue. She is your wife. She should also be your mate. It is your duty to carry on the Blue line."
"I have two dragon children," Connor said through gritted teeth. It was no concern of hers if he chose to let the Blue line die or thrive. "Are you going to take me to Hazel?"
The woman waved a hand in the air. "If you do not want her to be Blue, then perhaps we should make her Green. She's quite feisty. She would make a good addition to our army. Renny, go get her," the woman said. She held out a hand to Connor. "I am Blythe."
Connor didn't take her hand, and after a few moments Blythe gave up, dropping her arm. He refused to act like they were meeting on good terms. Until he saw Hazel, talked to her, he wouldn't give Blythe the satisfaction of pretending this was a friendly meeting.
Renny returned, Hazel walking next to him. When she saw Connor, she ran into his open arms. With her face buried in his shoulder, Connor leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Did they hurt you?"
Hazel pulled back and locked her gaze on his. "I'm okay."
Her expression told him something different. She could stand and walk just fine. She didn't appear to be injured. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her lips pursed. Something had upset her, and he had a feeling it was more than just the unexpected ride clutched in the talons of a dragon.
"We'll be on our way, then," Connor said, taking Hazel's hand firmly in his.
"No," Hazel said, surprising Connor. "We'll stay. Let's hear them out first."
Blythe stretched her arms out wide. "Welcome to the Outpost. We will do anything to ensure your stay is a pleasant one. Please, let Renny take you to the inn. We have many rooms available." She laughed heartily. "In fact, all of them are available. There haven't been any travelers here since the barrier was removed. Hopefully trade will resume soon."
Hazel tugged on Connor's hand. He stumbled behind her, fighting every instinct to change into a dragon and rip these people apart. Only one thing stopped him—he knew every person there was capable of taking on dragon form, too. He wouldn't stand a chance against all of them. The Green didn't just have a horde; they had given birth to a legion. Connor didn't agree with trapping anyone behind a magical barrier, but no one should have that kind of power in the Dragonlands. Without the barrier, he had no idea how they would protect themselves if the Green ever decided to attack.
Connor and Hazel followed Renny to an inn. A gazelle frolicking in the tall grass was painted on a rough wooden sign hanging above the door. As they stepped inside, the smell of potato soup and ham overwhelmed Connor's senses. His mouth watered, his appetite renewed.
"As soon as you get settled, feel free to come down and eat," Renny said. "I know Joe is happy to have customers again, although we certainly don't expect you to pay. It's not as if you chose this path, after all. I think, in time, you'll be happy you're here."
Connor remained silent, despite the growling in his stomach. He stomped up the dark staircase and down the hall to the last room on the left, sullenly following his wife.
"I trust you'll find this room acceptable. We'll be back soon to speak with you over a meal. We have a lot to discuss. Until then, please rest." Renny opened the door to the modest room furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and two chairs.
Hazel, still clutching Connor's hand, pulled him in behind her. After they entered, Renny closed the door after them. There was a loud click as the door locked.
"Damn it," Connor said, clutching his hands in fists. "I should have known."
Hazel laid a hand on his arm. "Don't. If you change into a dragon here, you'll squish me and wreck the building. Let's sit and have a talk before they come back."
Connor grudgingly agreed. He sat on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. There were no windows to aid an escape. He was sure that was a detail their captors taken into account.
"I don't understand any of this. What do they want with us?" Connor asked.
"I don't know," Hazel said. She sat on the chair and started twirling her hair around one finger. "They didn't say. I was sitting in the shade of the tree, eating my bread. The next thing I knew, there was a shadow above me. I assumed it was you, so I stood and looked up. Unfortunately, it was a green dragon. Before I could even make a decision on how to act, it snatched me into the air."
Connor rested a hand on Hazel's cheek. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you."
"Imagine my relief when I saw you flying behind us. I'm glad it wasn't too late. At least you could see us enough to follow." Hazel smiled. "You're always there for me."
Connor leaned in to kiss her, but Hazel placed a finger on his lips.
"There's something you need to know," she said. "I was fully prepared to risk escaping with you until I saw something that made me realize we have to play by their rules, at least for now."
"What?" Connor asked.
"It's not a what, but a who," Hazel answered. "Bastian. He's here."
"His body?" Connor remembered seeing his friend die at Jarrett's hands.
"No," Hazel whispered. "Bastian is alive and he's here."
"That's impossible," Connor said.
Hazel tilted her head to the side. "Is it really?"
Connor knew it wasn't. He was proof of that. "If Bastian is here, then that means..."
"He's probably a dragon," Hazel said, finishing his sentence.
Chapter Twenty
Connor and Hazel made their way back down to the inn's common room. A fire blazed in a massive stone fireplace. Two men were huddled close to it, their heads together and lips moving. Connor couldn't pick up a word, and it was too dark to read their lips. One man nudged the other. They stared at Connor and Hazel.
One of them was the freckled man, Renny. The other squared his shoulders and stood, tall and imposing, his curly brown head nearly touching the ceiling. The two men approached. Connor moved in front of Hazel.
"Don't be alarmed," the tall man said. "I am Jakob. Renny tells me no one has explained why you are here."
"I'm Connor. This is Hazel." Connor considered holding out a hand, but he felt no obligation to be friendly with these people. Not until he knew more.
"Come, let's sit and talk." Jakob gestured toward a nearby table.
Connor sat on a hard wooden chair, Hazel next to him. Her hand found his knee under the table. He wasn't sure if it was to reassure him or herself.
"Tell me what you want with us," Connor said. "We are on a mission of the greatest import. Any delay could result in the loss of life."
Jakob raised an eyebrow. "Really? What is the mission?"
Connor took a deep breath before explaining. "We are from Hutton's Bridge, where the children who lost their parents during the Descent Festival in Malum are hiding from the rest of the Dragonlands. The fog is back, and they are safe. Or at least we thought they were until some sort of magical shadow attacked us. If it weren't for a mage in our midst, who was able to scare it off, I don't know what would have happened."
Jakob tapped his chin with one beefy finger. "Interesting." He turned to Renny. "It is the unraveling of prophecy. Just as we thought, though not where expected."
"You know something of this shadow?" Hazel asked. "How can we kill it if it doesn't have form?"
"We know of such creatures, but have never encountered one," Renny said. "If the ancient texts are to be believed, there are only a few ways to kill one... but none of them have been tested."
"So you understand our urgency," Connor said. "If you can tell us these methods to defeat it, we can be ready the next time it attacks."
&nb
sp; Jakob shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we cannot.”
"If you won't help us, then let us move on," Hazel insisted. "We won't give up on our children."
“If you do not stay here and help us, everyone in the Dragonlands will die,” Jakob said. “Not just your children—all the children. There are greater enemies to defeat than this shadow. It is but a minion of a stronger, and more deadly, enemy. Besides, do you really think the two of you can escape? Only one of you is a dragon." He looked at Hazel, his eyes sad. "I would hate for you to die unnecessarily."
Hazel's nails dug into Connor's knee. "I may be a human, but I am not so easily killed."
Connor looked around the room. Every pair of eyes was on them. Jakob didn't lie. These people were not going to let him leave with Hazel, not without a fight.
"Tell us why you need us," Connor said. "We told you our story. Now it's your turn."
"There is a great pattern in our world, one that repeats itself over and over again, always with the same results. Innocents perish. Evil is victorious. Every five hundred years, the world turns and the evil rises."
"What are you talking about?" Hazel asked. "Evil wages war on us all the time. It's why Hutton's Bridge was trapped in fog. It's why the Red sealed you in the Meadowlands. It's why we were forced to fight battles. This is the nature of the world. There is no balance."
"Ah," Renny said, raising a finger in the air. "But what if there could be balance? What if peace won this time?"
"We just won the battle on the Isle of Repose," Connor said. "Evil still roams. There is no way to stop it forever. Every time we tamp down one villain, another rises in its place. The best way to find peace is to share information with our allies. Tell us about this shadow that hit my village."
"No," Jakob said. "You are not looking at the situation properly. This is not about one little village facing a solitary enemy. This is about our entire world and the danger lurking on the border."