Blood of the Dragon

by Sarina Langer

  Cephy smiled. It promised torture.

  “Rachael. So good to see you.” She turned away from them. “Bring her closer, Lis. I want her to see what her blood can do.”

  Rachael dug her bare feet into the ground, but Lis pulled her closer to Cephy, closer to the demon’s knife-shaped hands, closer to the abyss before her.

  Rachael trembled. Had Arnost Lis dragged her out here to die?

  He shoved her and she fell at Cephy’s feet. Her chin hit the stone floor, and her skin rubbed open. Heat spread through her face and made her eyes burn. She blinked the tears away and saw what lay below. Not an abyss. Stairs. They were on top of a temple, and Cephy’s sacrificial souls had gathered below. The village and its people looked tiny from up here, but she sensed their fear regardless of how they crowded together and held each other.

  Misty tendrils laced around her arms, and Rachael didn’t resist. They pulled her up, wrapped around her ankles, and rooted her in place. She’d been stupid before—she doubted the villagers knew another life. They wouldn’t hide her.

  “You promised me a better future for the gifted.” The hard edge had left Cephy’s voice, and for a second she sounded like the terrified girl holding her bear.

  Then Rachael turned her head to face her, and the illusion died. Her eyes were dark, and beyond them Rachael saw how dark her soul had become, seething with fire, teeming with torture, promising—

  She gasped, and the Mothers allowed her to take one step back.

  “This isn’t what I meant,” Rachael said.

  This wasn’t Cephy. The Dark One controlled her, Rachael had seen Him through her eyes. She needed to get Him out, she needed to destroy Him to save Cephy. There had to be a way, she just needed to find it.

  “No,” Cephy said. “It isn’t. But what have you done since you took the throne? Has anyone paid for hurting us?”

  Rachael still heard traces of Cephy. No matter how Cephy phrased it, what she wanted was still childish.

  “That’s not justice, it’s vengeance,” Rachael said.

  “Justice doesn’t make them regret what they’ve done.”

  “No, but it gives us—” Dark ribbons of cold black covered her lips and silenced her.

  “It’s time I showed you what we can achieve together.”

  Footsteps echoed behind Rachael, but she couldn’t move. The tendrils around her neck kept her from turning her head.

  The steps stopped, and the Mists loosened. It didn’t allow her to speak, but it did allow her to see. When she didn’t look for fear of what she might find, the Mists curled around her neck and turned it for her.

  Next to her—cut, bloody, and beaten—stood Kiana. Shadows held her so tight Kiana couldn’t twitch her little finger.

  Rachael wanted to say something, but the moment she drew breath the tendrils were back and forced her view forwards.

  “Ease your hold,” Cephy said.

  The Mothers obeyed.

  Rachael still couldn’t talk but she could move, if only a little. The demons turned her around, so Rachael and Kiana faced each other.

  Cephy stepped up to Kiana first. Rachael saw the effort Kiana put into her breathing. Deep controlled breaths in, deep controlled breaths out. Eyes wide. Her Sparrow, her friend, was terrified.

  Cephy nodded at one of the Mothers holding Kiana, and it exposed a small patch of skin on her stomach.

  Cephy laughed so softly its purr ran chills down Rachael’s back. She sounded so much like Aeron. “Look at you, so scared. I won’t kill you right now. I just need a bit of your blood to give the Dark One a taste.”

  A knife made of shadows and Mists manifested in Cephy’s hands. With it, she cut Kiana’s abdomen. Thin slivers of blood ran down her skin and onto the Mother’s shadows. Cephy ran her finger along the cut, squeezed, and let it run into her open palm.

  And drank it.

  Rachael’s world spun. The Mothers’ grip on her was so tight she’d have remained standing even if she had passed out. Her eyes met Kiana’s, and the Sparrow glared. A promise between sisters. Kiana would end them, and Rachael would help.

  Then the blade cut Rachael. Kiana held her eyes, demanding strength, while Cephy collected the blood and wet her lips with it.

  The Mothers turned them, and their connection broke.

  “He’s excited.” Rachael didn’t know if Cephy spoke the words out loud or if they were in her head. “But He will have to be patient. It will be worth the wait, just you see.”

  The Mother sealing Rachael’s lips eased its hold.

  “You will regret this, Cephy. I won’t hesitate again.”

  Cephy laughed. Not soft, but cold and deep and black like the heart of the Mists come to life.

  “You’re in no position to threaten me. And look.” The darkest shadows poured out of the forest, spilled into the village below and up the stairs, until demons enveloped the island. “You can’t stop me. Your Sparrows will die under my army. Observe.” All Mothers watched them, waiting for Cephy’s command. “Feed.”

  And they fell upon the villagers, stifling their screams so fast Rachael wasn’t sure if she had imagined them.

  “Take them back to their cells. I need them rested.”

  The Mothers let go. Arnost Lis tugged at the rope so hard Rachael fell and dragged her all the way back to her prison.

  Chapter Eleven

  Reeve glared at Ludo from the shadows opposite the Tramuran’s cell. Ludo sat on the floor despite the wooden stool every prisoner had and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Shoulders sagged. Legs spread out in front of him. To anyone else, Ludo might have looked relaxed. To Reeve, he looked like he’d given up.

  Reeve sighed and stepped out of the shadows. “Are you ready to talk?”

  Ludo didn’t open his eyes. “I’ve told you everything I could.”

  “I doubt that. I don’t know what you could possibly have done that only Arnost Lis could pay your way out of it. Poczwye, I can’t figure why you need anyone’s money. What did you do?”

  Finally, Ludo looked at him. He was tired. Not physically, but mentally. Like a long internal struggle had come to an end.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Then why do you need his money?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Try me.”

  “I can’t.”

  Reeve punched the wall and leaned into the steel bars. They’d danced in circles so many times already. If Ludo didn’t want to tell him, maybe it was time Reeve stopped prying. But he couldn’t do that. Fool that he was, he cared. And having sort of talked to Ludo, he believed Rachael’s verdict that there was something they didn’t know, something that… well, not something that excused his actions, but something that made sense. Ludo wasn’t an assassin. Not until he’d somehow messed up and run into Arnost Lis. That was all Reeve was sure about, but was it enough? He hated the defeat etched into Ludo’s posture. Reeve wanted to hold him. He wanted to shake him until he talked. He wanted to comfort Ludo until he felt safe enough to tell Reeve the truth. But above all that, there was a small voice at the back of his mind that reminded Reeve that Ludo had misled him once already. He refused to let it happen again.

  Only, Ludo was so good at it with his stupid too-happy grin and his big, curious eyes. Ludo hadn’t smiled once since Reeve had stopped him from killing Rachael. Reeve missed that stupid grin. Reeve wanted to bring it back, but he didn’t even know if Ludo deserved to smile again or if he’d lied to Reeve again. If he’d lied so well that Reeve wanted to believe him despite his regrets.

  “Why didn’t you kill her sooner?”

  There was enough room between the bars for a prisoner to stick their arms through. The Parashi—the Krymstian army—had told Reeve to stay far away from the cell because of it. If Ludo wanted, he could have reached through and choked Reeve, taken the keys or the lockpicks around his belt, and made a run for it. But instead, he just sat there like a kicked puppy desperate for forgiveness but knowing he’
d lost the right to beg for it.

  Reeve hated this position. He hated how it made Ludo feel. He hated how indecisive it made him. If Ludo were any other criminal, he’d hang, but Reeve wasn’t convinced he was a criminal in any sense of the word.

  “Ludo. Answer me.” He’d get the truth out of him sooner or later without resorting to torture. “Bezcyn.” Reeve hoped Ludo didn’t hear. He hated and loved how Ludo had made him feel. What was it Ludo had said as Reeve had arrested him? Everything he’d said to Reeve had been real. But was that the smartest lie of all?

  Reeve balled one hand into a fist and rammed it into the wall next to Ludo’s cell. “I asked you a question.”

  “Does it make a difference?” Ludo asked. “I’m not an idiot, Reeve. I know what my sentence will be.”

  “I’m here to change that sentence, you big idiot.”

  “Reeve, please…”

  “I mean it.” He turned around, shocked at how exhausted Ludo looked in the flickering light. “You’ll hang if you don’t say anything, but you might live if you tell me the truth. Rachael is sure you’re innocent.”

  “And what about you?” Ludo’s voice cracked from a lack of water, and he coughed. “What do you believe?”

  Reeve took the jug of water he’d been given and sought the right key. He’d never even consider this with any other criminal, but just this once, he agreed with Rachael.

  And he couldn’t stand the distance between them anymore.

  He opened the lock, careful not to spill any water. Ludo watched from his place on the floor.

  “Aren’t you worried I’ll jump you?”

  Reeve forced a smile. Maybe humour was the way to go. If only he were better at it. “You’ve gone awfully far just to tackle me to the ground.”

  Ludo’s smile warmed him even now. “You know I’ll stop at nothing to impress you. It’s not constellations, but I hear physical proximity can be just as good.”

  Reeve handed him the jug. “Drink up.” He sat next to Ludo and waited until the Tramuran had stopped drinking. “I believe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever happened, they got the wrong man.”

  Ludo met his eyes, so blue and so hopeful Reeve almost couldn’t bear to not hold him. Almost.

  “You really believe that?”

  Reeve nodded. Ludo had lied about not being a spy. Or had he? All Reeve remembered was Ludo swearing he hated Arnost Lis as much as anyone and their talks under the moon.

  “I do. So, why didn’t you try to kill Rachael sooner?”

  “Many reasons.”

  “Start somewhere, Lu.”

  Ludo focussed on the floor, his eyes tracing the stones at his feet. “It would have been suspicious. Lis paid me to spy on her, tell him her intentions, her next moves, things like that. I think he was interested in her Sparrows more than her. Why not just tell me to kill her? What good are her plans to him if I kill her anyway?”

  Reeve’s heart sank. “So, you did spy for him?”

  “No. I told him we were in Midoka and Krymistis, but I didn’t tell him where in Midoka or Krymistis. When he asked, I said you didn’t trust me, didn’t discuss specifics when I was nearby. And I said you were always watching me, so I couldn’t sneak into a meeting.”

  Reeve snorted. That bit was true.

  “Why did you lie if you needed his money so badly?”

  Ludo looked up, right into Reeve’s eyes. “Because I like you. I didn’t lie about that.” Reeve was torn between walking out because he needed time to think and leaning in and holding him. “I liked being part of the Sparrows, even if I was never really one of you. It felt like a family. The way Rachael insists you call her by her name, not her title, and the way they all look up to Cale but not in a cold leader kind of way, but more in a big brother way. It was nice.”

  “You didn’t kill Rachael sooner because you liked being part of a family?”

  Ludo smiled. “Yeah, I guess that’s it. You made me feel welcome. My own mother is sick, I hoped—” He sighed and sagged in on himself. “Do you know why Lis hates the gift so much?”

  Reeve sat up. “Because he doesn’t like things he can’t have?”

  Ludo laughed, and its echo filled the cell. “That’s part of it. One night, I spotted a letter I shouldn’t have seen. I can’t be sure, but I think one of his ancestors helped destroy the old empire.”

  Reeve frowned. “You can read old Empyrean? And Lis just left this lying around?”

  Ludo sipped at his water. “Not very well, but enough to know simple words. It looked ancient. I think his son, Kleon, tried to read it but couldn’t translate it. It was shoved back between two books, so it’s possible he meant to come back to it.”

  “So, his ancestor had a part in destroying the empire, and Lis still holds a grudge against all magic? That almost makes sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense,” Ludo said. “They destroyed an entire country with magic, Reeve. If you want proof that the gift can do bad things, this is it.”

  Ludo had a point. “How did Lis, the king’s most trusted ambassador, keep this a secret? Don’t they do background checks in Grozma?”

  “We’re Tramuran, Reeve.” Ludo looked away. “We’re good at deceit.”

  Reeve couldn’t take it; he reached out and held Ludo’s hand. It was cold compared to his, frozen from sitting on the floor for too long. What Ludo needed was a blanket, to strip out of his cold clothes, maybe a hot bath… Reeve shook his head. How was he so unprofessional every time Ludo was involved?

  “You’re good at many things.” Reeve realised how it sounded and cleared his throat. “I mean, I saw you fight. You can handle yourself. In a fight, I mean.”

  It had been a long time since he’d stumbled over his words. Trust him to do it again in the worst possible moment.

  Ludo grinned. “I can see why Cale wanted you to interrogate me. You’re a natural.”

  “Speaking of which, what does Lis have on you?”

  “I—”

  The door to their prison block opened, and a woman strode into the corridor with more confidence than the Parashi who ran the prison. A Mist Woman.

  “Kaida wants me to give you a message.” She eyed the open door and gave him a quizzical look. “Protocol for interrogating dangerous prisoners must be different in Rifarne.”

  Reeve glared at her. She’d ruined it. “The message?”

  “You are to return to the White Palace immediately. Your leader says it’s up to you whether you bring your prisoner. Or is he your best friend? The lines are blurry from where I—”

  “Thank you, we’ll be on our way.”

  “I’ll wait by the focus point. Don’t keep me waiting, my sister’s message was urgent.”

  And he bet this Mist Woman had more important things to do than wait for him. Like sacrificing children, or whatever they did in their spare time.

  He stood and offered Ludo his hand.

  Ludo stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Reeve. “You’re taking me with you?”

  “Yes. Don’t rush, though. Waiting for two seconds won’t harm her.”

  Ludo grinned and took Reeve’s hand. “Shouldn’t you put me in handcuffs?”

  Now there was an image Reeve would never forget. “Don’t be silly. You’re not a prisoner. You’re a Sparrow until Cale or Rachael says otherwise.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Arnost Lis loosened the rope around Rachael’s wrists and shoved her into the dark cell. The rope burnt as it ripped over her skin, but she ignored the pain. Her door was open right now. If she moved fast enough—

  He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Rachael without sight as her eyes adjusted.

  She threw herself against the door. “No sarcastic comment? Are you scared I’ll overpower you, Lis?”

  He didn’t answer. She doubted he was gone—he’d wait to hear her pleas for help. Rachael wouldn’t indulge him.

  “Cephy will kill you if I don’t get to you first. You’ll pay for w
hat you’ve done here.”

  Rachael punched the door with all her strength. Her knuckles hit cold metal, and she hissed. She needed to find her armour and her sword. Maybe her necklace was in the same place. Then she’d find Kiana, and they’d either escape this island together or they’d die fighting. Either way, she refused to die helpless in this prison.

  Rachael gently rubbed her throbbing knuckles and sank into her usual spot. She needed to think; this temple was huge. Chances of her stumbling through all the right doors by luck without anyone seeing her were slim. There were too many shadows. She hadn’t seen any demons on their way to Cephy, but that didn’t mean the Mothers weren’t there.

  In the worst case, Kiana was on the other end of the building. Maybe there was another temple, and the demons had only brought Kiana over so Rachael saw her suffering. But she’d had a good view of the island, and all she’d seen were trees. Unless the other temple was small enough to disappear below the leaves, this was the only one.

  It was possible Kiana was in one of the rooms closest to her. Cephy was too sure of victory, and Arnost Lis was arrogant. Neither seemed to think Rachael had any chance of escape. Imprisoning Rachael and Kiana right next to each other without any chance of communication seemed like the kind of joke her captors would find hilarious.

  Her gut told her Kiana was in the same building. Rachael just had to find the right room.

  A mild throbbing spread from the back of her head; Rachael’s heart beat faster. If she reached this vision, maybe it could help her escape. Her gift had to offer more than pain and promises of madness.

  Rachael closed her eyes and focussed. She easily found the source of her gift this time, ready and waiting, and guided it as she’d done before. It entered her mind effortlessly enough, but once there it was like a high wall blocked her gift from reaching the vision. She couldn’t get to it.

  But she wasn’t the only seer alive after the fall of the old empire for nothing.