They’d flown for most of the day on the back of the dragon, the new baby dragon snuggled against Dela’s body in place of the egg.
Ahead, the white towers of the Elvish castle rose into the sky, stark against the blue. The seas stretched beyond the shoreline. A harbor had been built into the bay, and in the harbor were a number of wooden ships with sails that were currently pulled in, but that he knew would billow white across the ocean when they set sail. The ocean could be deadly, but it was also beautiful and the place that provided them with most of their food.
The dragon let out a screech, the sound tearing across blue, as though announcing their arrival.
Vehel’s heart lifted at the sight of his homeland. With the snow-topped mountains behind them and blue glacial pools nestled at their feet, to him, the Inverlands were the most beautiful place in the whole of Xantearos. A part of him already mourned the loss of the place, knowing this wouldn’t be his home in the future. His home was at Dela’s side, and her place would be in Anthoinia, after King Crowmere was removed from the throne, but that didn’t mean he felt any differently toward the Inverlands.
The Elvish must have heard the dragon’s screech as, even from this distance, Vehel could see them as they came running. Their white hair was so distinctive from up here, though they only appeared as dots below until they descended lower. Vehel wanted them to see that one of their princes was being carried on the back of the dragon, and they came in peace, but his people would never be able to see his face from all the way up here.
Vehel recognized the formation the Elvish positioned themselves in and his stomach dropped.
“No, halt!” he cried, lifting one hand in the air to wave and try to get their attention. “It’s Prince Vehel Dawngleam! I command you to put down your weapons.”
But the Elvish on the ground didn’t see or hear him.
They drew back their bows, and a line of arrows flew into the sky. The arrows whipped past the heads of those on the dragon’s back, forcing them all to duck low, staying close to the dragon’s body. A second line of arrows flew, and Torggu opened his mouth and exhaled a plume of fire, turning each of the arrows to ash. A couple of arrows missed the fire but found their mark, bouncing harmlessly off the dragon’s scales. But all it would take was a good angle and one of the arrows could easily hit Dela or one of the others. Even the baby dragon, Iros, was vulnerable.
Another line of arrows soared into the air.
A sharp arrowhead tore through the skin of one of Torggu’s wings, and he let out a shriek and veered to one side. The dragon was still able to fly, but Vehel could tell he was struggling, especially carrying the weight of all of them on his back. All it would take is a couple more shots targeting the wings and they’d bring the dragon down. In any other circumstances, they could simply fly away, but they needed to speak with his father.
He had to stop this.
Magic. His magic was good, and he couldn’t harm those below, but he could create a shield against the arrows.
It would use his magic up when he might need it later, but it would at least allow them to reach the ground and speak with his father.
The arrows kept flying, and more Elvish joined those already firing against them.
Vehel clenched his fists around the spines of the dragon and closed his eyes, focusing inwardly. The ball of magic at his core expanded and pulsed, and he imagined he could see it, a living thing inside him. The magic crept through his veins, as though eager to be let lose. The fine blond hairs on his arms stood to attention as the magic moved beneath his skin, flooding down toward his fingertips. He tightened his grip around the dragon’s spines, the muscles in his forearms rigid.
Vehel gritted his teeth and pushed.
The magic flooded out of him, flowing down his fingertips and spreading out.
“Vehel!” Dela gasped.
He opened his eyes.
The dragon’s scales were no longer their iridescent greens. Instead, a blue light covered each and every one of the dragon’s scales, flooding over his wings and spines and tail. And not only that, the magic covered the riders, too, creating a glow around them all.
The archers on the ground had paused momentarily, most likely taken aback by this new development and unsure how to react to it, but then they must have been given the command, as they all drew back their bows in unison, and a second later the sky was filled with arrows again.
A number of heads found their mark, but instead of piercing skin or scales, they glanced off as though hitting a wall.
Dela twisted to toward Vehel. Her skin glowed blue with his magic. “What did you do, Vehel?”
“Protection,” he called back through gritted teeth. He needed to stay focused to keep the magic strong. “You can land. They can’t hurt us.”
What would his people do when they saw him? Would his presence make them more or less likely to want to hurt them all?
But he knew they had no choice but to descend. To make this work, Dela needed the Elvish to be on board with her plans. If any of the races were against uniting the races of Xantearos, Dela’s ruling would fall apart. The whole reason the Treaty had been signed was to prevent the races fighting each other, and if she couldn’t convince them that the loss of the Treaty and this new way of life was a good thing, then this would all be pointless.
The archers below seemed to realize their arrows weren’t working. The dragon descended, and the Elvish backed away, creating space outside of the castle for him to land. As he landed, the dragon opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of fire. It was a warning, not hurting anyone, but it forced them back and let the Elvish know what he was capable of.
Now they were firmly on the ground, Vehel got to his feet. He was still on the dragon’s back, but he didn’t want to climb down in case it broke the spell. It was an awkward movement, his feet planted at an angle while he continued to hold onto one of the large spines running down the middle of Torggu’s body, but he needed for his people to see and recognize him.
“It’s Prince Vehel Dawngleam!” someone cried.
“Prince Dawngleam?”
“Vehel Dawngleam.”
His name was picked up and carried across the stunned Elvish.
His father and brothers would make an appearance at any moment. There was no way they didn’t know what was going on. The appearance of a giant dragon would certainly have been enough to get their attention, but now the not-so-prodigal son had also returned.
He was right. Movement came from the front of the castle, and, with Elvish soldiers leading the way, his father strode up to them, Vehel’s two brothers, Vehten and Vanthum, close behind.
“Stand down,” his father’s voice bellowed.
The archers had already stood down. They hadn’t had any choice. Not that it would have made any difference. They were all still protected by his magic, though he could feel it depleting his resources. This wasn’t something he’d be able to keep up for much longer.
Vehel resisted the urge to drop to one knee. In time gone by, that was exactly what he would have done in the presence of his father, the king of the Elvish, but Dela was his queen now.
Now that he’d been recognized, he risked letting go of the dragon’s spine and releasing his magic. He felt the magic relax, though it remained as a glow across Torggu’s scales which would vanish in time. He jumped down from the dragon’s back and moved to stand at his head. He was aware of the others following suit behind him.
“Father. I’m back.”
His father scowled. At his side were Vehel’s brothers, his oldest brother, Vehten and the middle brother, Vanthum. He sensed Dela flicking her attention between the two Elvish princes, trying to figure out which was which, and who was responsible for taking her brother.
“So I see. What is all of this, Vehel? Who are these people? Where did you find a dragon?”
“Things have changed in Xantearos since I left here, Father. I’ve come here as a courtesy, to speak with you, Elvish to Elvi
sh.”
His father’s eyes widened, his nostrils flared. “How dare you speak to me as though I’m your equal.”
“No, we’re not equals. You’re my father and I’m your son, and nothing will ever change that. But Xantearos is changing, and so will the Inverlands, whether you like it or not.”
His scowl deepened. “Nothing changes in the Inverlands without my say-so.”
Footsteps fell into place at his side, and he glanced over to see Dela step in beside him. She no longer had Iros in her arms, and Vehel assumed she’d left the baby dragon on Torggu’s back.
“King Dawngleam, my name is Dela Stonebridge,” she said, addressing his father. “I’m a Dragonsayer and the next ruler of Xantearos. I plan to remove King Crowmere from the throne, and I would like the Elvish behind me when I do so.”
His father’s lips thinned. “Why would we do that? We are content here in the Inverlands.”
“Content with giving your diamonds to the king in return for food? Would you not prefer the freedom to live where and how you want?”
“Things have worked this way for one hundred and fifty years. How old are you, girl? Do you know how old some of the Elvish are? I myself am over two hundred years old, and you come here expecting me to do what? Bow down to you?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve not asked for bowing. I’ve asked for support and cooperation.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then you will force my hand. Others have tried to stand against me, and I’ve not suffered them lightly. I’m sure you haven’t missed the presence of the dragon, sir—both the adult dragon and the baby.” She gestured behind her. “Dragonsayers have always been the ones to rule Xantearos. We’d forced the dragons into hiding, but that’s changed now. Everything has changed. I would rather have you with me than against me.”
Vehel watched a muscle twitch beside his father’s left eye.
The Dawngleams might be the royal family for the Elvish, but they weren’t recognized as having any kind of sovereignty in the rest of Xantearos. King Crowmere was the one who ruled over Xantearos, and if Dela was to replace him, then she would also rule over the Elvish. King Crowmere and the kings who had come before him allowed the Dawngleam family to continue with their title and continue ruling over their small corner of Xantearos. But that was only allowed out of respect for how ancient the Elvish royal family were. They went back for centuries, even to before humans came along and took over everything. Dela didn’t owe it to them to allow them to retain the title. If she became ruler of Xantearos, she could easily take it away.
For Vehel, being a prince had caused him nothing but trouble. He’d hated the expectations set upon him because of his birthname. But he knew the Elvish thought highly of their royal family. If Dela tried to take it away from them, she might find herself without the support of the Elvish.
It would be a delicate balancing act for Dela—getting his father to acknowledge her leadership, while not upsetting the rest of the Elvish. He hoped he’d be able to help with it, but he sensed this wouldn’t be easy. Nothing to do with his father had ever been easy.
“Very well, Dela Stonebridge,” his father said eventually. “I will welcome you into my home as a guest, and I will expect you to behave as such.” His gaze moved to the dragon. “I’m afraid there will not be room for your dragons in the castle, however. Perhaps they could be moved to our stables.” The stables housed the kingdom’s finest stags—huge, majestic beasts with antlers that branched high into the sky.
Dela’s lips pinched. “I’m afraid the dragons are not ours to stable. They fly free, and always will. Plus, I suspect they would see your stag as an offer of a meal rather than a stablemate.”
That tick beside his eye again. King Dawngleam may be acting politely, for the moment, but his true feelings were barely restrained. “Then I guess we have no choice,” he replied with a tight smile. “But please make sure they don’t decide one of our citizens would also make a good meal. Any kind of violence against my people will be taken as a sign of war.”
“War is exactly the thing I’m here to prevent. If I didn’t care about your people, I would have allowed the human army to destroy the Norcs and then make their way here to you in the Inverlands. Don’t believe for a second that King Crowmere is on your side. All he cares about are the diamonds in your rivers. He couldn’t care less about the Elvish, or your claim to any kind of kingdom.”
“King Crowmere has always been true to his word. He’s always sent supplies to us during the Passover. I’m ashamed that it was one of my own who broke the Treaty.”
Vehel’s face heated as his father’s ice blue gaze darted in his direction.
“Your son is extremely brave,” Dela said, lifting her voice so others could hear. “He’s saved my life on several occasions now, and saved the lives of others, too. I would never have made it to Drusga and discovered the dragon, or found the dragon egg, if it wasn’t for him. I owe him my life.”
“So you can come here and interfere with ours,” the king sniped.
“So you can be free. Free to live and work wherever and however you wish in Xantearos. Free to practice the magic that comes so naturally to you. Free to feed your families yourselves and not rely on others for handouts.” Dela’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you not want such a thing?”
The king sniffed. “An exchange of goods is not a handout. It’s called trade.”
“You won’t need to trade if you can live wherever you want. You can grow your own crops to feed your families. And what other race gave up something as important as magic?”
He stared at her. “You really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“We might have given up magic, but the humans gave up your dragons.”
“What?”
“Why else do you think the dragons left? The Dragonsayers renounced them in favor of the Treaty. Your ancestors chose to break the bond in exchange for peace, and now you’re trying to set us back one hundred and fifty years.”
“No, that’s not true. It would be taught to us in our history lessons.”
“Humans and the Elvish have always been the strongest of the races. The Norcs were physically strong, but didn’t have the brainpower needed to rule, and the Moerians never wanted to stay in one place long enough to create the infrastructure needed to oversee a country. The Treaty was put in place to bring peace to our lands. All you and my son have done is bring an end to that peace.”
She shook her head, her lips pressed firmly together. “No, there will be peace under my ruling. The dragons will see to that.”
He looked at her in scorn. “Don’t you think that was tried before?”
Vehel spoke up. “Dela is different. Xantearos under her reign will be different.”
“The races are too dissimilar,” his father said. “There will always be fighting. We’re not designed to live side by side.”
“You’re wrong. Over the past few weeks, the four of us, from four different races, have spent every moment together. In the past, it was one race against the other, all trying to rule. But all four of us will have sovereignty over Xantearos—someone for each of our races. We’ll show the races we can be united, and things will be different.”
What this meant dawned on his father’s face. “You’re saying my son will speak for me?”
“He’ll speak for all of the Elvish.”
“Never. I won’t allow it.”
“I’m not asking for your permission. It will happen, whether you like it or not.”
Chapter 17
Dela
Dela was starting to understand why Vehel had always seemed to have an issue with his father. The Elvish king didn’t look as though he was going to agree with her plans any time soon, and she hadn’t even mentioned what had happened between one of his sons and her brother yet. Though she wanted to get the Elvish on side, she also needed to learn what had happened to Ridley.
Vehel said the catacombs ran beneath th
e castle. Did that mean Ridley might be somewhere below them right now? It was all she could do to stop herself throwing everything aside to find the entrance to the catacombs and going after him. But there was a chance Ridley hadn’t even ended up in the catacombs. He might have died during the return journey from the Southern Pass, or Vehel’s brother might have killed him.
“Come,” King Dawngleam said, turning to lead them into the castle. His entourage turned with him.
“One moment,” she replied. Leaving Vehel’s side, she went back to where Torggu was waiting. She didn’t want him to stay here with the Elvish. After the way they’d almost shot the dragon from the sky, she didn’t trust them.
“Go,” she told him, stroking his nose. “I’ll call if I need you.”
He huffed smoke out toward her and blinked slowly, showing her that he understood. From his back, Iros hopped and flapped, jumping from Torggu onto Dela’s shoulder and wrapping herself around Dela’s neck.
Dela laughed and reached up to scratch the dragon’s head. “You want to come with me, huh?” She looked back to Torggu. “Is that all right?”
The big dragon snorted again and flapped his wings, lifting up into the sky.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
She turned back to where Vehel, Orergon, and Warsgra were waiting for her. Iros’s claws dug into her shoulder as she kept her balance.
Vehel’s father had also paused while she went back to the dragon, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Iros. “I hope she won’t damage anything.”
“She’ll be good,” she reassured him.
He sniffed, but whipped back around, his long silver hair flying out with the motion, and stormed back into the castle. His entourage followed, including his two sons who had so far remained silent. Dela hadn’t missed the glares they’d been sending to Vehel, however, and her heart went out to her Elvish prince. She couldn’t imagine how hard all of this must be for him, and it would only get harder.
“My men will see you to your rooms,” he called out to them as he walked. “Dinner will be served in the Great Hall shortly.”
Into a Dragon's Soul: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Chronicles of the Four Book 3) Page 14