Gathering his courage, Coal moved towards the back of the dragon.
Geric had managed to roll over onto his back, and now the dragon had Geric's forearm in its mouth.
Before he lost his nerve, Coal jumped onto the dragon's back. He landed between its wings and wrapped his arms around its thick neck. In protest, the dragon stood on its hind legs, lifting Coal eight feet in the air.
The beast clawed at Coal's hands, aggravating the cut he'd already received. Despite the searing pain, Coal refused to let go. The dragon had released Geric and now he stared at Coal with surprise. Then understanding dawned in Coal's eyes before he rolled away.
With Geric gone, Haline ran towards the dragon, dagger in hand, and plunged it into the creature's belly. After three deep, hard stabs, she withdrew her knife and stepped away.
The dragon landed and snarled at Haline and Geric, forgetting about Coal. Its wings flapped incessantly as if it was trying to fly away, but then it seemed to lose all of its energy. Suddenly quiet, its anger dissipated, and it lay down on its tattered belly with ragged, wet breaths.
Once he was sure it wasn't going to move, Coal hopped off the dragon. It stared at Coal through one weary, tired eye before it stopped wheezing altogether. Coal studied the camp. No one had noticed their fight because there were countless other battles everywhere else.
Coal walked back towards Haline. Geric sat on the ground cradling his arm while Haline stood over him.
"Haline," Geric said, "what are you doing here?"
"I'm rescuing you." Haline narrowed her eyes. "Why aren't you guarded, and where are Astra and Elizabeth?"
"Just look around. It's chaos everywhere. I don't know where my guard is." Geric glanced nervously at the dilapidated camp.
"This is why you should be guarded." She stepped closer to him. "You snake. You turned them in, didn't you?"
"No, I was caught, just like they were." He looked to Coal for confirmation.
"I didn't see you after Chalcedony found us. I only saw Astra and Elizabeth," Coal said.
Geric gave Coal a cold, hard stare before he softened and focused on Haline. "Just because he didn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't captured."
"You're lying." She sniffed the air. "I can smell the lie on you."
He licked his lips and raised his hands. "I was only protecting you and everything we've worked for."
"By giving them up!" Haline accused.
"They would have found them anyway. Princess Chalcedony isn't stupid. There is no way two kids could have made it to the human realm."
A dragon advanced from above and tried to grab Haline. She stabbed it with her dagger as if she was batting away a fly. It shrieked and flew away. Haline faced Geric once again. Her eyes were hard with anger. "You betrayed me. You promised to get them home."
"I'm sorry." He grabbed her arm. "I didn't think this through."
She pushed him away, trembling.
"Haline," Coal eyed the camp. "We need to find Astra and Lizzy."
"This won't take long." She jumped towards Geric. He tried to move out of her way, but he was a second too slow. Haline ended up on top of him with her dagger to his throat, breathless and grinning. Geric held her wrist, trying to prevent the knife from making contact.
"I'm sorry." Geric's voice shook.
She moved the dagger upwards. Not expecting the change in direction, Geric lost his grip on the knife. With a glint of madness in her eyes, she plunged the knife towards Geric. Coal, reacting on instinct, grabbed her hand before the blade connected with flesh.
Geric narrowed his eyes, in shock rather than in fear. "You would kill me for them?"
She shook away Coal's hand. "Stay out of this."
"I can't let you kill him," Coal said.
Haline snickered. "I'm not going to kill him." She turned to Geric. "I'll let you live if you tell me where Astra and Lizzy are."
"You don't have to threaten me for information. I would have told you regardless." He motioned to a tent halfway across the camp. "They're right there."
If Coal had thought a little harder, he would have been able to pick out Astra and Elizabeth's tent. It was the only tent surrounded by five soldiers. Chalcedony obviously hadn't trusted Astra.
Before Coal could intervene, Haline took her dagger to the side of Geric's face and sliced his ear off. She stood above the dwarf with it in her hand, chuckling.
Geric screamed and scrambled to his feet, holding the spot where his ear should have been. Blood seeped through his fingers and down the side of his face. "You're crazy!"
"You knew that when you hired me, and you knew that before we started dating." She put the ear underneath her breastplate. Even in the darkness Coal saw the smeared blood the ear had left on her breast. "Next time you cross me, I'll kill you."
Geric grimaced before he ran away into the forest.
"Why did you do that?" Coal asked. "He'd already told us where Astra and Lizzy were."
"I don't take betrayal very well." Haline smiled mischievously, and Coal wondered what he'd gotten himself into.
Chalcedony woke from a dreamless sleep wide awake, knowing something was wrong. Then, she heard the snarls.
"What's going on?" Chalcedony shouted at Mahala and Jin.
"There is some disturbance coming from the dragon's nest, Princess!" Jin yelled into the tent. Chalcedony jumped from her cot and dressed. She placed her mother's sword at her back and strapped Mischief to her waist before she left her tent and headed towards the dragon's makeshift nest with her guards at her side.
"Is there something wrong, Princess?" Mahala asked, her gaunt skin glowing in the night.
"That's what I'm going to find out." They stopped in their tracks when three dragons landed on a tent a few yards away. Screams and shouts of surprise came from the fallen tent. Soldiers still in their nightclothes ran out of the tent screaming. Chalcedony ran towards the dragons, her mother's sword drawn.
As she cut through the hide of the closest beast, Mayhem's joy swept through her. She killed the other two before either realized they were being attacked.
"Thank you, Princess," one of the soldiers said.
"Don't thank me. Get your weapons and find out what the hell is going on."
The dragonkeeper had managed to get mostly dressed. Anton wore a halfway buttoned shirt and bed slippers while he barked orders to the few dragon riders that were there.
"Anton, what the hell is going on?" Chalcedony asked.
"Princess!" he exclaimed. "Somehow my dragons have gotten out."
"I can see that!" Chalcedony snapped. "How did this happen?"
"Uh ... Someone let them out and covered the tents with carrion."
She hated dragons. They were unpredictable and hostile. Separated, they were docile, but too many in one place and they took on a mob mentality if left unchecked.
She turned to Madoc's personal watchdogs. "Go look for any intruders. Pay special attention to anything that looks out of place."
"We have been assigned to you and you alone," Jin said in a deep, flat voice.
"I understand your dilemma," Chalcedony began. "You fear Madoc's wrath if anything happens to me. But you fail to see the danger in front of you. Disobey me and I will make your lives unbearable."
They were twin soldiers. They fought similarly to how she fought with Avonnah and Djamel--shadowing each other. One never did anything without the other knowing or sensing it. Right now, they were debating her order silently between each other.
Chalcedony punched Mahala in the middle of her chest. The impact sent waves of pain through Chalcedony's hand, but she bottled it up. Before Jin reacted, Chalcedony stepped behind him and had her sword at his neck. After a few uneven breaths, Mahala recovered. She reached for her sword, but when she saw her partner, she stopped.
"You would move against me?" Chalcedony registered Mayhem's pleasure as she held it at Jin's throat. Normally, the thought of hurting her fey was sickening, but the sword had no such qualms. Besides, sh
e resented having them around. They made her feel as if she couldn't defend herself.
"Of course not." Mahala lowered her sword and bent on one knee.
"Stand up," Chalcedony ordered. When Mahala stood, Chalcedony continued. "Who do you follow, me or Madoc?"
"You, Princess," Mahala answered.
"I need both of you to do as I say without hesitation. I won't kill my own, but I will have you discharged and exiled. I won't have anyone with me who will not obey me. Is that understood?"
Jin, who had been rigid in Chalcedony's arms, spoke, "Yes, Princess."
Chalcedony released Jin. "Now, go look for the intruders."
Respect finally registered in Jin and Mahala's eyes. "Yes, Princess."
Madoc's Rule Number Fifteen: Fear Breeds Respect.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a soldier fighting to corral one of the dragons. She walked towards the dragon and cut off its head.
Anton gasped and ran towards the decapitated dragon. "Why did you kill it?" he asked incredulously.
"It just attacked one of my soldiers--one of your riders."
"But ... we need them."
"Then control them. If you don't, I will kill every single one of them."
Then she saw it: Coal's tent. It lay on the ground completely destroyed. "Damn." Chalcedony faced Anton. "Get these dragons under control."
She tried to run towards his tent, but Mayhem chose that moment to reject Chalcedony. Hands and legs shaking, she returned Mayhem to its sheath on her back. The world spun around her. Frowning, she swallowed the bile rising from her stomach.
"How are we going to get in there?" Coal and Haline were hiding behind a tent a few yards away from Astra and Elizabeth's tent. The image of Haline slicing Geric's ear kept replaying in his head. He'd thought Haline might be crazy when he'd first met her, and she'd knocked him unconscious. He'd figured she was borderline crazy when she'd knocked Djamel out. He understood why she'd done both those things. But there was no reason for Haline to sever Geric's ear. She was, without a doubt, crazy.
"The two of us can easily take them," Haline said, tearing Coal away from his thoughts.
"How?"
"We both have weapons. What more do we need?" Haline stalked towards the tent, and Coal followed, trying to tamp down his fear.
Before they were halfway there, Astra bolted out of the tent with Elizabeth on her back. Three of the soldiers standing in front of the tent crashed to the ground, never getting a chance to draw their weapons. Coal stared in amazement as Astra sped past. His eyes locked onto Elizabeth as she clutched the spidren's neck.
"Astra!" Elizabeth shouted. "We just passed Coal."
Astra skidded to a stop, giving the remaining soldiers a chance to catch up to them. Astra shot webbing at them. The sticky, thin fabric hit three soldiers, sealing them together. Two more soldiers walked cautiously towards Astra.
With Elizabeth still on her back, Astra jumped on the soldier in front of her. She clamped down on the side of his face. The soldier struggled, and then, abruptly, he stopped moving. His eyes were wide open, darting back and forth, but every other part of his body stayed unnaturally still.
The other soldier made her move as soon as her partner was attacked, but she was too focused on the spidren to notice the other threat. Haline ran her down from behind, grabbed her hair, and hit her forehead on the ground until the soldier stopped moving.
With the moment of nausea gone, Chalcedony took in all of the chaos. Three of her soldiers lay on the ground wrapped in a spider's web. Jin and Mahala were unconscious. And Coal ... Coal was running into the forest.
This is not possible. This is not happening.
Chalcedony ran after him, using every bit of energy she had. He turned just as she tackled him to the ground.
"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.
"I have to take her home, Chaley," he answered, looking up at her, nearly breathless. "She needs her parents."
"You're not going anywhere." She stood and grabbed his arms to force him to his feet. Then, as if he were booby-trapped, she found herself immobile. The spidren stood a few feet from her, pieces of webbing dragging from its abdomen and Elizabeth clinging to its neck.
"I knew I should have killed you when I had a chance!" Chalcedony screamed. "Coal, get me out of here." She tried to wiggle her sword out of its sheath, but her arms were useless. "We had an agreement."
"What agreement?" asked a blonde female dwarf with a huge cleavage. Haline. This must be the dwarf Geric had told her about.
Coal looked from Chalcedony to Haline. "Chaley said she'd take Lizzy home."
Haline concentrated on Chalcedony and narrowed her eyes. "Really, Princess? When were you planning on doing that?"
Why was this dwarf helping them? What did she have to gain?
"She told me we'd take Lizzy home when the door is back in Everleaf," Coal answered.
"Lizzy, do you want to stay here for three more months?" Haline asked.
"No." The child shook her head eagerly from atop the giant spider.
"So what is it going to be, Coal? Are you going to turn Lizzy over to the bitchy princess or are we going to take her to Queen Isis's land so she can be home in a couple of days?"
"I can take her to another door," Chalcedony said through gritted teeth.
"No, she won't. She will keep Lizzy here to save face. She's been outsmarted and outmaneuvered by two human children. She has no choice but to punish both of you," Haline said.
"And a dwarf," Chalcedony added, glaring at Haline. "I've been attacked by two human children, a dwarf, and a spidren, and you will all be punished."
The dwarf laughed. "You'll have to find us first."
"Coal, who are you going to trust? Them, or your best friend?" Chalcedony yelled, her face red with rage. Coal glanced at Haline and Elizabeth and then back to Chalcedony.
"I have to take her home, Chaley. We never should have taken her."
Chalcedony screamed, trying her best to escape from the web. But then Astra shot webbing at her mouth, and her screaming stopped, but it couldn't stifle the hatred and anger in her eyes.
"She's mad," Astra hissed.
"She's beyond mad. She's livid," Haline said, laughing.
Chalcedony started a new thread of muffled screams as Haline approached. "Isn't this your sword?" Haline unbuckled the hilt from Chalcedony's waist, dodging all of Chalcedony's kicks and thrusts.
"It's not really mine." Coal felt guilty seeing Chalcedony lying powerless and frustrated on the ground. "I took it from Chalcedony."
"There is hope for you yet," Haline said. "Take it. You've already stolen it once. You need a weapon, and you're already familiar with this one."
He should have said no, placed it on the ground next to Chalcedony, and walked away. Things were bad enough without Coal taking her sword again, but she had her mother's sword now.
"I'm sorry, Chaley." Coal bent and whispered in her ear. "I'll bring it back. I promise."
She jerked her head towards Coal, barely missing him.
"I promise." He walked away from Chalcedony and back towards Astra and Elizabeth, knowing his words meant nothing to her.
Elizabeth had dismounted, and her arms were wrapped tightly around Astra when he reached them.
"Thank you for letting me ride on your back," Elizabeth said once they separated.
"My pleasure, young warrior." Astra turned to Haline and Coal. "Be careful. As soon as your princess is loose, she'll come after you. I don't think she'll care anymore if either of you are hurt. She'll be out for your blood." The spidren was as docile as a sprite again.
Haline rubbed Astra's head. "Don't worry about us. The queenling doesn't scare me."
"Goodbye," Astra said before she sped away, blending into the night.
"Snap out of it, boy," Haline said to Coal. "Let's go."
Coal followed Haline and Elizabeth deeper into the forest. A few minutes later, they came upon two napping dragons tied to a tr
ee. They were oblivious to their brethren who were causing chaos just a few yards away.
"What are these here for?" Coal asked.
"Our escape," Haline said.
"Why aren't we taking the tunnels?"
"Chalcedony and her crew know about the tunnels." Haline untied the dragons from the tree. "Have you ridden on one of these before?"
"Yes, a long time ago." He had traveled a few times with Chalcedony. It had been scary and exhilarating, but they had maimed too many handlers in Legacy for him to trust them.
"I used to tame dragons. They are nice once they trust you. Isn't that right?" Haline stroked the back of one of the dragons. To Coal's surprise, it leaned into her touch as if it were a dog.
"Lizzy, do you want to ride with me or Coal?" Haline asked.
"You." Elizabeth released Coal's hand and ran to Haline. He couldn't blame Elizabeth. At least Haline knew what she was doing.
"Coal, you have the smallest dragon."
Coal nodded, hoping the smallest meant the most docile. Haline petted the dragon and talked to it soothingly while Coal mounted.
Haline hefted Elizabeth up onto their dragon and then climbed up front. Without any hesitation, she pulled her reins and they were in the air. Haline circled low and nodded to Coal. He lifted the reins, but the dragon didn't move.
"You have to do it with more balls than that if you want it to move," Haline said from above.
Finding his courage, he pulled the reins tighter, and the dragon took flight.
Chapter Fifteen
The clouds floated peacefully across the moon as Chalcedony lay immobile, restrained, and powerless, wrapped in the spidren's webbing
"Princess?" A haggard face covered in with dried blood and dirt blocked her once mockingly serene view. He leaned closer. "Are you alright, Princess?"
Through the moonlight, Chalcedony saw it was Djamel. He was covered in earth and blood. He looked as though he'd been tortured and then, buried alive, but he was asking her if she was alright. She laughed at the irony and then gagged on the web covering her mouth.
Djamel unsheathed a knife from his boot and cut away the webbing from her mouth and torso.
Coal: Book One of the Everleaf Series Page 14