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Dragon Wish

Page 23

by Judith Leger


  Her gaze fell on the stack of cards. “I bless ye with these. May

  truth and wisdom reveal to ye the paths ye must take.”

  Seren eyed the deck. She didn’t want the cards, but the

  woman was sincere in her gift so she picked up the deck.

  A fragile aged hand rested on hers for a brief second.

  Small, perfect shaped teeth appeared in the woman’s smile.

  “I thank ye, my Lady. Ye give me hope for the first time in

  ages. One day, I will return to ye this mighty boon.”

  Lifting a hand, Seren shook her head. “No, don’t worry

  about it. I just want to help you.”

  Together, the three left the room single file and made

  their way to the dock. Seren waited with the old woman, each

  silent while Leo purchased the fare for her journey. When he

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  returned, he handed Luci the papers to board the ship and

  extra cash to aid her during her trip.

  Standing on the wall next to the dock, Seren watched the

  ship depart. The baby rolled in her stomach. She ran a gentle

  hand over the mound, hoping to calm him. On board the

  ship, Luci leaned against the rail, her gaze locked with

  Seren’s. The elderly woman lifted her hand and waved. A

  smile bloomed on the winkled face and remained until Seren

  could no longer make out her features.

  Once the ship disappeared in the distance, Leo took

  Seren’s arm. He escorted her through the city to the house

  where they stayed. Exhausted, she went upstairs to her room

  and eased down onto the cool covers of her bed. Closing her

  eyes, a clear image of Paladin appeared. Tears sprang to life

  in her eyes. Exhaustion pulled at her more each day. She

  rolled over, buried her face in her pillow, and allowed her

  fears to escape through her sobs.

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  Chapter Eighteen

  Velhaven castle’s black spires appeared on the gray

  horizon. Paladin waited on the bow of his ship, watching for

  any sign of attack while his vessel drew nearer to the open

  docks at the base of the foreboding stronghold. Tension

  touched every muscle in his body, tightening them. Forcing

  his jaw to unclench, he glanced at his helmsman.

  “Order the flags up so they may be aware of the reason for

  our arrival,” he ordered.

  The man motioned to the signaler. Flags fluttered in the

  breeze as the sailor relayed the message to the dock keeper.

  The return answer came within moments. Permission to

  dock granted.

  His heart rose to his throat. He tried to swallow past the

  knot but failed. He hoped to carry out this duty without any

  problems, but with a grieving king and father to deal with,

  the possibility of him escaping unscathed narrowed.

  Soldiers rushed out onto the dock. They lined up in

  formation, their banners flapping in the breeze. Honored

  guards, elite fighters, all would die for their king and clan.

  Paladin squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, steeled his will

  for the needed strength to leave his ship and greet his

  deceased wife’s father.

  The ship’s walkways clanked into place. Paladin jerked,

  startled by the jarring motion along with the loud noise. He

  curled his hands into fists, determined to remain strong no

  matter what occurred.

  Six sailors came from the ship’s hole; three on either side

  of the casket holding the remains of his wife and child.

  Paladin lifted a hand, halting them. He took his place in front

  of the sailors and preceded them off the ship.

  They came onto the dock without a surge of soldiers

  attacking them.

  A large, broad-chested man, stood across the wide berth

  under the two story high archway marking the entrance into

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  Velhaven city. His rich apparel and commanding stance with

  the haughty tilt of his head spoke of his power.

  Denol, King of the Black Dragon Clan.

  Proud and defiant, Denol lifted his chin higher. He strode

  toward Paladin. A sharp flicker of trepidation weakened

  Paladin’s thigh muscles. He stopped and waited for the King

  to reach him.

  The older man, royal to his bones, halted in front of

  Paladin. Over-bright eyes stared into Paladin’s. He reached

  out, gripped him by the upper arms, and jerked him into a

  tight embrace.

  “You have been a good husband. Pity my daughter never

  realized this during her lifetime.” Denol’s quiet words sent

  relief through Paladin.

  He relaxed. He tried to pull back, but Denol tightened his

  hold, his voice low and urgent. “Be still. Listen to me, this is

  the only time and place I have which will suffice to tell you

  what I must. Mind you, there are spies everywhere.

  “Your brother plotted with my daughter to kill you. When

  she discovered that she carried your child, she committed the

  unspeakable act of murdering the babe. They knew the true

  Dragon King would come from you, so they had to destroy

  you and all of your lineage.”

  Paladin’s heart pounded in his chest. He stared, unseeing,

  straight ahead. How did the King know these things? Could

  he trust him? Here on the Black Dragon lands, he didn’t have

  much of a choice except to listen. Hoping Denol had more

  information, he gambled on the integrity of the older man.

  “Yet, they failed. Both of them.”

  “Have they? Even now Rylen bites at my borders. He has

  brought rogues with him. All of the outlying villages are lost.”

  Denol shook his head. “He is determined to gain control of

  many realms before the new King is born.”

  So he was right. The old man did know more. Paladin

  tried to keep his voice level, maintaining a bit of calm. “So he

  knows of the babe.”

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  Denol squeezed his shoulders. “Everyone knows. I would

  much rather serve under the true king than one such as

  Rylen. He cares nothing for anyone or anyplace. He desires

  only to conquer and destroy.”

  “I would speak with him, persuade him to stop...”

  Drawing back, Denol stared hard at Paladin, interrupting

  him. Several moments ticked by before the older man said,

  “Your words will do no good. He is crazed, my son. There is

  only one way to stop him. It is for the true king to be born.

  Then, by the graces of the cosmos, the dragons will be honor

  bound to obey him.”

  “It will take time. You cannot expect a small babe to rule

  over the beasts immediately.”

  “We have no time. Do you not understand? He is coming

  even as we speak. My daughter, who loved him with an

  obsession, will not have been interred for long before he

  destroys her grave.”

  Stiffening, Paladin pulled free from the older man’s grip.

  “I will never allow him to do so.”

  “How can you stop him? Even Sinimal, the great black

  one, will be hard pressed to halt the attack.”

  At the mention of the black d
ragon, the flapping of

  gigantic wings carried by the wind reached them. Paladin

  glanced over his shoulder in time to see the dragon Denol

  spoke of sail close to the spires before he angled at the dock.

  The giant dragon landed not far from where they stood.

  When the massive clawed feet hit the stone, the ground

  shook.

  The soldiers scrambled out of the way, some cried out in

  fear as they tried to avoid the wide taloned feet skidding on

  the stones. Deep guttural grunts came from the dragon, its

  scales flickering like ebony crystals in the dusky light. Steam

  gusted from his nostrils at the same time his words took

  shape in Paladin’s mind.

  “Return you from whence you came, Lior’s king. Return

  now. For much will be lost if you tarry too long.”

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  Scant moments before, he had trembled with fear of

  coming face-to-face with his late wife’s father. Naught but a

  tremble when compared to the images the black dragon’s

  words painted in his mind. He’d never experienced such a

  reaction to where his legs threatened to give out on him and

  cold sweat beaded his brow. What had happened? She’d been

  glowing with happiness at the prospect of the impending

  birth of their child. A chill swept through him. Had his

  brother—damn his soul— done something to harm Seren and

  the baby? By the dragons…

  “Return now. I cannot follow, but Lior is aware. She flies

  with hopes to stop him.”

  Paladin panted as he strode to the walkway leading

  aboard his ship. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest.

  All he could think of was to depart. What if Lior didn’t arrive

  in time? What if something befell Seren and their unborn

  child? He tried to stop the onslaught of his worries but they

  grew stronger with each heartbeat. Denol, shouted orders to

  bring dragonstones and food stores for the journey then

  hurried after Paladin. “Restock first. You cannot leave here

  with depleted resources. What good will you do the off-

  worlder or the babe if you must stop along the way?”

  He nodded, never missing a step up the boarding ramp.

  “Have them fill the bins then we must depart.”

  He stopped, pivoted on his heel to face his father-by-

  marriage. “I would stay to see to them properly placed in

  their resting carne, but I cannot.”

  “Even though she was my daughter, I do not blame you.

  She made wrong decisions. She paid for them with her life.

  Do not let this worry eat at you. I will see that their final

  place befits both of their stations in life.”

  Satisfied Denol would not treat his daughter like a traitor

  and an adulteress, Paladin nodded. The older man clasped

  his arm in farewell and departed. Denol strode across the

  dock and through the gate. Paladin hoped his clan fared well

  against Rylen’s impending attacks.

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  The loading of supplies frayed his patience. He paced the

  deck until the preparations were complete. Once done, the

  ship took flight. He stood at the rail offering supplications to

  the dragons for Seren’s safety.

  * * * *

  Screams and shouted orders echoed through the balcony

  window, waking Seren. She tossed the light sheet off, jumped

  from the bed, and hurried to the terrace doors. She shoved

  them open in time to witness a huge dragon, a shade lighter

  than the night sky, blast one of the archway entrances to fine

  thick dust.

  Memories of the tarot cards she had read for Luci lanced

  through her mind. Her future vision had come true. But Luci

  had departed and Seren remained. Whirling back into her

  room, she ran to the wardrobe and grabbed some clothes.

  She wasted no time in dressing. The dragon’s cries mixed

  with ear piercing explosions came nearer. The room vibrated

  with aftershocks.

  Leo banged on her door. “Seren! Wake up! We have to

  leave now.”

  She jerked the door open and tumbled out, tripping over

  her feet. Leo caught her arm, hauling her up. “The dragon’s

  taking out the entire city. He’s a rogue.”

  “Where’s Calis?”

  “He’s gone to help the soldiers distract the beast.

  Hopefully, it’ll give us all time to escape.”

  Horrified, Seren pulled back. “He’ll be killed. Doesn’t he

  know that?”

  Leo turned and stared into her eyes. “True courage is

  when someone is willing to give their life to protect another.

  Learned that a long time ago in Nam. Calis is willing to die to

  make sure you’re safe. Are you going to allow him to give his

  life in vain?”

  Confused and terrified, Seren shook her head. “I don’t

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  want him to die.”

  “He wants us to leave. Now!”

  Tightening his hold on her arm, Leo tugged her after him.

  He wouldn’t allow her to stay. Because of Calis and what he

  tried to do, she had to go. They raced down the stairs and

  across the foyer. Leo led her to one of the front sitting rooms,

  through the terrace doors, and into the garden. A small

  opening in the shrubs revealed a gate in the stone wall

  surrounding the house.

  Once past the gate, Leo ran, Seren followed, stumbling

  now and then, down the street. The city’s residents surged in

  streets, many screaming. Their horrified cries tore at Seren’s

  heart. Terror drove the inhabitants of the city in frantic

  motions and different directions. Fires flared with each

  explosion. The thundering booms became deafening within

  the walled city. Seren, having never witness such violence,

  glanced around, her own panic pounded against her chest.

  Nausea roiled in her stomach. She searched for a way to

  escape, survival prominent in her mind.

  All these gentle people looked at death and reacted in the

  same way those on Earth would have. Some took charge and

  were shouting orders, mothers and fathers held tight to their

  children, soldiers cut through the crowds, heading for the hot

  spots in the city. All wanting one thing—to live.

  Several minutes later, Leo had dragged her down a

  number of streets, all the while heading deeper into the heart

  of the city. She didn’t understand his reasoning. Why go

  deeper into the city? The stately towers of the wizard’s

  academy came into view. Many of the masters stood atop

  them, casting magical attack spells at the dragon. The entire

  building glowed a bluish white. So Leo meant to take them

  there.

  Dragon fire bounced off the spelled walls. Hope stirred in

  Seren’s heart.

  Several people bumped into her. Leo’s grip slipped. A

  wave of human flesh shoved them apart. Leo shouted her

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  name, but the sound grew less and less until she couldn’t

  detect his voice any longer. Body shaking with fear, she

  slipped to the right side, ou
t of the sweeping multitude of

  sweating, fear-laden flesh, and leaned against a garden wall.

  Heart pounding, she looked around, trying to find Leo or

  some way to escape without being trampled by the massive

  flow of people. One hand caressed the mound of her baby.

  Just a few feet away, she noticed a gate entrance into a

  private garden. She sidled along the wall and eased through

  the wrought-iron gate. The sudden stillness in the place

  helped sooth her rattled nerves.

  Trembling, drawing in calming deep breaths, she moved

  further among the shrubs and trees, looking for a place to sit

  so she could rest a moment before she tried to tackle the

  terrified mobs in the streets. She rested her palm over the

  bulge of her belly. The baby banged against her inner wall,

  inspiring a smile. The reassurance he was all right helped

  calm her.

  When she’d gone some distance into the garden, she

  came to a clearing. The fires from the dragon lit the night

  skies. The beast’s cries had stopped a short while ago. She

  tilted her head, trying to hear the beat of its wings. The

  screams and shouts of the city’s inhabitants tore at her heart.

  Maybe the attacker had left...

  Flapping wings rang out from her right.

  She cringed.

  Well, maybe it hadn’t.

  She rubbed her hands together, trying to warm the icy

  coldness in her fingers. With one blink of her eyes, the

  dragon landed in front of her. Air pushed out from the

  beast’s wings and rushed over her face. The ground shook

  under its weight. She shrieked, but clamped a hand over her

  mouth while she stumbled back into the cover of the dark

  foliage along the edge of the clearing. Unable to move, she

  held her breath, standing still, hoping it wouldn’t notice her

  in the dim light.

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  Iridescent light reflected off the dark scales covering its

  body. Wide nostrils flared and the beast lowered its head in

  the direction she hid, staring into dark shadows. The slit-

  pupil eyes never blinked. It came no closer. She blinked as

  realization came to her that no matter how much power this

  dragon possessed, he lacked one major factor. If he had been

  serious about destroying her, he would have already done it.

  She straightened, the fear for her child decreasing. She

  spoke, hoping what she believed was true. If so then she’d

 

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