Dragon Wish

by Judith Leger

  The second man’s mouth tightened into a straight line.

  Rie spoke in the same slow, precise tone as his twin. “Your

  brother will not be pleased. He has placed a bounty on your

  head. He wants you returned, preferably dead.”

  The first moved nearer, holding out a cloak draped over

  his arm. “Matters not to us what his desires are, he is not our

  rightful king.”

  Accepting the cloak, Paladin stared at its outer white

  material and fur lining. The cloth swished in the frozen quiet

  of the inlet. Water lapped against the pilings beneath his feet,

  and the smell of the cold sea mingled with the fresh scent of

  cedar rose from the cloth. Removing his pack and slipping on

  the cloak, he looked at the twins. “And soon he will be your

  king no more. This I swear.”

  The two men glanced at each other and nodded. They

  turned to Paladin, their heads lowered. “Your words please

  us greatly, Sire. Now give us your command so we might

  fulfill your desire.”

  “Where is my brother?”

  “He resides at Heart’s Thorn Castle. There, he keeps what

  you seek. The mystic dragon awaits also, hoping to devour

  your soul.”

  With a slight tilt of his head, Paladin released a low

  chuckle. “Arcane may hunger for it, but he will find it a bit

  too tough to chew.”

  Rie raised his gaze and grinned, the full set of white teeth

  belied his age. “You have finally found your father’s spirit.

  This is more than we have expected.”

  Rie’s pleased tone echoed in the clear, cold air. For a

  moment, Paladin studied the two men. Both had lived long

  in these lower reaches of the kingdom. Preferring seclusion

  over the intrigue of the royal court, Cie and Rie came from

  this long forgotten location within the kingdom. The two

  men, though old, still possessed vast magical abilities. At the

  moment, Paladin needed their skills. When the time arrived,

  and he took Seren back, these two would benefit him more

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  than his ship’s crew.

  “Do you hunger, Sire?”

  He shook his head. Seren’s face appeared in his mind. No,

  he didn’t hunger for food, but for Seren’s sweet kiss. “I will

  eat later. I want to speak of your impending tasks.”

  Both men inclined their heads, and parted to allow

  Paladin to lead the way. He picked up his pack and walked to

  the path hidden by the trees. They followed behind. He

  remembered the way. He and his family had often visited

  this place during his growing years. The twins’ secluded

  home lay not far away. The icy ground crunched under their

  boots.

  The small wooden building, tucked into the side of a

  rising cliff, was sheltered at its back by the solid earth.

  Towering firs guarded the place on the three outer sides.

  Mist from each breath they took trailed behind the men.

  They reached the door. Cie stepped in front of Paladin and

  shoved it wide.

  Warmth rushed out, a shock in the freezing air. Paladin

  stepped over the threshold, thankful to be out of the chill. No

  more than a step into the structure, he staggered to a halt. A

  hearth with stones covering the entire wall opposite the door,

  held dancing flames. Sitting in an overstuffed chair in front

  of the fire, a woman tilted her head in his direction. Bask

  stood behind her, his hand resting on the top edge of the

  chair.

  Without taking his gaze off the couple, Paladin shifted a

  foot to the right. He stared at the lengths of white hair

  flowing about the woman’s shoulders. Her skin, even with

  the flames so near, gleamed pearly white, translucent with

  bluish veins visible beneath. Clothed in a thin, pastel blue

  gown, she shifted her stare back to the fire. Her hands,

  graceful and delicate, lay still in her lap.

  Unsure of the identity of the woman, Paladin waited.

  Bask, his usual grin absent, stared at him through narrowed

  eyes. The silver skull cap reflected the reddish orange flames.

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  Cloth swished behind him, bringing Paladin’s attention

  around. The twins knelt with their hands held together at

  their chests in supplication, their heads lowered in respect.

  His gaze moved back to the woman. She looked at him. His

  breath caught in his chest and refused to leave. His knees

  weakened. Unable to stop, he staggered in her direction, a

  little to the left. A sudden, uncontrollable loss of strength

  weakened his muscles.

  Bask, his voice low but hard, ordered. “Kneel, you fool.”

  The woman lifted a hand. Paladin regained the ability to

  stand. “Leave him be. He’s never seen or even imagined me

  in this form. He cannot be held accountable for his

  disrespect.”

  Realization flooded Paladin. He stared from the top of

  her head to the softly rounded tips of her toes which peeked

  from under the edge of her gown.

  Lior.

  The great white dragon.

  He forced words past his lips. “This is your human form.”

  She nodded. Unable to tear his gaze from the pure

  blueness of her eyes, Paladin stood awed by the powerful

  aura emanating from the woman.

  His mind whirled through this information, but didn’t

  allow fear to control him. He moved on to more important

  matters. “Why are you here?”

  Seren’s image appeared in his mind. His belly burned

  with the pain from her under his brother’s control. Was she

  still alive? Was this why Lior and Bask had come? To tell him

  she and his unborn child had died? “Seren? Is she...?”

  Lior shook her head. “She is well. For now.”

  Tension seeped from his shoulders with his relieved sigh.

  Her words eased his mind a little.

  A gentle but knowing smile graced Lior’s lips. “I came to

  tell you that when you go to her, the seven will have gathered

  once more. We will be ready to send your lady to safety. All

  you need is to make a wish.”

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  “Safety? Where in all of Avaris is this safety?”

  “Did I say it was on Avaris? No. She will return from

  whence she came. There, our king will be born and allowed

  to grow in strength. After a suitable time, we will bring him

  home.”

  He let her words soak into his mind. He would lose Seren

  if he returned her home. “And Seren? Will she return also?”

  Bask laughed softly. “So you are smitten with the off-

  worlder?”

  Lifting a hand, Lior brushed the back of her fingers

  against Bask’s arm where it lay on the top of the chair. Her

  glance met the wizard’s. Paladin sensed the depth of their

  devotion to one another in their eyes. “It is good that he is.”

  She returned her attention to Paladin. “Avaris’s future

  holds many paths. We can only hope that with the help of

  you and Seren, the one which is chosen will be the most

  beneficial.”
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  The word choice sparked some hope in him. “So we do

  have a choice in what will happen.”

  “You have always had a choice. We have only guided you

  to the right ones,” Lior said. She rose from her seat and

  glided nearer to him. The scent of spring flowers came with

  her. “I go now, my king, to prepare for the moment you will

  need us. The man you have misplaced is hiding in the forest

  outside Heart’s Thorn. I will send word for him to meet you

  at the castle.”

  Caught by her clear gaze, Paladin nodded, relieved to

  discover Calis’ whereabouts. Seemingly satisfied with what

  she saw in his eyes, Lior sighed and glanced at Bask. “Come,

  my beloved.”

  For a moment, Bask stared at him. He moved until he

  reached Lior’s side. “Remember, Sire, love will guide your

  path.”

  The two then stepped out the door. Paladin continued

  looking at the opening long after they had disappeared into

  the darkness. Thoughts rolled around in his head, bumping

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  and shoving against each other. Exhaustion shut the door on

  some while others brightened to awareness.

  Bask loved Lior. For five thousand years. Paladin

  considered whether what he felt for Seren could survive so

  long. Her image formed in his mind. A slow smile pulled at

  his mouth. Yes, he believed so, but first, he had to retrieve

  her from his brother.

  He glanced at Cie and Rie. “Shall we begin our rescue

  plan?”

  Standing on either side the door, the elderly twins

  grinned at each other.

  Two days later, Paladin sat on the back of a white

  dragoon. Dressed in Bask’s ancient armor, he waited at the

  edge of the secluded tunnel entrance. Rylen had made his

  entrance into Heart’s Thorn simple by hosting a costume

  ball. His brother expected him to arrive soon.

  With his hair tied at the back of his neck, the helm fit over

  his head, concealing his face. He rotated his neck, trying to

  relieve the bothersome itch at the base of his skull.

  Unaccustomed to having a cover over his head, the helm

  pulled at the strands of hair, aggravating him. He needed no

  distractions tonight.

  In less than two hours, daylight would arrive. The magic

  on Avaris would decrease. He took a chance the magic of his

  armor would decline also with the sol rising, but he had to

  take the risk. Seren’s life hung on the brink of oblivion.

  Movement on his right pulled his thoughts to the present.

  Simultaneously, Cie and Rie swung down from their mounts.

  Rie spoke first. “Would that you allow us to accompany you?”

  Several seconds passed while Paladin considered then

  shook his head. “You serve me better on the outside to help

  with the escape. Your magic is strong enough to hold the

  guards back. This is what I require of you.”

  They nodded in unison. With a deep breath, Paladin

  swung off his dragoon’s back and entered the tunnel. Damp

  darkness along with the slow drip of water enveloped him.

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  He shut his eyes, switching to his dragon vision. When he

  reopened them, the darkness had dissipated a great measure.

  Water ran down the stone walls into the middle channel

  where it drained to the land beyond the opening.

  Mist escaped from under his helm with each breath he

  exhaled. Hurrying, he made his way to the cellars. He soon

  reached a narrow opening in the wall. He slid through the

  crack into the room on the other side of the tunnel. Vaulted

  ceilings disappeared in the pitch blackness above. Tall racks

  and huge barrels lined the walls of the cellar.

  He grabbed a dragonstone torch off an iron bracket on

  his way across the center space to a slight gape between two

  of the older wine barrels. Secluded behind the one to his

  right, a doorway concealed the entrance to the secret

  passageways running throughout the castle. His father had

  revealed the entrance to him many years ago. He hoped

  Rylen didn’t know of them. With time racing, his plan

  depended on no detours. Having to dispose of any guards

  posted in the passageways would delay him from reaching

  Seren.

  With his hand on the wall, he shook his head. Even if his

  brother decided to post sentries in the passages, there were

  many other ways to reach the upper library. There he would

  enter the castle and make his way to the ball. Instruments

  playing a fast song mingled with voices above him. The ball

  had begun. From the information Cie and Rie had given him,

  most if not all of the nobles within the kingdom were in

  attendance. If so, it made his task to disappear amid the

  revelry easier. The twins had even told him that many of the

  nobles had decided to wear antique white dragon armor.

  Hopefully, his brother wouldn’t notice one extra guest attired

  in such a fashion.

  The musty odor of disuse and age filled the passage. He

  held up the dragonstone to light the way. The damp walls

  glistened in the light. Cobwebs and debris cluttered the

  corridor.

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  Paladin climbed four flights of stone steps, eased through

  narrow walkways until he reached the third floor library. He

  forced the cover off a peephole and surveyed the room on the

  other side. Walls of books, two stories high, met his gaze. A

  fire burned in the central hearth. No one occupied the room.

  Relieved, he released a pent up breath. With extra care, he

  opened the secret door, shoving the sheltering bookshelf out

  from the wall. He slipped through and replaced the shelf.

  Music filtered through the closed double doors. He strode

  across the room in the opposite direction of the doors. He

  would enter the ballroom through the balcony. He wanted to

  study the layout and locate Seren—if Rylen had allowed her

  to attend. If not, his next move meant finding her.

  The moment he stepped through the balcony doors, the

  icy cold of the northern regions slipped through the openings

  on the helm. His eyes watered at the instant change from

  heat to cold. He waited for the cold to chill the armor. It

  didn’t. The magic induced spells kept the metal warm in the

  cold.

  He grinned behind the face shield. He liked this armor,

  deciding that no matter what, he would keep it.

  Slipping from shadow to shadow along the wide terrace,

  he reached the ballroom balcony undetected. Satisfied, he

  stood outside the multi-paned doors, and looked out over the

  room. Built to hold over five hundred attendees, the room

  overflowed with disguised guests.

  The orchestra played in an alcove overlooking the

  ballroom. Half of the room comprised space for the guests to

  rest from dancing and visit at the tables lined with chairs

  placed there. The dance floor took the other half. Dancers

  twirled and glided across the area, faces bright in the

&nbs
p; dragonstone light that radiated from the brackets along the

  walls. Behind the tables, on a raised platform, Rylen

  slouched on a golden throne, surveying the entire affair. Next

  to him, a dark-haired woman, dressed in a sleeveless, gauzy

  crimson gown, sat, her legs crossed at the knee.

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  Paladin’s breath caught in his throat. Her short hair had

  grown a bit since the last time he’d seen her. From this

  distance, her eyes appeared too bright in the light. Had Rylen

  drugged her to force her compliance to attend the ball?

  He gritted his teeth. No matter what, he intended to make

  his brother pay for his crimes. If not tonight, soon. Seren was

  his woman. His brother had no right to take her from him.

  With Seren so close to Rylen, Paladin resigned himself to

  wait until either she retired or his brother left her side. All he

  needed was a moment to grab her and escape. Just one

  second.

  Seren leaned closer to Rylen. At her movement, streaks of

  jealousy cut through him. He gritted his teeth and clenched

  his fists. His brother studied her under half-lowered lids.

  Seconds clicked by before Rylen inclined his head in

  response to what she’d said. She lifted the edge of her skirt

  and rose to her feet with queenly grace. Head held high, she

  glided down the steps leading from the dais. Relief surged

  through Paladin at the sight of her eyes rolling once her back

  turned to Rylen. She hadn’t fallen under his brother’s spell

  like his deceased wife had done.

  He grinned behind the face shield. His chance to save her

  had arrived.

  She slipped through the congregating groups, moving

  across the room to one of the tables covered with food dishes

  and drink. Once there, she picked up a white porcelain cup

  and raised it to her lips.

  He shifted back onto the terrace. Careful to stay in the

  shadows, he moved to the next doorway leading to the

  balcony. He would enter here, closer to where she stood.

  Making sure he remained hidden by the heavy drapery, he

  eased the door open. He peered through a gap between the

  stone wall and the thick cloth. Several groups of costumed

  guests crowded the area. Assured he would go unnoticed, he

  came out behind a large group of laughing people. Slipping

  past the drapes, he stood among them for a moment before

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  stepping to Seren.

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