Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel)

by Barbara Kloss

  But I had a better idea.

  Before he could step out of the shadows and into plain view, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. He tried to pull back, but I didn't let go. I just kissed him harder and pressed myself against him until his resistance finally melted into resignation, and then he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back. Oh, how I loved kissing Alexander Del Conte.

  The guards snickered as they neared, one of them murmured something I couldn't understand, and they turned down another path. Once I could feel they were out of sight, I kissed Alex's supple lips a moment longer before finally pulling away. I smiled up at him and he narrowed his eyes down at me.

  "Don't ever do that again," his said, his voice rough. "What if they'd stopped and talked to us? They would've realized who you were at once. How would you have explained that?"

  "Well, they didn't, so quit obsessing over 'what-ifs' and just enjoy it." I tilted my face closer to his, tempted to do it again.

  His eyes trailed from my eyes, down to my mouth, and then back up into my eyes again. "Complete misery." His voice was low. He turned on his heels and kept walking.

  I smiled to myself as I hurried after him.

  "Do you know how to get to the Temple of Draconi?" I asked quietly.

  He didn't answer me at first—punishment for my kissing him unawares. "Yes, your highness." He looked at me over his shoulder like he could stare me into obedience.

  I beamed innocently at him, and he rolled his eyes and turned back around.

  We veered down another pathway with high walls, but our view at the end was blocked by a tall, arching roofline. We were soon dumped into a square, and in the center of this square was a squat, round structure with a broad, copper dome on top. The rest of the building had been constructed with pristine white marble, though the rain gave it a glossy sheen in the torchlight. Rivulets of water streamed in tiny waterfalls over the lip of the shining copper dome, spilling onto the cobblestones below. We avoided these tiny waterfalls as we ascended the wide marble steps that led to the front doors of the temple, huge basins of fire blazing on either side of the great bronze doors.

  Alex pushed the door in; it opened silently and without any resistance, which was surprising for such a tall and heavy door. We both stepped inside and closed the door behind us. The air was thick and dry and heavy with incense, making my eyes burn a little. I lifted my hood from my head and looked around. Candles were everywhere—on walls, smothering tables, sticking out of giant candelabras like little trees of flame. Dozens of candles floated in the space inside the dome, except in the area beneath the small oculus. There, rain fell freely through the opening, plunking and splattering into a decorative, round pool embedded in the flooring.

  The flooring itself was a masterpiece. Millions of tiny pebbles had been laid in a giant mosaic, and from what I could tell, they told some kind of story. Near my feet was a sort of wintry scene, all white with mountains and snow-covered pines, and then it moved into a battle. But as I watched, the battle moved, like a silent movie. Swords crossed while horses reared and foundered in the snow. Men in robes entered the scene, light arching from extended arms—obviously mages. A great dragon suddenly rose from behind the ridge of a mountain, breathing a plume of fire upon the battle below. The rest of the story was blocked from my view because it continued behind the pool.

  "It is the story of the Draconi, your highness," a voice said behind me.

  Startled, I jumped and spun around.

  The high priest, Ven Orelius, stood there, hands clasped before him as he smiled. His dark eyes flickered in the candlelight. "I do apologize, your grace," he said, bowing his head in deference. "I did not mean to startle you. I am very glad you have come."

  Gosh, was I jumpy tonight.

  But then I noticed Alex had pulled his sword a few inches from its sheath and was sliding it back to rest comfortably in the leather.

  "I received your note," I said without preamble.

  "Yes, and I apologize for not delivering it to you in a more conventional method, but I am sure you understand my need for discretion."

  I was a little bothered that he'd managed to get it past Alex's ward, but I kept this to myself. "I do, High Priest," I replied. "And I would like some clarification before we—"

  "Not here, please, your grace." Ven Orelius looked around as though he were afraid we might be overheard. "If you will, follow me."

  I exchanged a meaningful glance with Alex, and then I followed after the high priest, Alex walking closely behind me. All the while I couldn't pull my eyes from the floor. A few times Alex touched my elbow to adjust my course away from the forest of flaming candelabras.

  Ven Orelius noticed my intrigue and paused. "Does her highness know the story of the Draconi?"

  I shook my head. "No. In fact, I'd never even heard of the Draconi until we arrived here."

  Ven Orelius smiled, the pinnacle of joy at having the opportunity to discuss a subject of which he was, apparently, fascinated by. "Ephram Draconi was the first ever in history to ride one of the great dragons. Before his time, the dragons were ruthless, destroying entire cities without mercy or prejudice. The people were defenseless against the dragons until Ephram Draconi, for Gaia touched Ephram Draconi with the breath of dragons, filling his blood with their spirit. And through that linkage, Ephram Draconi was able to challenge the will of the dragons. His descendents continued to do so until the time of Galahad." Ven Orelius's eyes drifted back to the story upon the floor.

  And now that we'd moved to the other side of the pool, I could see the rest. A cloud of dragons flew over a great sea, and once they reached land, they set everything in their path aflame. People tried to escape, but they were not fast enough. There was a man seated on the foremost dragon, and he carried a golden shield, and as his horde of dragons reached a great castle, an army gathered on foot in challenge. One man stepped forward, covered in black armor, and he thrust a beam of light toward the air. This light hit the golden shield, and the shield shone brighter and brighter until in one final explosion of white, there was nothing. No army, no castle, no dragons. Wiped out as though none of them had ever existed.

  "You see," the high priest continued, "the Draconi served the rulers of their day, but these particular descendents had an insatiable appetite for power. They betrayed Galahad, who ruled at the time. They stole his great shield of power and unleashed that power with the fury of the dragons upon the world. With so much power in their hands, little hope remained for the people. But Galahad fought back, and because it was Galahad whom Gaia had originally tied to the unity stone, embedded in the shield of power, the strain of Galahad's magic against the shield was too much and the shield exploded. Such an explosion wiped out everyone near, including both Galahad and the Draconi. The shield itself was destroyed, broken into seven pieces. That day was also the last of the dragons."

  I frowned. "I thought the shield of power had corrupted Galahad, and that Gaia had destroyed the shield because of that fact, which in turn destroyed Galahad."

  Ven Orelius eyed me carefully. "That is one version." His eyes traveled to Alex, and his intrigue piqued. "Ah, I see your Aegis does not know this version of the story, either?"

  Alex's face was chiseled, looking as if this story had sat ill with him. "I can't say that I've ever heard that version before."

  Ven Orelius rubbed his hands together. "You see, that is the problem with history. There are always many versions, many of which have been forgotten through time, and there is no one left to testify. So how do we decide which is truth…?" The question was left open and lingering.

  "Truth or not, why would you build a temple in honor of someone who, you say, betrayed Gaia?" I asked.

  Ven Orelius raised a finger. "But we are not honoring the betrayer, your highness. We are honoring the lineage—the first Draconi—and though the path of Ephram Draconi's descendents turned somewhat oblique, his origination remains sacred. To have the blood of the dragons is one
of the greatest honors Gaia has ever bestowed." His eyes settled on mine.

  It made me a little uncomfortable. "You were on your way taking us to…?"

  "Yes, your grace," Ven Orelius bowed his head. "This way, please."

  Ven Orelius led us past a table drenched in gold and jewels—offerings, the high priest said, for the spirits. I wondered what a spirit could possibly want with gold and jewels, but I kept this to myself. He led us down a stone staircase that led into the ground like the steps to a cellar, and at the end stood a wooden door. This he pushed in and ushered us inside. There was a short, narrow hallway, lit by torches and interrupted by a handful of wooden doors with one large wooden door at the very end. Probably living quarters.

  He led us through one of the smaller doors and into a simple room with a small bed and desk. A hearth in one corner boasted a small fire, and beside it were two large bookshelves overstuffed with thick volumes of books, like the Spirits of the Arborenne and The Third Era. A book entitled Augurs of Karth caught my attention. Karth was the capital of Pendel, and it was the city Tran had told us to go to.

  "Have you found something that interests you, your grace?" Ven Orelius asked.

  Yes, there were plenty of things that interested me lately, but that's not why I had come here. I turned back to face him. "I would like to know why you are offering to help us."

  Ven Orelius clasped his hands before him. He looked older then. Weak and frail as one who has held truth at bay for so long that he was being crushed beneath the weight of it. "Because I believe in the powers of old. Because I believe in the prophets. Because I believe the time has come for the true king to rise, and it starts with relics of the past. There are those yet remaining who have not forgotten the past, your grace, and the darkness rises—the likeness of which this world has not seen in centuries. And I believe you, daughter of the Pandors, possess the key to stopping this."

  If I'd had an ego, he was not trying to inflate it. There was no deception in those clear eyes of his. He spoke from his heart; his voice trembled with hope. But I really wished people would stop making comments like I was some kind of savior. I was just a girl trying to find a way to help her brother destroy their evil uncle. There was nothing unusual about that. However, if Ven Orelius truly believed this and was using it as his reasoning for helping us, then I wasn't going to sit here and convince him otherwise.

  Instead, I said, "I'm assuming this is allowable because of the circumstances at dinner? I will not defy Mercedes."

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alex looking at me like he was thoroughly surprised by this last proclamation.

  Ven Orelius shook his head. "Of course not, your grace. I would never have asked you if it would openly defy her. It is within the code of the venita that in matters of great stress and urgency, we may circumvent the usual processes to evaluate the state of our portal for security purposes. And since the other venita and I have agreed that your actions in saving her ladyship's life are tantamount to a citizen of Gesh, it is within our rights to honor you passage with us."

  "And what of my Aegis?" I asked. "I will not travel without him." This wasn't entirely true. I really didn't want to travel without Alex, and the very idea scared the life out of me, but circumstances what they were—even if the venita said no—I knew that I'd still have to consider this option.

  Ven Orelius closed his eyes. "He will take my place."

  This time, Alex's face opened in surprise and he parted his lips to speak but caught himself.

  "How can Al—Aegis Del Conte take your place?" I asked. "The other venita will allow this?"

  "The other venita will not know." Ven Orelius sighed and rested his weary gaze on Alex as if it were causing him great effort to even breathe. "He will wear my ceremonial robes and mask. The build between us isn't so different that it would be easily noticed." He was right. Ven Orelius wasn't much shorter than Alex, though his build was withered comparatively, but that shouldn't be a problem hidden beneath a robe.

  There was still one little problem. "As high priest, wouldn't it be your responsibility to, ah, guide the portal to Pendel?" I asked. "How could Aegis Del Conte do that without giving himself away? And what about the Pendel side? Will it even be open?"

  Ven Orelius hesitated. "I have taken care of that already."

  Alex frowned, and this time he couldn't hold back his words. "You've manipulated the fields of magic."

  Ven Orelius nodded, albeit reluctantly.

  I looked between them. Whatever it meant, Alex did not look pleased. "What do you mean, manipulated fields of magic?" I asked.

  Alex let Ven Orelius answer this, as if he was more than willing to leave Ven Orelius alone to dig his own grave.

  "Your highness." Ven Orelius bowed his head. "There are various fields of magic surrounding the portals. It is during the ceremony that we use one such field in communication with a sister portal—in your case, Pendel—to request passage. It is, ah, not strictly legal to open their end without permission."

  I saw where this was going, and why Alex was not happy about it. "How will this not strictly legal action affect communications between Pendel and Gesh in the future?" I asked.

  "It is a risk, I know." He looked up at me, his gaze almost apologetic. "I am sorry, your grace, and I wouldn't have suggested it if not for the circumstances, but I see no other way and I fear for the people. This is a risk I am willing to take. However, if you find this unsatisfactory, I understand and will not take any more of your time."

  Why did I always seem to be choosing between evils? Every choice came with a great and unidentifiable risk. If I didn't use the portal, the shadowguard would most likely attack Valdon before I even reached Pendel. If I did use the portal, who knew what the consequences would be for Mercedes, or the entire realm, for that matter. As if my brother needed to deal with that, too.

  "I'd like a moment to speak with my Aegis alone, please," I said, careful not to show any of my feelings.

  Ven Orelius bowed. "Of course, your grace." And he stepped out of his room, leaving us alone.

  Once the door clicked shut, I looked back at Alex. He was still staring at the door Ven Orelius had exited, and feeling my gaze, his eyes slid to mine. "Well?" he asked.

  "I want to know what the repercussions could be for manipulating the portals like this," I said.

  Alex looked pleased that I was concerned about this. "I don't know," he said quietly, gazing at the door as if he were checking to make sure Ven Orelius wasn't still standing there. "What he's done is illegal, Daria. It would reflect very poorly upon Gesh, and he would be punished severely, as well as all those involved, as an example to blot out any doubt that may arise where Mercedes' allegiance is concerned. However." His gaze slid back to mine. "Circumstances what they are, it could also be explained away, though I have no idea how Pendel will react to being forced upon like this."

  What he was really saying was that he had absolutely no idea what would happen. "Does your gut tell you anything?" I asked.

  He studied me a moment, his expression inscrutable as he said, "I'm not so certain I trust my gut anymore."

  I chose not to take that personally.

  I sighed, staring at the fire. No matter the risk, the problem was the same: My decisions were enslaved to time. "We have to go," I whispered. I gazed back up at him, and he looked as though he'd expected this. "I don't see any other way, Alex. There's risk on both sides, but I can deal with Pendel. I can't deal with losing Stefan."

  "Do you want me to get the high priest, then?" he asked almost mechanically.

  "Yes. Please."

  Alex fetched Ven Orelius, and when the high priest reappeared, his eyes flickered between Alex and me, anxious. I nodded once, and Ven Orelius's shoulders practically sagged with relief.

  Alex was concealed beneath ceremonial attire in no time. The robes were made of black velvet, trimmed in silver threads with little jewels along the bells of the sleeves and rim of the hood. The very same symbo
l of the large diamond with the line through the middle was embossed on the back in silver threads. The mask was black, too—a face carved from wood with narrow slits at the eyes and a small hole at the nose for breathing. Ven Orelius hadn't lied: Alex was perfectly concealed, and I began to feel more hopeful. A bit.

  "Now, listen closely—both of you." Ven Orelius' gaze was very serious. "Do not speak once you leave this room. You will walk with the other two venita along this corridor"—he waved his hand at the door—"all the way to the end, where you will find another door. Enter through and walk down the stair until you enter a stone chamber. Once inside, you will see a small table with a goblet filled with a sort of cleansing potion. Each venita will take a draft from the goblet; it is our ritual. You, your grace, are not required to drink from this."

  I nodded.

  "In the center of this chamber you will see a sphere of glyphs and symbols upon the floor," he continued, "and at the heart of the sphere will be a basin upon a pedestal. This basin is where you must each add a drop of your blood. You may use my knife so as not to raise curiosity." He handed Alex the hilt of a straight knife that looked like a long needle. "Does her highness have a blade?"

  "Yes," I said.

  Ven Orelius continued, "The four of you will join hands in a circle around the basin. As High Priest, you will be expected to go last. Now, this is important: How are you with spells of conjuration…specifically of an, ah, amalgamate nature?" he asked Alex.

  Alex hesitated, as if he didn't want to answer the question. "Proficient."

  "Good," Ven Orelius continued, satisfied. "You will need to summon a hexflame." Ven Orelius looked at Alex expectantly.

  Alex nodded stiffly, looking very uncomfortable.