Unfortunately, Salcombe had chosen exactly the wrong location for me. This close to the docks, the streets were teeming with drunken sailors who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of a finely dressed lady. If I’d had normal clothes I could try to escape via rooftop, but these stupid dresses made it impossible to get around, and the ground wasn’t safe for a woman to travel alone at night. City guards patrolled the streets, sending a chill up my spine. News that the war had been called off would not have reached this town yet, and it was entirely possible the guards were still on alert for Elantian spies.
I was about to climb down from the roof when the bond suddenly flared to life in my mind. “Lessie?” I cried, my heart jumping into my throat.
“Zara!” Lessie’s voice was faint but clear. “Where are you? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said, tears of joy spilling down my cheeks. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days! What is going on? I’ve sensed your anger, and it’s been driving me crazy not knowing what’s wrong.”
“Oh, Zara, it’s been terrible,” Lessie said, and my heart squeezed at her plaintive tone. “Colonel Roche is very angry with you for not coming back, and they think that you have caused Carvin and Hallus’s deaths. There is a rumor circling that Hallus’s head was mounted on a pike in the Traggaran capital as a trophy, and that you were seen consorting with the enemy. The colonel and the major are convinced that you are a traitor and a deserter, and will court-martial you the moment you return.” She hesitated. “Is it true what they say, about the head?”
“Yes,” I said gently. Lessie’s pain and grief swelled inside the bond, and fresh tears pricked at my eyes. “But I wasn’t consorting with the enemy, Lessie.” I gave her a full account of what had happened between me and Salcombe since reaching the capital, and where I was now.
“So the Traggarans have decided to bow out of the war after all?” Lessie asked when I finished, sounding elated for the first time. “Tavarian is right, Zara—you are a hero, and the moment Colonel Roche hears of this, she will have to let you go. I told Kadryn the truth about what happened to us, and he has relayed the account to Jallis, but Roche will not even entertain him. I believe she is prejudiced against dragon riders, which is absurd,” Lessie added with a huff. “A woman like her should never have been put in charge.”
I relaxed a little—Lessie was starting to sound like her old self. Whatever was being done to her had not damaged her mind. “I agree, but I don’t care what Colonel Roche thinks of me. Has she harmed you?”
“Not harmed, per se,” Lessie said, though the heat in her tone suggested otherwise. “But I am only allowed to fly twice a week to maintain the strength in my wings, under heavy guard from dragons three times my size. The rest of the time I am shackled and drugged. The hope is that you will eventually come back to rescue me.”
“Shackled and drugged?” White-hot fury blazed through me at the image my mind conjured of Lessie chained in her stall, listless from whatever drug they were pumping into her. “You can’t break free?”
“The shackles are made of some unbreakable alloy, magically reinforced,” Lessie said bitterly. “Even my dragon fire won’t melt them.”
“Dragon’s balls,” I swore, so angry I could hardly see. No wonder Lessie had been so distraught! I wanted to storm back to the military camp and string Colonel Roche up by her toes, then use my lockpicks to break Lessie out and fly away. But there was no way I could storm the camp by myself, and without Tavarian to back me up, I would end up in military prison.
“If you are leaving for Dardil tonight, then we cannot wait for Tavarian to make it back here to testify on your behalf,” Lessie said, reading my thoughts. “I will have to escape and come to you. I am due for an exercise flight tomorrow night—I can slip my escort and come straight to you.”
“I don’t want you to put yourself at risk—”
“Zara, we are both at risk every day you remain in Salcombe’s hands,” Lessie interrupted. “He may be treating you nicely, but the moment he gets his hands on another piece of heart, the dragon god’s influence will corrupt him again. He will kill us once he gets what he wants. You may not want to admit that, but that is the only way this will end.”
My chest tightened as an unexpected wave of grief hit me. “You’re right,” I said, looking down at the street again. “Maybe I should take off now, before he gets back. I can try to sneak onto a boat, or maybe you can meet me—”
“No,” Lessie said. “I would do anything for you, Zara, but flying back to Traggar’s shores would be suicide for me, and possibly Tavarian. I don’t know much about politics, but I don’t think the Traggaran king would take kindly to dragons flying over his lands while our countries are trying to broker peace.”
“Shit.” I hadn’t even thought of that, but Lessie was right. Her dragon wisdom was growing by the day, despite her young age, and once again I was impressed by how insightful and intelligent these creatures were. “You’re right, but Dardil isn’t going to be safer either. They’re neutral, which means that if they see you flying over the city they’ll have to shoot at you on principle, or Zallabar will think they’ve allied with Elantia.” That was the price of neutrality, I thought morosely. Although the intent was to stay out of war, in reality it meant making everyone involved a potential enemy.
“Then I’ll pick you up before you arrive.”
I blinked. “From the ship?”
“Why not?” I could sense Lessie’s grin. “Just sneak up to the deck and I’ll grab you before anyone knows what’s happening. Think of it, Zara. Once we’re reunited, the two of us can go anywhere. Maybe we’ll leave all these idiots behind and join Muza overseas.”
Normally, Lessie’s excitement would have been infectious, but I found myself sighing at her childish outlook. “It is not so easy as that,” I said. “If I flee without clearing my name, then I will be branded as a criminal and we will never be able to return home.”
“Is it truly a home when your own peers turn on you so easily?” Lessie countered. But I could tell that my point had been taken seriously. “I admit that I do not want to leave the friends I have made behind, and neither do you. We need only stay away long enough for Tavarian to return so he can clear your name. Perhaps we’ll wait for him at his secret estate. Surely he will stop by there at some point, or we can get word to him from there.”
“That’s a good idea,” I told her. “But let’s focus on escaping first. We can decide what to do once I’m free.”
I wished I could stay up on the roof all night and talk to Lessie, but some instinct made me look down. My pulse jumped as I spotted Salcombe and Trolbos walking back from the docks, and I quickly ducked back into the window and headed downstairs. I needed to get back to my room before Salcombe or his flunkies noticed my absence. I only needed to survive them for one more night, and there was no way I would blow things now, not when I was so close to freedom I could practically taste it.
8
The next morning, Salcombe and I boarded a small merchant ship bound for Dardil. The one passenger ship had been completely full, but Salcombe and Trolbos had booked passage by offering the merchant a bribe hefty enough that the man had given us the captain’s cabin for the duration of our stay. Salcombe was in a cheery mood as we sailed across the relatively calm waters, but a tension headache throbbed at my temples. I’d barely caught a wink of sleep last night, fearing that one of the guards would go through the luggage and find that I’d stolen my things back. The luggage was safely stored below deck, out of my reach, but even now tension dug into my shoulders. What if Salcombe called for one of his elixirs? I wished now that I’d had the presence of mind to dilute the vials with water, but it was too late now.
But as the day went on, and the sun crept closer and closer to the horizon, I relaxed. Salcombe seemed content, and though Trolbos fixed me with his usual glare, it was with no more suspicion than usual. None of them suspected that my weapons and tools were concealed beneath my d
ay dress—my knives were tucked into my boots, and my skirt and chemise were thick enough no one could see the outline of the hilts or the tops of the boots. I wished I had a proper sheath for the dragon blade as well, rather than the silk I’d wrapped it in, but there was nothing for it. At least I didn’t have to worry about unwrapping it to use it—the blades would cut right through the cloth the moment I extended them.
The seas remained fairly calm throughout the day, but as night settled in, the boat began to rock more. Soon enough, rain started to pelt the deck, and the captain sent the four of us indoors. “Don’t need no land-leggers getting in the way,” he said gruffly as he ushered Salcombe and me into the cabin, and Trolbos and Hickam to the sailors’ quarters, where they slept on hammocks. “This only looks to be a minor squall, but the ocean’s a fickle beast. We might find ourselves in a nasty storm later.”
My stomach churned. “I hate this,” I said to Salcombe as I sat on a chair bolted into a corner of the room. “What if we end up locked in here, and the ship starts sinking?” The memory of those poor sailors who’d been robbed and locked up in their own cargo hold to drown slammed into my brain, and I shivered.
“That isn’t going to happen,” Salcombe assured me. “Trolbos and Hickam are more than capable of getting us out, and I have faith in the captain. These men sail through rough waters regularly—the channel is always being hit by squalls. We will be fine.”
I sucked in a deep breath. Fine. I’m sure those men had been seasoned sailors as well, and yet if Lessie and I hadn’t found them, they would have died. Then again, Lessie was on her way to get me, or at least she would be if she could escape from her escort. Now that night had fallen, it was only a matter of hours until Lessie left the stables for her midnight flight.
With nothing better to do to pass the time, I made a makeshift bed on the floor with a pillow and the spare blanket, and curled up for a nap. The rocking boat made it hard to sleep, but I tried to doze, knowing this would be my only chance to get some rest. Salcombe stayed up for a while, reading by the light of the candle on the bedside table. It took a few hours, but eventually the sound of his snores filled the cabin, and the candlelight flickered out.
“Zara!” My eyes popped open at the sound of Lessie’s voice in my head, clearer than before. Was it midnight already? “I’m coming to you now.”
“You’ve already managed to escape?”
“Yes.” Lessie sounded incredibly smug. “We have excellent cloud cover tonight, so it wasn’t very hard. I’m going to double back, try to confuse the trail, before I head your way. I’ll be there within the hour.”
Excitement surged through me. I wanted to jump up and race out the door, dance and wave my arms around like a crazy person. Instead I moved toward the door on silent feet, thankful I’d stolen back my spelled boots. The creaky floorboards made no sound as I snuck onto the deck, leaving Salcombe snoring away behind me.
To my relief, the rains had passed. The boat still rocked a bit, but nothing like the swells we’d felt earlier. I imagined Trolbos had spent most of the squall permanently bent over a bucket, and I smirked. He wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon, which was even better.
Glancing up, I thought about climbing up the mast and into the crow’s nest, which would be a perfect vantage point from which to jump on Lessie’s back. But there were still a few crew members up on deck, and I didn’t want to draw undue attention. Instead, I leaned against the starboard railing and took a deep breath of fresh ocean air, the wind running its ghostly fingers through my hair and clearing my head.
Where would Lessie and I go once we were reunited? The hidden valley seemed like the best choice, but we would have to be careful. The military would be on the lookout for us, and Salcombe could always show up again, now that he knew the location. We would have to get past the encampment on the channel, avoid the patrols that would be looking for us. If they caught us, Lessie and I would both be imprisoned, and I would be court-martialed.
Of course, we were on the verge of war, which meant my court-martial wasn’t the highest priority. It was quite possible we’d be left to languish for a while, and that Tavarian would come to our aid before any decisions were made. But what if he didn’t? What if things went wrong with Traggar? King Zoltar had already proven to be as capricious as the rumors said—someone at court could easily put a bug in his ear about Tavarian and get him executed. A chill raced up my spine at the thought. What if I never saw him again?
One thing at a time, I told myself. I focused on the bond, my spirits lifting as I sensed Lessie’s presence. She was getting closer by the minute. “How far are you?”
“Fifteen minutes o—”
I stiffened as a sense of alarm hit me. “Lessie?” I cried through the bond, tightening my grip on the rail. I searched the skies for any sign of her, but the clouds were so thick I could barely see anything despite the large moon hanging overhead. “Lessie, what’s happening?”
“Get out of sight!”
The panic in Lessie’s voice drove all questions out of my mind. Without hesitation, I raced below deck, uncaring if the sailors saw me. Any danger to my life was also a danger to Lessie’s. Heart pounding, I shut myself in a mop closet, straining to read Lessie’s thoughts. But they were all jumbled up by a wave of bitter anger and disappointment.
“Lessie,” I called again, trying not to let my own panic overwhelm me. “What’s happening?”
“It was a trap,” she said morosely. I could feel her moving away, and my stomach sank. “My two escorts have been following me this entire time. I can only imagine they were hoping I would lead them straight to you.”
Dammit. “Are you all right?” I demanded. “Did they catch you?”
“Not yet,” she said fiercely. Her presence receded faster, and I could tell that she was on the run.
“Wait,” I said, desperation filling me. “Come back, Lessie. Maybe it’s better this way if they take us.” Despite my misgivings about being captured, I couldn’t bear the idea of this continued separation. The ache in my heart seemed to grow with every yard of distance she put between us. How long until I wouldn’t be able to communicate with her at all?
“No,” Lessie said. “They are very angry with me now. If we go back, the two of us will both be punished for treason, and I refuse to submit to such treatment when neither of us has done anything wrong. I will evade them, then come back for you when it is safe.”
I sagged against the wall, ignoring the broom handle jabbing into my back. Was there ever going to be a safe place for either of us? By tomorrow night, Salcombe and I would be in Dardil. Perhaps that was a good thing, as it would be extremely risky for the other dragons to follow her there, but Lessie would be in more danger than ever. At least in Elantia, she would have no risk of being shot down. Tears of grief and frustration filled my eyes, and I clenched my fists.
“I’m sorry, Zara.” Lessie’s voice was growing fainter, but the misery in it was clear. “I’ve failed you.”
“No,” I said gently. “You didn’t fail me at all. You did exactly the right thing. I’m the one who’s failed you. I should have ignored Carvis’s orders and headed back to the mainland instead of blindly obeying. We would have been reprimanded, but we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Maybe, but if you hadn’t ended up in the Traggaran capital, you wouldn’t have been able to thwart the Traggar-Zallabar alliance,” Lessie pointed out. “We’ll get through this, Zara. I promise.”
I smiled through my tears. “You’re right.” Reaching through the bond, I gave her a mental hug. “I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The last word faded away, and I knew that she was beyond reach. A few tears fell, but I wiped them away, then headed back to the cabin I shared with Salcombe. Standing over his bedside, watching the rise and fall of his thin chest, I was struck by the violent urge to drive my dragon blade through his heart and end this threat once and for all. Gritting my teeth, I raised th
e weapon overhead, extending the blades out a few inches. Just one downward strike, and this would all be over.
And then what? a voice, likely the voice of reason, whispered in my head. Are you willing to kill the entire crew too? Because I would have to, or at least tie them up and steer the entire ship myself. It would be one thing if it were only Salcombe and his henchmen around, another thing entirely to have to fight off an entire crew of sailors. The captain wouldn’t listen to my excuses—his word was law aboard the ship, and he would have me imprisoned and turned over to the authorities the moment we docked to be tried for murder. I didn’t know how that worked, exactly, since neither Salcombe or I were from Dardil, but I was sure they had some kind of procedure for this situation, and I couldn’t risk execution or Lessie would die, too.
Sighing, I lowered my blade and tucked it away. Killing Salcombe was, ultimately, the right thing to do. But a secret part of me was glad that, at least for now, I would have to stay my hand.
9
After one more day and night on the ship, we finally arrived at Lange. I gripped the railing as the ship slowly docked, reaching out with my senses for Lessie. She hadn’t come back last night, and I could only imagine that meant she was still in danger. Had the dragons managed to catch her after all, and bring her back to Elantia? But no, she wasn’t far enough away to account for that. She must have found some other place to take refuge.
“A beautiful city,” Salcombe said. I started—I was so tired I hadn’t realized he’d come to stand next to me. His eyes glittered as he surveyed the capital, which sprawled before us in a buzz of color and activity. Lange was ringed by tree-lined boulevards rather than a defensive wall, and bisected by the Sulae River, around which the city had sprung up nearly eight hundred years ago. From here, I could see past the bustling marina and the city center to the residential areas, and the older buildings on the west side and the manicured lawns and restored townhouses on the east told me that the city was divided by more than just a body of water. “I’ve never taken you here, have I?”
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