by E. L. Todd
He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, processing the rage that had nowhere to go but explode inside him. He swallowed his hostility and resentment and climbed up and grabbed on to her hand.
She yanked him up.
Flare took flight, his body not as beautiful as it was once, mangled with scars and broken scales, blood dripping from his mouth.
He beat his wings as hard and fast as he could, but he wasn’t as powerful as he normally was.
Cora felt the tears in her eyes. Can you do this?
Yes.
He’ll chase you.
I know.
It was a cloudy night, so Flare used the clouds to hide himself as much as possible, but the steward caught up quickly.
Cora grabbed her bow and placed an arrow against the string.
Arrows will do nothing against dragon scales.
Then how can I help?
You can’t.
Callon looked behind his shoulder and saw the dragon emerge. Yellow like a daisy, it was striking against the nighttime sky, like sunlight in the dark. “Do we have a plan here?”
“No.”
Callon continued to watch him. “If you get close enough, I can jump on and stab my sword into his spine.”
No. The elf will die.
“He said that won’t work.”
Callon turned back to her, his eyes narrowed. “You can talk to him.”
She held his gaze but kept her silence.
In the distance, a black silhouette appeared, tiny in comparison to the dragon.
“No…”
Callon followed her gaze.
She grabbed on to Callon for balance and closed her eyes, reaching out and feeling the steed that had brought her here. Fly away.
The steed caught up to the steward, who was oblivious to his small presence, the flower still behind his ear, and bit on the wing with his long, sharp teeth.
“Roar!” The steward lost his balance and descended from the sky, but in the process, knocked the steed with his other wing.
She opened her eyes and watched it happen. “No!”
Callon faced forward again. “He won’t be down for long. Fly low.”
What?
Cora couldn’t keep her focus on the steed anymore, not when there was nothing she could do. “What do you mean?” She voiced Flare’s words.
“When he rights himself, his eyes are going to be up, not down.” Callon pointed down to the ocean, where the moonlight had a distinct reflection on the water. No matter their position, it followed them. “Your scales will reflect the moonlight too.”
Cora’s eyes widened. “Camouflage. Callon, that’s brilliant.”
Hold on.
“Hold on,” Cora said.
Flare dived down hard, getting to the ocean as quickly as possible before the steward had a chance to observe his movements. Flare opened his wings over the water, some of the salt spray hitting everyone in the face. Just feet above the water, he continued to fly.
Callon looked up at the sky.
Cora did too.
The steward regained his altitude and scanned the sky, searching for the red dragon that would be scorched with his wrath. Not once did he look down. He took off again, heading in a completely different direction.
The ocean waves were loud beneath them, the sound of Flare’s powerful wings amplified against the surface of the water, but the night was peaceful. They flew over the ocean as they hugged the shore, blending in with the darkness and the elements.
Tell your elf I said thank you.
Cora looked at Callon, who continued to stare at the skies where the steward had been. His look lingered, as if he wanted to see the steward again. “Flare says thank you.”
As if he didn’t hear a word, he continued to stare.
Twenty-Six
The Blood of Loyalty
I can’t go on any longer.
That’s fine, Flare.
They flew through the night, hugging the coastline, and once the sky started to lighten, they had to hide before anyone saw the brilliant red dragon glide over the ocean. Cora had no idea where they were, but after flying all night, she imagined they were nearly on the other side of the continent by now.
Flare moved to land, searching the wilderness for the perfect place to rest. There were trees everywhere, so it looked uninhabited and far away from a city. He touched down in a meadow, his body immediately weak once his claws were on land.
Callon jumped off as fast as he could and stepped away, wanting to put as much distance between himself and them. He walked off and moved to the tree line and stared off into the distance.
Cora hopped off and looked at Flare’s injuries. “We’ll scavenge the countryside for the right medicinal flowers to help—”
“Not we.” Callon kept his eyes on the rising sun, just a sliver over the horizon.
Flare stared at him with his big eyes before he looked at Cora once again. On me, the injuries are painful. But on Rush, they’re life-threatening. We need to switch—and you need to treat him.
“Got it.”
Flare transformed, turning into Rush once more, who was a corpse on the grass.
“Rush?” She placed her hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat.
Weak.
Let him sleep.
She hooked her arms under his and gently dragged him underneath the tree, where he could rest in the shade after the sun rose. She pushed his clothing to the side, seeing all the terrible scars that would permanently mark him. She didn’t feel her tears until she watched them splash on his broken skin.
But they didn’t heal him—not the way his healed hers.
She rose to her feet and walked to Callon on the other side of the meadow, leaving Rush out of earshot under the tree. “Can you heal him?”
His gaze remained on the sun, the light blanketing his face more and more as it crested the horizon. “How dare you ask me that?” He turned and faced her, his eyes different than they’d ever been, even on their worst day.
“Callon—”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He stepped toward her, menacing in his armor, his eyebrows furrowed fiercely.
“Everything happened so fast—”
“Because you knew I wouldn’t have come.”
“No—”
“And if I’d known, I wouldn’t have come.” His chest rose and fell with the deep breaths he took, his nostrils flared with exertion, the cords in his neck still popping.
“And if you hadn’t, I would be dead right now.”
His fury dropped—for just a moment.
“He’s not the same person that you remember—”
“That man killed my brother.” He stepped forward, little tremors moving through his body, his blade intimidating at his side. “He killed my best friend, my brother, my king. I should unsheathe my sword and end his life here and now.”
Cora breathed, feeling herself lose her uncle before he pulled away. “He’s not the same man—”
“I tell you that he slayed your father, and that’s your response?” His eyes narrowed. “You already knew.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
He stepped forward more. “You knew, and you still helped him.”
The strength in her voice was gone, replaced by a shaky desperation. “He’s not the same man he was then. He’s an enemy to the king, to his own father, and all he wants is to free the dragons—”
“I don’t give a damn about the dragons!” Spit flew from his mouth as he yelled. “They got what they deserve.”
“You don’t mean that—”
“I do—”
“You think anyone deserves to suffer for eternity because they had a big heart? I don’t believe that, not when you have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.” Her eyes watered, but she kept the tears back. “I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me too. But he wants to fix this broken world—”
“It wasn’t broken until he came—”
“Callon.” She i
nhaled a deep breath, the tears escaping. “Please help me help him.”
“No.”
She gave a slight nod, expecting that answer.
“I’ve done more than enough. I owe him nothing.”
She dropped her chin, feeling the sun creep higher up her body, a new summer day arising. The air already felt warm, the life around her waking up to greet the day. “What now?” She lifted her chin again.
His eyes were on the sun. “I’ll return to Eden Star—and I hope you’ll join me.”
“I will—after I help him.”
He released a deep sigh, his chest rising and then deflating with annoyance. He turned back to her, eyes filled with stark disappointment. “He doesn’t deserve your kindness, Cora. It’s an insult to your lineage. It’s an insult to me. If he wants to take on King Lux, then that’s his business. Has nothing to do with us.”
“It has everything to do with us.”
His eyes narrowed.
“King Lux will come for Eden Star someday. He won’t stop until he has everything.”
“Our forest has protected us against invasion. It will protect us again—”
“There are no guarantees. You told me yourself that you live in the most peaceful place but you have no peace. You know why? Because you have no closure. I saw the way you looked at the Steward of Easton—”
“I don’t want to speak of this.” The fire in his eyes rivaled the flames from Flare’s snout.
She let the subject die in the breeze. “The decisions the dragons made have compromised Anastille. But they don’t deserve to suffer for eternity. No one deserves that. There’s no amount of hate—”
“My family died because of that decision. Yes, there is that amount of hate.”
Sadness pulled at her eyes, seeing just how broken he really was. She hadn’t seen it in the beginning, but now an aura of grief permanently surrounded him. It was a haze, a slightly colored tint.
“I disobeyed my queen—to save the man who slayed my king.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment, shut them tight, and then opened them once more. “I’m ashamed.”
“Or you saved the man who will overthrow King Lux…and restore the peace of this world.”
He stared, his facial features tight in displeasure.
“What will she do when you return?”
He looked away again, staring at the horizon. “Nothing.”
“She doesn’t seem that merciful—”
“She threatened to execute me.” He turned back to her.
She inhaled a deep breath, a quiet gasp. “Then stay—”
“She won’t do it. I’ve given too much for Eden Star, and out of respect for my brother, she will spare me. But there will be repercussions… I just don’t know what they will be.”
“Will she torture you—”
“We aren’t savage—like your friend over there.” He looked past her to the broken man under the tree. His eyes refocused on her face. “I want to stay to protect you, but if I remain in his presence too long, I will slay him. My affection for you isn’t strong enough to stop it.”
“Can you at least give me some advice on how to—”
“No.” His features turned stoic, heartless. “I hope he passes. The world will be a better place when he does.”
She sucked in the insult without retaliation because he had every right to feel that way. Even she should feel that way.
“When you’re ready, return to Eden Star. Do not continue your idiotic plan until you’ve completed your training. Promise me that.”
“You…still want me to come back? Even after this?”
A long silence ensued, as if the question were incoherent. “A difference in ideologies doesn’t make a difference in our relationship. You’re my brother’s daughter. It is not only my duty to care for you, but it is my joy.”
She drew in a slow breath, her heart convulsing.
“Now promise me.”
She nodded. “I promise.”
He stared at her long and hard, piercing her flesh with his eyes. “Why do you show loyalty to someone who doesn’t deserve it? I’m your blood. Your loyalty should be to me alone.”
She inhaled again slowly, the emotion in her throat. “Families aren’t only bound by blood—but love.”
His eyes sank slowly, like that was a dagger between his ribs. After a moment, he raised his chin and looked at her once more, his armor reflecting the sunlight, his posture impeccable despite the long night they’d just endured. He was always balanced, always strong, always a soldier. Without a goodbye, he turned away.
“Tor-lei.”
He halted in mid-step, going still.
She walked up to him, her face close to his back.
He slowly turned around and faced her, his head a foot taller than hers.
She moved into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him, feeling an unspoken bond wrap around them tightly.
With his arms by his sides, he stood there, just as he had in the tree house.
She remained, knowing he needed time, time to release his anger and embrace her affection.
His arms circled her a moment later, his chin resting on her head. “Sor-lei.”
She came back to Rush, watching his shallow breaths, seeing the paleness to his cheeks. “Flare, I don’t know what to do.”
He needs medicine.
“I’ll look in the countryside, but I think he needs more than that.”
I agree. Where did the elf go?
“He left.”
Why?
“We need to focus on Rush right now. If I empty my canteen, I can catch your dragon tears. You’ll turn back, and I’ll give them to Rush.”
That won’t work.
“Why?”
They’re only effective in their purest form. Your canteen is made out of the stomach of an orc, and water has absorbed into the material over time. Only unused glassware can be used to contain dragon tears.
“Dammit.”
I’m sorry.
“I’ll be sure to keep an empty flask on hand from now on.”
We had one—but our things were stolen.
The disappointment was raw, painful all the way down to her gut. “Do you know where we are?”
Yes. We’re a few hours from Polox.
“The city where I made my blade?”
Yes.
“Wow, that’s one hell of a coincidence.”
Coincidence? Why?
“Because I know exactly where to find dragon tears.”
Where?
“There was a shop next to the forge. I saw them in a cage.”
Pretty, that’s dangerous. If you get caught—
“We don’t have another choice. Will he survive another day?”
It’s hard to say. Now that he’s not being tortured, he can rest. So, we have that on our side.
“I don’t want to leave him, but I don’t know what else to do.”
I will protect him.
“I don’t want to leave you either.”
I know. But we have no other choice.
She looked down into his face, seeing a man she hardly recognized. He was beaten and battered. His handsome features were hidden by bruising and swelling. For injuries as extensive as his, nothing else would work except dragon tears or some other powerful medicine that she wouldn’t find in the wild.
She dropped her pack and set her filled canteen beside him. “I need to get going. I don’t have any money, so I’ll have to steal it.”
Then they’ll chase you.
“I know.”
You just need to make it back to me. After we swallow the dragon tears, I can fly us to safety.
“But if they chase me and I don’t get the dragon tears…”
Then we’ll all die.
Twenty-Seven
Mathilda
Her fatigue was paramount, but when their lives were on the line, she had enough energy to keep her going. She ran for many hours, reaching the outsid
e of Polox before noon. It was the middle of the day, so she wouldn’t be able to slip into the potions shop unnoticed.
I’m here.
Pull up your hood. Stay close to a wagon so you don’t appear to be alone.
The two massive doors to the city were open and armed guards were on top. People filed in and out, visiting the city to sell crops and trade before they returned to their villages. When a cart approached, she walked in a blind spot for the driver and passed into Polox. I’m in. That was easy.
Now comes the hard part.
How’s he doing?
Still breathing.
Many months had passed and it had been dark the last time she visited Polox, so she couldn’t quite remember where to go. Got any directions?
It’s on the western side of the city. That’s all I know.
Thanks. After wandering the streets, she spotted the potions shop next to the forge. There was one window that faced the street, but it was covered with purple curtains. Here we go…
Your best bet is to take it without her noticing.
She turned the knob gently then stepped inside.
There were shelves holding odd objects, like bowls of orc hair, shark teeth, black pearls, and other things she couldn’t recognize.
She shut the door quietly behind her.
She appeared to be alone because there was no one behind the counter.
Slowly, she crept to the area where she remembered the cage of dragon tears.
It wasn’t there. Shit.
What?
It’s not here.
It’s not where you remember, or it’s not in the potions shop?
The first one.
Look everywhere. And be careful—Mathilda is a witch.
Now she recalled Rush sharing that with her a long time ago. Do they have powers?
Their magic is unclear and very little understood.
Okay…that didn’t answer my question.
We’ll talk later. Just find the potion.
She continued to scour the little shop, ignoring the orc stomachs on the shelf and the stench that burned her nose as she passed. There were different odors everywhere she went, and she started to breathe through her mouth to avoid the smell.
When she reached a shelf that had the most unusual flowers she’d ever seen, she stared.