Dragon Chameleon: Paths of Deception

by Sarah K. L. Wilson

  At the very peak of the city, a strange structure loomed. It was like a great three-pronged arm that extended out over the mountain city. It rose in the center of the curve of the mountain so that anyone standing on the platform at the end of it would be standing over a drop that went all the way to the foothills below the mountain. How would you build a thing like that? What was it for?

  You will have to ask Zyla. I do not know of this thing.

  All three arms led to that circular platform. A pair of intersecting arches towered over the platform, serrated along their edges. Arches were interspersed all along the arms, a long beam running along the peaks of them as if it was part of the structural integrity of the network.

  In my experience, strange things like that led to nothing good.

  Except for the time you thought we should fly through one that was like a door.

  I saved our lives, didn’t I?

  Technically, that was me.

  Fine. Then if you’re the savior around here, then get out of that dragon cote and come lend me a hand. I hadn’t wanted her in danger before, but now things were getting ... dire.

  I turned a corner only to find my way blocked by guards. I pivoted at the last moment, rushing up a spiral staircase instead. Great. The guards had joined the chase again. I was like a prize fox in a hunt. Everyone wanted a piece of my hide.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I had a terrible feeling that they were herding me upward. That, or they figured I would collapse if I kept climbing.

  I was close to collapse already, my lungs heaving and the taste of blood in my mouth. I was no quitter. If they wanted me, they’d have to come and get me.

  On my way.

  Really? I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned the last spiral in the staircase and then gasped. If the level below had been rich, this level was palatial. The boardwalk wasn’t boards but woven metal strands in vine-like patterns. The rail along the edge was equally decadent and by the knot-and-scrollwork around every door and window and the carved friezes on the walls, I had a terrible feeling that this might be the kind of place where a king would live.

  There were only about a hundred people standing around the railings on this level. Their song seemed to be almost a trance. But their guards were alert. They were charging towards me.

  Nice work, fellas. Who said that guards were unobservant?

  I turned. Better to take my chances below. Movement made me stop just in time. The pair of guards from below were rounding the last turn on the spiral staircase.

  Skies and flaming stars! I was in trouble now!

  Language!

  She could say whatever she wanted, but she wasn’t here.

  I told you I was coming, I just need to work on a great disguise, so no one recognizes me ...

  Yeah, you work on disguises, I’ll work on not dying.

  I was going so quickly now that my feet were slipping and skidding on the icy woven walkway. I nearly skidded into a girl with flowing golden hair and huge eyes. Her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ but there was no time to admire pretty faces. I was surrounded.

  The purple of Shabren’s robes rose over the lip of the staircase.

  There was only one path left to me – the nearest arm leading to that center platform. I was already squirming inside as my feet hit the edge of it.

  If you are going to die, do it spectacularly. Like everything in life, you have a better chance of pulling it off if you add the right level of drama.

  What do you mean ‘pull it off’? We all die.

  I mean that if I can, I’ll find a way to cheat death.

  If that was possible, no one in Ko’Torenth would ever die. I feel like I should walk through this city blindfolded and with wool in my ears. No one is who they pretend to be!

  I sped up, my lungs screaming in protest as I raced down the arm. Something was digging into my chest uncomfortably. What was that?

  The spider! I’d forgotten about it in my hurry. I reached into my shirt, fumbling for it as I ran. There!

  I pulled it out of my shirt. It was hot to the touch and glowing.

  Uh oh. I never wanted to be in a place that made magic things start working again. That was for heroes and I was definitely not hero material.

  I should throw it off the side of the arch. And yet, somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I knew this thing could shoot lightning. I’d seen it before, hadn’t I? Maybe it could shoot a little lightning for me.

  Be careful! Things that are done remain done. You can’t un-kill someone.

  Oh, trust me. I won’t want to.

  Have you ever killed?

  I’d gotten pretty close.

  You won’t like it. When you kill someone, it feels a bit like cheating.

  I liked cheating. I did it at every conceivable opportunity.

  And yet, here you are being faithful and loyal when you could just turn the rest of us in for the reward.

  Shabren stepped onto the arm. I could finally hear him.

  “I knew you’d be trouble,” he said. “The second I saw you, I knew you were a street curr.”

  He flattery would get him nowhere. I backed up as I fumbled with the spider.

  “You’re dipping your toes in pools that you have no business even knowing about. Hand me that artifact.”

  Yeah, and I’d go ahead and give him the axe, too. Did he always deal with idiots or did he really think he could charm me out of my only weapons?

  The tiger’s eye pendant on my chest vibrated.

  “Do you know what it means to step on this walkway, boy? Do you know what will happen when your feet hit the ko’tor’kaen?”

  I didn’t even know what that word meant. Now, how did this thing work? You pointed it at your enemy ... I lifted the spider up, aiming the legs at Shabren.

  “This is the seat of judgment, boy. This place was made to judge truth. And you are no son of truth.”

  So, what? If I had to guess, I’d say that the only truthful person in this city was Saboraak and she was no one’s son.

  Your acknowledgment means a lot to me.

  Uh huh. Enough to fly up here and get me out of this mess?

  I’m stuck here. I can’t leave until Zyla returns.

  Just get me out of here before Shabren remembers he can do those lightning tricks.

  “The Ko’tor’kaen judges the destiny of a soul. And on this day – the Festival of Lights – the day that Ko’Torenth celebrates how each person holds within him a spark of Truth – on this day, walking onto that platform has a special significance.”

  “Did you know that you look smaller without your pet rug?” I asked. It wasn’t my best insult, but I was feeling a little out of my depths.

  I took another step backward and stumbled slightly. It was a step down. I pulled my other foot down to quickly stabilize. Whew. It didn’t feel like I’d hurt my ankles. That was a close one!

  When I looked back up, Shabren’s eyes were wide with shock.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I felt a tingling in the air. Without realizing it, I had stepped onto the platform. I could see the other two arms branching off next to the one I’d followed. Guards stood at the edges of the arms as if they were afraid to step on the platform, their eyes wide and their faces tight with fear.

  Above me, the tingling air leapt and jumped along the intersecting arches, sizzling with leaping blue light.

  “Where is it?” Shabren asked quietly, as if he was afraid his voice would shatter our special moment.

  “In my hands, genius.”

  Beneath me, the song in a thousand throats caught for a moment before morphing into something brighter, something almost triumphant. I didn’t understand it. But one thing I did know – I was glad my face was covered. I had a terrible feeling that every set of eyes in the city could see me right now.

  “Not the spider, the book. Hubric didn’t have it when we caught up to him. There’s only one person he could have given it to.”

  Caug
ht up to them? Did they have Hubric? Was he okay? And what book was he talking about? Did he mean that weird prophecy book Hubric gave me before he left?

  The spider pulled upward, as if being sucked up to where the arches intersected, but I held on tight even when it yanked my arms above my head and my sleeves fell down around my elbows. I wasn’t letting go of this thing. It was the most valuable thing I owned – or at least, I thought so. I was going to have to look at that book again.

  There was a gasp – a gasp like the rush of the tide, a gasp torn from several thousand throats. Shabren’s eyes were locked on my arms above my head. I looked up. The silver tattoos glowed in the blue light of the arches.

  At the arms of the other two arches, the guards dropped to their knees.

  “The Ko,” Shabren breathed.

  Run. I sense ... terrible evil.

  Run where?

  The spider ripped from my hands, rocketing up to the apex of the arches and sticking there as if by magic. I’d lost my only hope of fighting back – not that it had been working for me anyway.

  Run anywhere!

  “You’ll never escape now, boy.”

  I let my eyes narrow and clenched my jaw. I’d never been a hero. I kept telling people that.

  Then be a gambler. It’s what you keep on saying you are! Take a gamble. Do something no one would predict.

  Okay, Saboraak. It’s now or never. You want to be my dragon? You get one chance at this.

  I smiled at Shabren. “Watch me.”

  I turned my back on him and ran, jumping through the arch and leaping out into the empty air beyond. If you’re going to die, do it dramatically.

  My legs and arms wind-milled as I dropped, a meteor falling from the sky. My heart was in my throat, tears streaking down my face. What had I done? This gamble was too much!

  It might be my last big bet.

  The wind whistled around me as I dashed past thousands of horrified faces, past level after level of mountain city. My heart was pounding too hard. It was going to burst before my dice pips could be counted and the bet decided ...

  I crashed into something hard.

  It dipped under me, leveling off as I was still grasping for a hold of the saddle. A massive red head and neck spun around to give me a baleful look.

  You can always bet on me, kid. Although, for future reference, I’d prefer that the risks you take be a little less suicidal in nature. I was thinking that you’d dart over the heads of the guards or try a spinning kick, or something ...

  I had bet my life on my dragon.

  And when I was done having a heart attack, I was going to feel all warm inside that my bet had paid off.

  I’ll show you warm! I’ll toast your heels if you ever pull a stunt like that again!

  It was actually kind of fun now that it was over ...

  I’ll roast you like a pig on a spit!

  And it was the first time I’d ever completely trusted someone else with my life.

  Saboraak’s rage stuttered and was gone.

  I’m starting to love you, too.

  No one said anything about love.

  I just did.

  READ MORE OF TOR AND Saboraak’s adventures in Dragon Chameleon: City of Ice.

  Behind the Scenes:

  USA Today bestselling author, Sarah K. L. Wilson loves spinning a yarn and if it paints a magical new world, twists something old into something reborn, or makes your heart pound with excitement ... all the better! Sarah hails from the rocky Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario -

  learning patience and tenacity from the long months of icy cold - where she lives with her husband and two small boys. You might find her building fires in her woodstove and wishing she had a dragon handy to light them for her.

  Sarah would like to thank Harold Trammel and Eugenia Kollia for their incredible work in beta reading and proofreading this book. Without their big hearts and passion for stories, this book would not be the same.

  Follow me on Amazon for new release alerts.

  Join my Facebook Fan Group to chat about the books.

  Join the Six Queens of YA newsletter.

  Visit Sarah’s website for a complete list of available titles.

  FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER