by Martha Carr
Something else flashed through Connor Alby’s mind—a memory he did not recognize. The kingdom of Lomberdoon in the beginning, when all but the capital city had yet to be established. Dragons roosted along the fortress walls that now housed King Vaughn. There had been dragons then too.
I knew this would happen.
When he finished, the man removed his hands from the ancient beast’s black scaly snout and stepped back, breathing heavily.
The dome of powerful magic winked out, and Po took a deep, hissed breath. He’d closed his eyes when Connor’s mind had touched his, and he kept them closed as he lowered himself to the ground and settled his mighty head on the stone in front of the veteran dragon rider.
Raven’s mouth had run dry, and she shut it slowly and frowned at her grandfather. “Did he…”
“I believe he did.” Leander tilted his head and peered at Connor and the huge black beast lying like a trained dog at the man’s feet. “His familiar was a dragon, was she not?”
“Yeah. He never told me he could do that.”
“Now you know what we can do.”
She set a hand on her dragon’s shoulder to steady herself and to gain comfort from a friend.
Finally, Po opened his golden eyes and stared intently at the man. “I do not understand.”
“It was plain enough,” he replied. He swayed, shook his head, and sat to keep from falling. “Ask, and I will explain as best I can.”
“Dragons and humans…and mages…” The golden eyes narrowed. “If they are so connected as you’ve shown me, why were we awakened? Why were my brethren and I called from across the sea if not to right the wrongs against our own kind?”
“Ah. I’m sorry. That question has an answer I simply can’t give you. But I have a theory.”
“Give it, mage.”
“I believe that magic as we’ve known it and used it for hundreds of years is…changing. It’s returning to the way it once was before it became a tool only for witches and wizards with magic in their blood. Magic is slowly seeping back into the world, and while I don’t yet know why, I intend to find out. Maybe that’s what woke you and your kind in the first place. It could be that the magic in Threndor and the dragons here who are such an integral part of our lives called you to us.”
“A theory.” The black dragon growled softly.
“Yes. I’ve been looking for my own answers, very much like you have. If we can form a truce, great one—the five from across the sea and the kingdom of Lomberdoon as one—I will tell you everything I know as soon as I discover it.”
“You would return?”
“I will return. I can’t say when, but I give you my word.”
Po sucked in another sibilant breath and raised his head up from the ground. “We lived for centuries and slept for longer, mage. We will wait.”
“This only works if you stop the attacks on the dragon ranches and farms across the kingdom. No hunting, either. You may stay in these mountains, if you like. There are no towns or villages nearby. And of course, the lands beyond the wall encircling Lomberdoon belong to no one, although I have to include any manmade property raising livestock beyond the wall.”
“There are plenty of other creatures to meet our needs.” The massive beast turned his head to face the valley and the four ancient dragons watching the exchange. “I accept such a truce, mage. And I hold you to your word.”
“As I hold you to yours.” Connor pushed to his feet and brushed his cloak and pantlegs off. “Now, I would very much like to take my granddaughter and her dragon home.”
“Go. I no longer need her.”
The other massive dragons screeched and bellowed around the valley as Connor returned to Raven. He stumbled once and she raced toward him before he wrapped her in a crushing hug.
“That was incredible!”
“Was it?” He chuckled weakly. “I hardly noticed.”
“It’s so good to see you. How did you know where I was? How did you even get here—”
“Later, girl.” He cupped her cheek and nodded, his blue eyes sparkling. “Right now, we need to leave.”
“Right. Leander?”
“I have carried two before.” The dragon lowered himself to his belly and winked at Connor. “It will be fun.”
The veteran dragon rider eyed his glistening red back with hesitation. “You have no saddle.”
“That’s been a thing for a while, Grandpa. Come on.” Raven took his hand and led him toward Leander’s tail. “Do what I do.” The mage stepped as high as she could onto Leander’s tail and walked swiftly up the ridges of his long back until she reached his shoulders. “It’s okay.”
“My word.” Connor swept his gaze over the expanse of dragon he was about to walk on. “All right.” He stepped up with a grunt, his arms held out at his sides, and walked slowly up Leander’s spine. “Incredible.”
“Yep.” She glanced away from him and saw the emerald-green dragon watching them from his cavern on the other side of the wide ridge. The beast’s huge nostrils flared as his shimmering green eyes narrowed. “I think we should hurry.”
“It’s a little…” The old man finally reached her, and they crouched to straddle Leander’s back where a saddle should have been. “There’s nothing to hold onto, Raven.”
She patted her thighs and gave him a reassuring smile over her shoulder. “Just squeeze.”
“Ha. Simple, is it?”
Leander rose gently to his feet, and Connor clamped his hands on his granddaughter’s shoulders.
“It’s okay, Grandpa. You’ll be fine.”
The dragon turned his head as far as he could on his long neck and muttered, “They’re very quiet.”
“I know.” Raven glanced around the valley. Po stared blankly at the ledge and seemed to be considering everything he’d learned. The other ancient dragons continued to stare at the young mage and her dragon. “I don’t think they like the deal you made, Grandpa.”
“Hmm.” Connor raised his head toward Po. “You’ve given us leave to fly, great one. I hope your kin will agree.”
Po’s eyes darted toward the small red dragon and the two riders. “If they do not, they will still obey. Go.”
Leander headed swiftly toward the edge of the stone shelf and spread his wings. “Hold on.”
“To what?” the old man shouted as the red dragon leapt from the precipice and took flight.
They wheeled up and around the valley to pass over the highest ridge. The ancient dragons shrieked and bellowed.
“No truce with traitors!” the emerald male screamed and slithered from his hole in the mountainside with a burst of sparks.
“Hold!” Po roared.
The dragon didn’t listen. He rocketed into the sky after Leander with a snarl and dislodged an overhanging ledge from the rock wall with the force of his wingbeats and his claws scrabbling to kick off from the mountain.
The gold, silver, and white beasts launched from their perches after him with rage-fueled screeches and roared. They separated and went in different directions to circle the valley to position themselves for a multi-sided attack.
The emerald male behind them snapped his mighty jaws at Leander’s tail. The dragon familiar dove—which elicited a shout of surprise from Connor—and narrowly avoided losing the end of his tail.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen!” Raven shouted.
“I know.” Her grandfather turned to look over his shoulder as the four dragons headed toward them.
Po bellowed and leapt atop the highest ridge to watch the chase.
“I knew it felt too easy.”
“What do we do?”
“Leander,” Connor shouted. “Lead them away from the fleet. Flynn and the others need time to get away.”
The red dragon banked and turned right and away from the dozen dragons and their riders gathered on a rocky slat outside the valley. The green beast darted after them, and the white one headed directly to the fleet.
“No!”
The attacker opened his mouth and unleashed a massive column of fire at the gathered dragons on the ground.
Leander turned back so swiftly, Connor shifted sideways and clamped his arms around Raven’s waist as she extended her hand and shouted, “Sequantur flamma!”
The fire stopped mere yards above the startled fleet and splashed against her magic. The red dragon banked around the fleet and roared, “Get out!”
Her arms shook as she held the fire at bay. Then, she pushed with all her strength and the churning column of flames streaked into the sky and engulfed the ancient silver dragon. She screeched and faltered, losing height as she struggled to right her wings. The silver beast barely escaped impact with the mountainside, but she broke off a huge chunk of stone from the ridge that towered over the valley before she disappeared over the other side.
“Verecundia!” Connor shouted. The blue lightning bolt launched from his hands and caught the underside of the white male’s throat.
He screamed and followed it with a choked cough and a puff of smoke. Enraged, he banked toward Leander and shook his head.
The golden female dove toward the last of the riders still mounting their dragons. Leander swung toward her and unleashed a burst of flame at her head.
“Sequantur flamma!” Raven directed his attack into a pinpoint of flame toward the gold dragon’s eye.
The female screeched as she flapped and fluttered to slow her descent with massive, deadly wingbeats. Once stable, she focused on Leander.
Raven’s dragon familiar released another fiery attack, and she directed it again, this time toward the ancient beast’s open mouth. His flames didn’t stop, and she screamed in an effort to retain control as the golden dragon beat steadily toward them. The flames she held grew brighter as they shifted from orange to yellow, to white, and finally, a crackling blue.
Seconds before they would have collided, the golden female screamed and descended while Leander elevated. Raven and Connor leaned forward as far as they could, the man’s cheek pressed against her satchel while the red dragon climbed into the sky. A massive thud and the scrabble of claws on stone rose below them, and when he leveled out, they saw the golden female scramble to her feet, shake her head, and snort.
“What was that?” Connor shouted.
“Something awesome,” Raven replied. Exactly like when we destroyed that Skiffling skull and buried the Swarm.
Their attacker tossed her golden head before she became airborne again. This time, however, she retreated up and over the ridge to take shelter in the stone valley.
“You scared off a beast like that,” the old man muttered.
Raven peered at him over her shoulder as Leander circled to continue his attempt to draw the ancient beasts away from the retreating fleet of Lomberdoon’s dragons. “We’ve been busy while you were gone, Grandpa.”
“Yes, I can see that—look out!”
The huge white male hurtled toward them from below. Leander dove out of the way, turned, and almost flew sideways to avoid the ancient dragon’s beating wings. Fortunately, the male dragon apparently only intended to return to the valley. He landed on the highest ridge beside the section that had been demolished by one of his brethren’s flailing bodies. The white beast raised his head to the sky, his massive wings outstretched, and uttered a shuddering bellow.
The mountain pass fell silent after that. Raven, Connor, and Leander scanned the cliffs below in search of the fleet.
“They got away,” she muttered.
“Well done.” Her grandfather wiped the sweat building above his brow and sighed heavily. “I think it’s time we follow.”
“Two more,” Leander growled.
“What?”
“The green and the black.”
“Po gave us his word.” She scanned the mountains, searching for giant dragons too big to hide in the open. “He wouldn’t go back on it. A dragon doesn’t—”
A huge shadow passed over them and blotted out the midday sun. The three looked up slowly to see the emerald-green dragon soaring above, his lips pulled back in a deadly dragon’s grin. In the next moment, he opened his mouth and dove.
“Leander!” Raven screamed. “We—”
A black shadow streaked toward them out of nowhere and struck the attacker in the side. The emerald dragon screeched and tumbled to the stony shelf outside the valley to land amidst a spray of boulders and shards of shale in every direction. Leander dove again to escape the worst of it, then Po landed on top of his green counterpart and caught the male’s neck between his massive jaws. The black beast whipped his head from side to side, the green dragon screamed, and Po stomped a forepaw on the other beast’s shoulder and with a spray of sparks, turned his opponent onto his back. “You will obey!”
The aggressor fell still, his sides heaving and green eyes clenched shut. Despite no blood being drawn, the winner was clear.
“They will listen, mage,” Po shouted after Leander and his riders. “Return before the frost!”
“Let’s go.” Raven patted her dragon’s neck and stared over her shoulder at the ancient black monster who returned her look implacably.
Leander snorted and pushed even harder to leave the stone valley in the Windroot Pass behind. Raven stared ahead, her jaw set firmly after such a close call.
Behind her, Connor Alby didn’t try to stop his granddaughter’s bright red hair from whipping against his face as their flight continued. Nor did he raise a hand to wipe the tears carried away by the wind.
Chapter Thirty-One
They met the rest of the dragon rescue fleet outside the small town of Parslen. The field was far enough from the road to not draw undue attention, and every rider was accounted for when Leander landed beyond the trees.
Raven slid from her dragon’s back and draped her arms around his broad shoulder as far as she could. “You were amazing, Leander.”
He swiveled his head toward her and rested the side of his muzzle against her back. “Yes, we were.”
Connor grunted and swung his leg over Leander’s back before he dropped onto the grass. “I understand the thrill, girl, but I still say a dragon rider needs a saddle.” He rubbed the inside of his thighs and grimaced. “This is not for me.”
She turned to face him and grinned. “Maybe you spent too much time not riding.”
He straightened, met her gaze, and drew his brows together as he flashed her a pained smile.
Damn. This is not the right time to bring his dragon up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, you’re absolutely right. It has been too long. And I rode two dragons today. I shouldn’t complain.” He pulled her in for another hug and buried his face in her red hair that fell over her shoulder. “I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” She pulled away and chuckled. “Mostly for coming to get us out of there. How did you know?”
“Connor!” Headmaster Flynn strode briskly toward them, his eyes wide. The expression accentuated the long scar down the side of his face before it was lost beneath his beard. “You made it.”
The men embraced and clapped each other on the back. “Thanks to you. Plus Rider Bentler and Abigail, of course.” Connor nodded at the rider in a smart flight uniform with a silver lapel and his dragon of such a dark-blue, she was almost black.
“Wait, you knew he was coming?” Raven asked Flynn.
The headmaster nodded with a small smile. “I’d be in trouble, otherwise, Miss Alby. I’m the one who called him.”
Her grandfather smirked. “That’s one hell of a way to show your headmaster that you’ve learned the Full Appearance.”
Raven grinned.
“And that she learned it far quicker than either of us did,” Flynn added. “I was really quite impressed.”
“Thanks. I had more than enough time in that cave to practice.”
“Among other things, I’m sure.” He tugged his beard and glanced at Leander. “I used the same spell last night to contact your grandfather
, Miss Alby. There’s unspoken knowledge between mages that the Full Appearance is used for emergencies.”
“You guys have obviously already used it together.”
“Once or twice.” Connor nodded. “Many years ago.”
“Raven!” William pushed through the gathered riders and ran toward her.
“Hey. You—”
He wrapped her in his arms, lifted her off her feet, and spun her in his excitement while everyone watched. She laughed when he set her down again. “Sorry. I’m sorry. You just—” He held her face between his hands and studied her from forehead to chin and back again. “I was so worried. I know you told me not to be, but this was different and I— Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“Um… William?”
“Yeah.” He stared into her eyes, his brows raised as he waited for her to share bad news.
“I’m fine.” She glanced at Connor and Headmaster Flynn beside them and chuckled. “I can tell you about everything later, okay?”
Leander rumbled in amusement.
Her grandfather cleared his throat, and the young trainer removed his hands instantly from her cheeks. “Right. Yeah, later.” He ran a hand through his hair with a self-conscious chuckle, caught sight of Connor, and jumped. “Mr. Alby!”
“William. I have to say, I wasn’t nearly as worried about how we’d pull this off when I heard you were riding with this fleet.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The two older men exchanged a knowing glance, and the headmaster inclined his head. “I told you.”
“Always modest.” Connor slapped a hand on William’s shoulder and gave him a quick shake. “I also heard you’re the one who put the fleet together in the first place. And you didn’t correct me.”
