Roberto gasped, gulping in air, his eyes roaming the cavern.
Zens tilted his bald head, the light catching his sallow skin. “Think you’re clever, do you?” asked Zens. “Not clever enough, son of Amato.” He lingered over Roberto’s father’s name, giving Ezaara the creeps. “You can’t mind block me forever. I’ll break you, just like I did before.”
Zens addressed the tharuk. “Triple Zero, if he blocks you tomorrow, play a little longer.” He waved a hand at the rack of blades, some as tiny as Ezaara’s little finger and as slim as needles; others large enough to cleave a man’s head from his shoulders.
The tharuk picked up a needle as long as Ezaara’s forearm. “Perhaps this one, boss.”
“Yes, yes. Now, let’s check on our lovelies—our hope of destroying Dragons’ Realm.”
A door thunked, a key scraped in a lock, and Roberto was alone.
But not entirely alone. She was here. For long moments, Ezaara watched her lover from the chink in the wall. His rider’s garb was in tatters and crusted with blood. Lash marks were visible through the holes in his clothing, red and bloody, on his chest. New welts, open and raw, rose on his shoulders, blood welling from them. His face was haggard and bruised and his grimy hair was plastered to his head.
But it was Roberto, the man she loved.
Dare she mind-meld? Would Zens sense her? Had he already? He could be laying a trap for her, right now.
She couldn’t sit here, paralyzed by fear. She had to try something. Tentatively, Ezaara stretched out her senses to mind-meld with Roberto. She slammed into a rock wall—he was mind-blocking with an image of the cavern.
He turned his head, gazing around, his movements clumsy, as if he was punch drunk. His eyes rested on the chink in the wall. For a moment, he stared right at her. Impossible. He’d never be able to see an eye through a crack from so far away. Had he sensed her trying to meld?
Roberto bent his chained wrist so his palm was horizontal to the floor. The fingers on his hand stiffened—the signal to flee.
Was it her imagination? Had she made something out of a random movement?
Again his head tossed and turned, then his fingers flipped out, flat. Flee. The third time Roberto made the signal, he muttered something that sounded like now, as if delirious.
He wanted her to leave. She must be in danger. Maybe Zens had sensed her after all.
Again, palm down—the fourth time.
She couldn’t leave him.
But what could she do against tharuks as brutal as 000? Hundreds of them. Probably thousands. She knew where Roberto was. She’d report to the council and come back with reinforcements. They’d get him out.
One last time, Roberto made the signal to flee, then his head sagged like a rag doll.
Ezaara didn’t dare mind-meld to tell him she’d be back. Zens might sense her.
She crawled back along the tunnel, throat tight and eyes burning. If they didn’t rescue Roberto, Zens would kill him.
Discoveries
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Benji, head of the kitchens, said. “I’ve had so many trainees turning up for kitchen duty that I’ve sent half of them down to sort the storeroom—and that’s both sword fighters and archers.”
“What?” Lars replied. He’d never anticipated that.
“It’s Kierion. Apparently, he told them all that if they helped in the kitchens, they had more chance of being chosen as trainee dragon riders.”
“That scoundrel.” Lars laughed.
“Is it true?”
“It had crossed my mind that those who accepted responsibility for that prank might have enough integrity to become riders.” How had Kierion guessed his intentions?
As if reading his mind, Benji said, “I tell you, that one’s ahead of the bunch. It’d be good to harness some of his excess energy.”
Lars gave a wry smile. “I trust you’ll keep him busy enough to stay out of trouble. How’s tension between the sword fighters and the archers? Are they spitting at each other over the cauldrons?”
“Kierion gave them a pep talk. Told them it’s tharuks they should be fighting, not each other. Said he’d been a fool to hide their arrows. Now they’re working hand in glove.”
As Lars was shaking his head in amazement, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Lars called.
Jerrick, master of archery, came inside. “Lars, did I miss something? Has the council instigated a new training schedule?”
“Why?”
“This morning, the trainee sword fighters turned up for extra archery practice. And my trainee archers have doubled their sword practice, fighting the … ahem, blade thrusters, as they call them.” Jerrick shrugged. “A wise move. They could all do with extra cross-training, but I just wasn’t aware it was happening.”
Neither was Lars. Must be Kierion’s work. Inventive indeed. That young man had leadership potential. Benji winked. He knew it was Kierion, too. Lars cleared his throat. “Yes, I’ve assigned Kierion to train the blade thrusters and arrow flingers to work as a team.”
“That irresponsible cur that hid all of our arrows?” Jerrick blustered. “Why he’s—”
“Effective?” Lars asked dryly. “A brilliant leader?”
Jerrick stopped in his tracks. His open mouth broke into a grin. “Effective. If he’s the one behind this, he’s sharding amazing!”
§
Adelina patted Erob’s blue scales and rose from sitting between his front limbs. Worry had gnawed at her stomach, keeping her awake. As dawn’s early rays had crept onto the ledge outside the infirmary, she’d faced the wan sun, hoping it would warm her, but nothing could melt the chill inside her.
Except Roberto’s return.
He’d been her anchor for so long. Protecting her when Pa had wanted to beat her. Taking beatings for her, hiding her from Pa. Even diving with her in Crystal Lake to wash her fear and worry away. Then there was that awful year when her father had kidnapped Roberto and given him to Zens. Her skin still crawled at the thought of her father willingly giving her brother to that brutal monster. Roberto had come back changed. Nightmares had plagued him. Anger had stalked him. But when Pa had broken Ma’s back, Roberto had loved her and nursed her until she’d died.
Since then they’d only had each other—and Erob.
Adelina had been awake since yesterday morning. A whole day and night of knowing Roberto was in danger, and doing nothing. If Erob was well enough, they’d fly off and search for him. Although his belly wound was mended, he’d lost a lot of blood. It could be days until he’d have the strength to fly.
There was a whump and a flurry of snow on the ledge as Liesar landed with a goat’s haunch in her jaws. Handel and Liesar had agreed to take turns hunting for Erob.
Watching dragons eat might put Adelina off her own breakfast. She stamped her frozen feet. She’d head to the mess cavern. She wasn’t going to be any use to anyone cold and hungry.
“Hi, Adelina.” Mara and Leah were coming past the infirmary, so she fell into step with them. A few years younger than her, they were both orphans too. “What was it like?” they asked, eyes wide. “They’re saying you’re a real hero now, because you fought tharuks and rescued a dragon.”
“A hero, huh? Says who?”
“Kierion.”
Adelina rolled her eyes. “Since when did you two take anything he says seriously?”
The girls giggled. They all went into the busy mess cavern. Happy chatter from the kitchen punctuated the hum of conversation and the clatter of people eating.
Mara leaned in. “Since Kierion’s prank with the arrows, it’s so jolly in the kitchen because everyone’s helping.”
Worry about Roberto had driven Kierion’s hoax from her mind. “So I heard. You two find seats and I’ll get breakfast for us.” Adelina lined up and served dollops of porridge into three bowls, and then grabbed jam and fresh bread. Taking her laden tray, she threaded her way through the crowded tables to join the gir
ls at their table in a corner. Thank the Egg, Mara and Leah had left her a seat that faced the wall. The last thing she felt like was plastering on a smile for the world.
Leah spread jam on her bread roll.
“How’s it going?” Adelina gestured at Leah’s hand. Tharuks had nearly severed her finger when Septimor had brought her to Dragons’ Hold over two moons ago. Ezaara had had to finish the job.
Leah flexed her remaining four fingers. “Great. It’s strange. Sometimes my missing finger gets itchy or tingles, but apart from that, I manage just as well with four. I’m lucky it wasn’t my thumb. You know …” Leah’s face was pensive.
“What is it?”
The girl blushed. “Well, you and Ezaara did such a good job of healing me from limplock that I wanted to ask you whether you’d teach me more.” Her eyes shone.
“I can’t teach you much, and Ezaara is probably too busy.”
“Oh.” Leah bit her lip.
“You should ask Master Marlies, the healer,” Adelina said. “She’s looking for a new trainee.”
“Me?”
“Yes.” Adelina nodded. “I know you’re young, but you have a keen mind, good hands and you work hard. I bet you’d learn really quick.”
“Good hands?” Leah stared at her stump of finger.
“Yes, despite your missing finger.”
Mara elbowed Leah. “Go on, talk to the master healer.”
Leah took a bite of her bread. “All right, I will.”
If only Adelina’s own problems were as easy to solve. Her brother was missing. No one wanted to rescue him. Why hadn’t they gone already? She’d speak to Ezaara about it after breakfast.
A brittle voice from the table behind her cut through Adelina’s thoughts. “Ezaara isn’t the rightful Queen’s Rider. I tell you, it goes against Anakisha’s prophecy.”
Adelina raised her eyebrows at Mara and Leah.
Mara mouthed Sofia, and kept eating.
“Ezaara’s not of Anakisha’s bloodline. I told you, the prophecy says one of Anakisha’s kin will rule here at Dragons’ Hold.”
Adelina rolled her eyes. Not that old line again. Sofia’s babble was getting really old, fast.
“But Master Roberto tested her,” said another girl.
“Ssh, someone will hear you,” Sofia snapped. “Who says his test was true? You heard them at his trial. Even Master Tonio wasn’t sure whether he was lying. Roberto could’ve pretended Ezaara had imprinted well. You know he used to work for Master Zens.”
That sharding cow. Here was Roberto, laying his life on the line for the realm, and she was spreading lies about him. Adelina placed her fists on the table to stand up and blast Sofia, but Mara widened her eyes and shook her head.
Adelina hesitated. What more was Sofia saying? She stayed seated, chewing her bread, although it had lost its taste.
“For Zens? That’s terrible. But Zaarusha chose Ezaara.”
“That’s what Ezaara told us,” Sofia replied. “Now quiet, I don’t want everyone to—”
“Hey, there’s Adelina,” a male voice hissed. It was Alban, Sofia’s lover.
Adelina faked a laugh, grinning at the girls. “That was a great joke. Tell me another.”
Thankfully, Mara and Leah caught on quickly, and giggled.
“What’s big as a dragon but weighs nothing?” Mara asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I don’t know!” Although she was seething, Adelina forced mirth into her voice. “I give up. What’s as big as a dragon but weighs nothing?”
“His shadow.”
Adelina and Leah laughed again. “That was bad,” said Adelina, turning to Leah. “Do you have a better one?”
Behind them, chairs scraped as Sofia and her gossips got up to leave.
“They’ve gone,” breathed Mara. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“You mean it’s not the first time they’ve said those things about my brother?”
Mara broke crumbs off her bread roll, not meeting Adelina’s eyes.
“No, it’s not,” said Leah. “But I’d ignore them.”
Adelina glanced behind her. Although the rest of the mess cavern was still busy, the few tables nearby had emptied out. No one could hear them, but still, she whispered. “No, don’t ignore them. Listen in, then let me know what they’re saying.”
“But Alban …” Leah murmured.
“Is he hurting people?”
“Not sure, but there was a rumor that Sofia asked him to punch a girl.”
“When did that happen?”
The girls shrugged. “It might just be a rumor,” Mara said. “Is it true Ezaara knifed Sofia?”
Adelina sighed. “Yes, but it was an accident. Fleur’s dragon, Ajeuria, was on swayweed and sent Ezaara a vision of her being blasted by a dragon. It was so real that Ezaara thought her skin was on fire. She stumbled and her knife went into Sofia’s leg.”
“How could a dragon meld with Ezaara without her touching it?”
“She has special gifts. She can meld with any dragon, but not many know that, so keep it quiet. That’s one way we know she’s Queen’s Rider. Besides, my brother doesn’t lie.”
Leah still looked uncertain.
“What is it?”
“Did he really work for Master Zens?”
“Only because he was drugged with numlock and forced to, but Erob saved him.” Adelina shivered, remembering Roberto’s screams through her bedroom walls when he’d returned to Naobia.
§
Marlies stifled a yawn, and placed her hand on Erob’s forehead so she could mind-meld with him. His scales were a healthy hue, but a little cool. “How are you feeling?”
He opened an eye, his lid sliding over his slitted pupil. “A bit better. Still weak.”
“Sleep, then.”
“Thanks. I was until you woke me.” His lid closed again.
She checked Erob’s wound again. There was a slight mark along his scales, but otherwise not a blemish. Piaua juice was incredible. What they’d do without it, she had no idea.
After rescuing Erob and helping heal him, Hans had collapsed in bed. Marlies had been tending the blue dragon and the patients in the infirmary on her own—even though she’d also hardly slept. She wasn’t as hardy as she’d been when she left Lush Valley a few short moons ago. Death Valley had dealt her a raw card. But at least she was alive, with her family. More than she could guarantee for Roberto.
Strange, she’d expected Ezaara to pop in by now. She was probably sleeping too.
Marlies threw some blankets over his back, and then more on each of his limbs. If she could help him conserve heat, he’d use his energy for healing. Behind him, Maazini snuffled in his sleep. She threw some blankets on him too.
Liesar landed on the ledge and came inside the overhang where the dragons were dozing. “You’ve been up all night and half the day. You need rest.”
“Soon.” A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Marlies called, going back inside the infirmary and pulling the door shut. Although there were two exhausted dragons on the ledge, Erob was out of danger and it was freezing. She’d wake Hans so he could rug up and take the next shift, watching him.
A young blonde girl entered the infirmary, the one whose finger Ezaara had amputated. She was older than a littling but not a fully-fledged teen yet, shy wee thing. What was her name again? Lara or Lexi—no, Leah, that was it. “Good evening, Leah. How’s your hand?”
“F-fine, M-master Healer Marlies,” Leah replied.
From memory, the girl had been orphaned. Perhaps she needed someone to talk to. “I’m just making a cup of tea. Would you like one?” Marlies tipped water from a waterskin into two cups and passed Leah one.
“Thank you.” Leah clutched her cup, knuckles white.
Leah was either really nervous or freezing. Either way, tea would help. “Come with me.” Marlies walked to the ledge and opened the door to a chill wind. She mind-melded with Liesar. “Be gentle, she’s just young.”
“Especially when you fight tharuks.” Marlies held out her cup.
Liesar sent hot gusts of air over Marlies’ cup until the water was steaming.
Leah’s eyes nearly fell out of her head. “Liesar warms your tea? Doesn’t her breath burn your hands?”
“She has great aim—and because we mind-meld, she’d know if she hurt me. She feels what I feel.”
“That’s handy. Does she help you heal people?”
“She helps heal other dragons.”
“And I sterilize your surgical knives, don’t forget to tell her that. And I fetch injured dragons’ riders.” Liesar ruffled her neck scales.
“I wish I was a healer.” Leah’s eyes shot wide open and she gasped. “Oh, sorry, I meant to ask you nicely. I mean I—”
Marlies laid her free hand on Leah’s arm. “You want to be a healer?”
“Yes. Ezaara and Adelina helped me so much when they healed me from limplock. I would’ve died without them. That’s why I want to help others.”
The Egg knew she could do with help. With hardly any healing supplies and no decent assistants except Ezaara, Adelina and Tomaaz—who all now had other responsibilities—she’d been run off her feet whenever there was a tharuk skirmish. Lars had assigned a couple of people, but they’d been more hindrance then help, so Marlies had suggested they work with the master craftsman. Marlies nodded. “Very well. Here’s your first lesson. You’ll often need to heat water for herbal infusions, like feverweed tea or koromiko for belly gripes. Hold your cup by the handle only. Don’t put your hand around the base.”
Leah held her cup out, as instructed.
“Now, the trick is to stand absolutely still so Liesar can aim. That will prevent you from being burned.”
The silver dragon rumbled her approval as she heated the water. “Not a twitch. She’ll be steady in emergencies.”
Hans came to the doorway, tugging on his riders’ jerkin. “Oh, tea? Could you make me one too?”
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