by Terry Spear
But then a dragon called from a long ways off. Kiernan, her red-scaled dragon suitor. Halloran rose up beside her and gave a roar of welcome. It was done.
The castle defenders would know that the dragons were now gathering for a fight.
Freya and Ena dropped down onto one of the branches and both shifted. "What news do you have?" Ena asked.
"Brett's in the dungeon. Prince Grotto had him beaten, even though Brett was practically unconscious."
"I'll kill the prince."
"I wanted to protect Brett, but the guards kept me manacled and away from him. Princess Alicia's mother is in the cell next to ours. And some dark fae have been incarcerated. Count Micala is one of them."
"Micala? All right. Can you get the keys that unlock the cells?" Ena asked. "We'll work to create the diversion in the main courtyard, and as soon as I can break through, I'll come down to help. You can release the dark fae in the meantime. Once they are armed, they can help us fight inside the castle."
"All right. And Brett."
"Yes. As soon as we can, we'll free him and Princess Viviana. Can you do this without getting caught by the jailer?" Ena asked.
Halloran flew to the tree and shifted. "Princess Alicia and Prince Deveron have moved their forces to the portcullis and are getting ready to strike.
"Her mother. Brett. Everyone in the dungeon is at risk of being slaughtered by Prince Grotto's men," Ena warned.
Freya shifted and flew off, cawing.
"Come. The rest of your devoted suitors are on their way and will be here shortly. Let's keep the archers busy," Halloran said.
Ena and Alton and her brother shifted, then flew for the castle. They had run out of time.
Chapter 13
Brett heard the explosions and shouting. The castle was under siege. He was glad, but worried that the prince would have all the prisoners murdered. Or maybe attempt to use the king's daughter as a bargaining chip while the rest of the prisoners were forfeit.
Brett didn't hesitate to shift, which caused considerable pain that shot through every muscle. Trying to ignore it, he wasn't certain his dragon fire could melt the grate in front of his cell, but he had to give it a shot. He shifted and the manacles dropped off his forelegs. Then he shook them off his hind legs.
With all the noise up above in the castle courtyard, the dark fae prisoners were all awake now and staring at him, their jaws dropped. "A dragon shifter," one of the men said. It was Count Micala, Prince Deveron's cousin, and he was a welcome sight. Then the count smiled. "Goddess be praised. Who would ever have thought you were a dragon shifter." Then he frowned. "Where did the phantom fae go who was with you?"
Unable to answer him as a dragon, Brett hurried to work on the cell door with a blast of fire, his whole body filling with pain at the same time all over again. Every effort, movement, shifting, he swore even blinking his eyes hurt. The men stood back in one corner of their cell away from the flame. Brett hadn't quite got the hang of how much to blast and his torch reached all the way to the men's cell. Within seconds, the metal bars of his and the dark faes' cell were red hot. Brett gave his bars a kick with his dragon foot, afraid he'd burn it, then discovered the heat didn't bother the soles of his feet either. His foot went through two of the metal bars and he was able to squeeze through. Then he did the same to the dark fae's cell. Once he freed them, he heard cawing at the window, and looked up to see Freya fly in through the narrow opening.
"Brett," she cawed at him.
He was relieved she was fine.
Driven to free everyone in a simpler manner, he headed for the stairs, figuring to get the jailer to give up the keys for the rest of the cells.
The jailer must have heard the noise and with his sword readied, he hurried into the corridor, torch in the other hand.
Brett roared. A torch wouldn't hurt him in the least. He didn't think the sword would either. As soon as the jailer saw him, he dropped the torch and tossed the keys back into the corridor as if his action would give him time to escape, then raced up the stairs.
Intending to get the keys, Brett shifted back, but he was in so much pain still, he thought he might have a newly fractured rib. He staggered and nearly fell. Prince Micala grabbed Brett's arm.
One of the dark fae took the keys from Brett. "Let me do this."
Two of the other freed men along with Prince Micala helped Brett back into his cell to sit on a pallet. But he couldn't lie back and rest while he needed to defend those in the dungeon. No one had any weapons. He was the only one who could truly protect them.
Footfalls sounded on the stairs as men rushed down the stone steps to the dungeon.
Unless they were some of the good guys, Brett feared they were the prince's men and intended to kill them.
He tried to stand, and one of the men helped him. Then with monumental effort, he shifted again and stumbled toward the entryway and leaned against a wall for support.
The first of the dragon fae appeared, wearing lightly padded armor, sword in hand, his mouth a snarl and his eyes narrowed, but he stopped abruptly when he saw the large dragon.
The man behind him on the stairs ran into the first one. "What's wrong? We have to kill them all! And use Princess Viviana as a hostage."
"Get back. Back!" the first man yelled in a panic.
The stairs were too narrow for more than one man to manage at a time, and he couldn't get around them if he tried.
"What?" the man behind the first one said.
"Dragon shifter!"
"What?"
As much as Brett hurt when he used his flame on the metal bars of the cells, he was afraid casting a flame at these men would make him black out.
"Back!" the man shouted and cursed when the men behind him didn't move fast enough.
Then they disappeared up the stairs and the dark fae gathered around Brett.
"We have no weapons," Micala said. "But as injured as you are you're in no shape to leave here. We'll go up above and confiscate some weapons."
Brett shook his head, groaned when even that made him feel stabs of pain throughout his battered body, then he staggered toward the stairs. His wings were tucked in at his sides as he moved unsteadily up the stairs, hoping he wouldn't fall backwards and tumble down the steps. He hoped the men would stay far enough back for their own safety.
As soon as he reached the top of the steps leading into the inner bailey, he saw chaos reigning. Dragons were shooting streams of fire down on the archers trying to shoot them.
"Go!" Micala said, as he reached the inner bailey and grabbed a dead guard's sword. "I'll protect Alicia's mother. Can you burn the portcullis, then return here to watch over Princess Viviana?"
Brett nodded. He was in utter agony, but he flew toward the closed gate and used his fire to burn the wooden gate and iron portcullis.
From the other side, men were hammering the burning gate with a battering ram until it finally broke through. When Brett was assured Princess Alicia and Prince Deveron's troops were able to make it through the barrier, he turned, intent on returning to the dungeon to protect Alicia's mother.
Somehow, he managed to make it to the bottom of the steps and collapsed, the sounds of the battle raging fading to nothing.
***
Freya flew onto the ramparts, then into the castle tower, around the stairs, and down until she reached the throne room.
There, she found Prince Deveron sword-fighting with Prince Grotto. Two guards raced in to aid someone, she wasn't sure which man. But when she saw their gazes focused on Prince Deveron, she feared the worse. They were allied with Prince Grottos. She dove at the man closest to Deveron and used her raven's talons to pull out a few of the enemy's hairs.
He slashed upward at her with his sword in a high arc, but she flew away before he could hurt her.
"You'll be tried for murder, Grotto," Deveron said. "Your plans to become king are over."
"I am king," the prince said, his eyes narrowed in hatred as he took another swing at
Deveron. But the other two men were trying to bushwhack Deveron from behind, while Freya cawed and attacked one of the men, clawing his forehead.
He cursed her and attempted to swing at her when several men ran into the throne room, including Count Micala. He charged after one of the men and killed him outright.
With a mighty clang, Deveron knocked the sword from Grotto's grasp. Grotto yanked a dagger out of his belt and readied to throw it.
From the main entrance, an arrow flew through the room and struck Prince Grotto in the chest, followed by another, and a third. All centered on the prince's chest as if it wore a big red bull's-eye. He sank to the stone floor, his lifeless gaze on the archer.
Freya turned to see who it was. Princess Alicia, his cousin, and the rightful heir to the throne.
"Alicia." Deveron rushed to take his wife into his arms.
Her dragon wings spread wide, Ena flew into the room and settled on the floor. Halloran and Alton followed after her.
Freya turned into her fae form. "Where's Brett!"
"With me," Princess Viviana said, her arm under his, helping him to make it into the throne room.
Ena rushed forth to take one of his arms and wrap it around her shoulders, while her brother shifted and relieved the princess to do the same thing for Brett.
Tears in their eyes, Alicia and her mother hugged. Queen Irenis entered the throne room dressed in full battle armor herself, her face smudged with dirt, a trail of blood on her cheek where someone had cut her. She nodded when she saw Prince Grotto was dead. "And who shall be queen?" she asked pragmatically.
Before Princess Viviana could say, Alicia announced, "My mother."
"Your grandfather decreed—" Viviana said.
"He decreed I would rule instead of you, even though you are next in line. Deveron and I have discussed this. We want you to rule."
Queen Irenis bowed a little to Alicia's mother, a smile curving her lips. "Seems you and I shall be allies then."
"Aye," Viviana said. "I want those who allied with my nephew to be banished from our realm. If anyone has grievances against any of those who fought on the prince's behalf, I will hear them first thing tomorrow. I want the wounded taken care of immediately." She looked at Brett. "I want my physician to see to Brett in my favorite guest chamber now. After the deceased are buried, we will feast in honor of my father, who was struck down by his own kin."
She turned her attention to Halloran, as the oldest of the dragon shifters and the one everyone naturally asked for counsel. "Will you and your kind return to the dragon fae kingdom? I promise that you will be treated with the utmost kindness for all that you and your people have done for us over the years."
Halloran bowed his head a little. "It may take a week or longer, but we will return."
"Good." She glanced at Brett now sitting on a velvet bench, unable to stand. "Go, now. I wish for Brett to be my Dragon at Arms, but he needs to recover."
"He's not a dragon shifter," Ena quickly told her.
Viviana frowned at her. "He was fae and then a dragon. How could he be anything but a dragon shifter?"
Ena looked warily at Brett. "He's a mage who can cast a spell to turn into a dragon."
The queen and everyone appeared skeptical. Even Freya wasn't certain. Especially after the healer said he wasn't one of them. He wasn't a phantom fae? Phantom fae didn't shift into dragons. Dragon fae who were dragon shifters were the only ones known to be able to do such a thing. But he was a mage, too. And Freya could clearly see his tattoos, which indicated he was of the phantom fae.
"Come on, Alton, let's take Brett to the chamber the queen has reserved for him." Halloran and Alton carried Brett as Alicia hurried to show them which chamber the queen referred to.
"Not a gardener," Brett rasped out.
Ena took his hand. "It appears not. Look at all the money you have cost me."
"I will pay you back."
She scoffed at him. "If you can serve the queen, ask for lots of gold, like a good dragon would. No bargaining with the merchants. Pay their full price. We always are generous with them."
"I…will pay you back," he whispered.
"Get well, Dragon at Arms, and that will be payment enough."
***
Glad Brett was being cared for by servants and the queen's own personal physician, Ena finally felt that he would heal. But she would miss having him stay with her, sharing meals, and the like. She supposed this was best for all concerned, but she didn't feel like it.
When she returned to her castle, she was glad her people were there, safe and sound. But now she had to move her gold and jewels back to the castle. The phantom fae would be a pain to deal with when the dragon shifters tried to move all that treasure back to the dragon fae kingdom, though the dragons planned to initially move a few of the dragons' treasures at a time, using the others as guards during the move. They would fly to Edinburgh in the human world, and from there it was a short distance to the hawk fae kingdom. But they couldn't carry all that gold via a plane trip through the human world on the way back.
She would also have to return Brett to her castle in the hawk fae kingdom to try to undo Zane's frozen condition and force the mage apprentice to remove the curse on Freya.
Ena wondered what the phantom fae queen would think when she learned not only had she lost Brett, but Zane was missing, and Freya also. And, the queen had allied with the loser in the battle for ruling the dragon fae kingdom. So she had lost a new ally.
Just too bad. Play with dragon fire...
Then Ena thought of the situation with Queen Everlee. Now they weren't really sure what Brett was. Then she wondered if it even mattered as long as he was loyal to her. But Ena would miss having him work for her. Not that she thought she'd be able to keep him in the position of gardener for long. She assumed once his mage skills improved, she'd be the only dragon shifter to be able to say she had her very own mage. She would have even come up with a brand new title for him. New clothes, too, as befitting his mage status. Though it was up to him as to what he wanted to wear. As long as she approved. She would not abide his wearing squeaky human sneakers again, no matter how much he might want them.
She took a deep breath. She hoped he wouldn't get into any trouble with the queen. She could just see Queen Viviana asking Ena to take him back under her wing to keep him in line. Ena smiled a little at the thought.
A knock at her castle door had Ryker calling out, "I will get it."
As if she couldn't take two steps to answer the door herself. But he was the butler and that was his job. He took great pride in reminding her which he considered his duties and which he did not.
She folded her arms and stood there, waiting to learn who it was.
"Your brother, Halloran, Lady Ena," Ryker announced as if she could not see just who was filling her entryway. "And Alton."
"Come in," she said, feeling like she needed to bathe before she did anything else. The dragon fae were having a big feast in honor of their victory, but she was more worried about her gold and the rest of her treasure. She knew all her shifter friends would be also.
Muriel hurried out to greet them. "My lady, where is Brett?"
Ena almost shook her head. She paid for her staff's services. Yet here she had come home from an awful battle, survived it, and her lady's maid wanted to know where Brett was?
Halloran's eyes sparkled as he smiled.
Ena squared her shoulders. "He's recovering at Crislis Castle at Queen Viviana's behest. After he is fully recovered, I will have to take him back to the hawk fae kingdom. We can't risk trying to bring the mage Zane here."
Muriel looked so disheartened that Ena didn't want to tell her the rest of the news. "Ask Cook to prepare us a meal. My brother, Alton, and I need to discuss plans."
"Aye, my lady. We'll have Brett's room ready for him when he returns."
Ena wanted to groan out loud. "The queen has taken favor with him. She intends to make him Dragon at Arms."
Murie
l's jaw dropped. "But, he's not a dragon shifter, my lady."
"We've informed the queen he's a mage, but she wanted him to stay at the castle in that capacity anyway. We have a lot of business to discuss. Go tell Cook we wish a meal."
"She will be upset as she has fixed Brett's favorite black plum jelly and oven-baked white bread."
"Go!" Ena said, before she really lost her temper.
Her brother and Alton were smiling.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't all try to seek employment with the queen so they could see Brett more often," Halloran said. "As much as I wanted to hate him—kill him even—there's something about him that is hard not to like."
Alton snorted. "As much as I hate to agree, I have to."
"I don’t want to delay traveling back to the hawk fae kingdom," Halloran said, as they made their way to the dining hall. "I know you have to wait for Brett to recover sufficiently. But the rest of us want to begin moving our gold. Several of us will serve as guards while many of us will carry the sacks of treasure in our talons. We'll get a few of the dragons' treasures moved before you join us. We will leave tomorrow."
"That sounds good to me," Ena agreed, as they took their seats at the dining table.
Cook and Muriel began serving ale, cheese, and bread to them.
Ena coated a slice of bread with the jelly Cook made for Brett. "I would go with you—"
"No, stay here and be the dragon shifters' advocate if the queen needs anything from us. And see to Brett. When you're ready to return, we'll help you with transporting your treasure," Halloran said. "Now about this business concerning what Brett is—"
"That may take time to learn. Does it really matter?" She didn't want to speculate further about it.
Halloran looked at Alton. Her suitor reached out to take her hand, but she tucked it in her lap. He sat back in his chair, frowning. "If you are interested in having him as your suitor, yes, it does matter."
Chapter 14
By the third day of everyone waiting on Brett hand and foot at the royal castle, he was ready to leave the bed. He couldn't believe how his life had changed so much from being known as a human fae killer to someone who was highly respected by a fae queen.
