Dragon Soul

by Diana Green

  “Unless you have any objections.”

  “Not a single one.”

  He rolled over, covering her body with his, kissing her deep and long. Nothing had ever felt quite so good.

  ****

  All too soon, the sun set over the lifeless gray hills. The moon rose, its light diffused by the strange yellow haze hanging in the sky.

  Valla dressed reluctantly, regretting she could no longer put off the inevitable. Though part of her felt anxious to rescue Hathos and Oliana, another part wanted to hide away with Vadin, avoiding all possibility of losing him.

  She’d never expected to feel this way. He’d started out as her enemy, but now she hated to consider a life without him. Their relationship had evolved into something lovely and fulfilling, a connection stronger than she’d known with any other lover.

  “We may be able to do this, without alerting the empress,” Vadin said, pulling on his boots. “In and out, nobody the wiser.” He sounded as though he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

  From what Valla knew of the empress, it would take a miracle for them to enter the castle undetected. A concealment charm might work. But on the other hand, using sorcery might set off a magical alarm system. Who knew what wardings and traps awaited them.

  “All we can do is our best.” She spoke in a matter of fact tone, checking her weapons to make sure they were all in place.

  Regardless of the uncertainty fluttering in her stomach, she knew how to push forward. This wasn’t the first time she’d managed worries in the face of an upcoming battle. Courage wasn’t a lack of fear. Far from it. Courage meant doing what needed to be done, even when you were scared.

  And Valla was frightened. Having discovered a precious bond with Vadin, she had more to lose than ever before. Somehow, she had to keep them both safe through this perilous mission.

  “Ready?” she asked, moving to the cave entrance.

  “As much as I’ll ever be.” He removed the warding, and then threw his cloak around his shoulders, before following her out into the night.

  The sky shone surprisingly bright, lit with the glow of the haze-bound moon. They made their way carefully and quietly, alert for any foes who might be abroad.

  Twice they hid behind boulders, waiting while a patrol passed by. Both times the soldiers looked lean and reptilian, with flat snake-like heads. Their luminous eyes hinted at dark vision, perhaps explaining why they were deployed at night.

  Valla couldn’t help wondering how many types of creatures the empress controlled. It seemed the eldrin of the secret valley were the only ones who remained free. Hopefully they could rebuild somewhere new and find a way to carry on.

  Coming over a jagged ridge, she caught sight of the castle—pale in the moonlight. It looked spectacular, made entirely of crystal, like a massive jeweled brooch pinned to the dark shoulder of the hillside.

  “The secret entrance should be in that draw.” Vadin studied Alloweth’s map before pointing down the nearest slope. “I hope his information is correct.”

  “Me too.”

  To her relief, they found the entrance just where the map indicated, cleverly hidden behind a tumble of rocks. Inside, a tunnel angled downward. It was only wide enough for them to proceed single-file, stooping so as not to scrape the ceiling.

  After walking a few minutes, deeper under the hill, all light faded. Even Valla, with her dragon vision, couldn’t see much. Fortunately, the tunnel seemed to be clear, with only a few stones to clutter their path.

  They continued silently, and now and then they heard the thump of heavy footfalls overhead. It was possible they passed below underground quarters for the troops. No barracks had been visible in the landscape around the castle, and she knew from her vision, the dungeon was subterranean.

  At last they came out of the tunnel into a torch-lit corridor. Their luck held, and they neither heard or saw anyone close by. A concealment charm wouldn’t be needed, quite yet.

  “I want to avoid using sorcery, as long as possible,” Vadin whispered. “It could trigger a detection spell.”

  “I know. But I have to activate the eldrin spying globe. I promised Alloweth I’d do that, as soon as we made it inside.”

  He nodded. “Very well. Let’s just hope it doesn’t bring the whole castle down on us.”

  She fished the small magical object out of her pocket, following the sequence of steps the eldrin had shown her. As soon as she finished, the globe vanished. Poof. Gone in the blink of an eye.

  “Do you suppose that means it’s working?” Uneasiness pooled like liquid ice in her gut.

  “Let’s assume so. Besides, we can’t do much about it now. We might as well forge ahead.”

  “Agreed.” The time had come to find Hathos and Oliana.

  They searched, taking one door at a time, listening carefully at each one before easing it open. The empress had excavated a huge warren of corridors and chambers under her castle. There were barracks, storage rooms, pack breeding pens, armories, and even an impressive smithy, with ventilation shafts leading up to the open air. It now became necessary for Vadin to cast a concealment charm, as there were creatures about—despite the late hour.

  At last they found a rough-hewn tunnel, leading sharply down from one of the larger corridors. When they followed through to the other end, they found the cavern dungeon. And the cell that held Valla’s friends.

  Vadin dispelled the concealment charm, and they rushed over to Hathos and Oliana. Both were overjoyed to see Valla but showed marked confusion at Vadin’s presence.

  “What’s he doing here?” Oliana demanded.

  “Is he controlling you?” Hathos wanted to know.

  Though their suspicion was understandable, it irritated her all the same.

  “There isn’t time to tell you everything,” she said. “A lot has happened, and Vadin agreed to help you. He’s sorry for his behavior back at the tower.”

  “He should be!” Oliana crossed her arms, frowning.

  “I don’t expect you to trust me,” Vadin responded. “But Valla’s right. I am sorry. Perhaps later, I’ll have a chance to explain myself. Right now, we need to get you free, and it doesn’t look like an easy task.”

  “How did they put you in there?” Valla rapped her knuckles on the cage side, looking for a hidden door. The whole thing appeared to be solid stone, with only a few narrow gaps.

  “We don’t know,” Hathos answered. “Both of us were unconscious when they brought us here.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep them from capturing you,” Valla murmured, feeling a brief stab of guilt. She’d accompanied Hathos, on this quest, in order to protect him. But she had failed. At least now she was here to help him.

  “Where have you been, all this time?” He reached through the stone bars and took her hand. “I was worried sick.”

  “You should have known I’d come to get you out.” She smiled, and the expression in his hazel eyes lightened. “The rest is a long story. We’ll have to save it for when we’re safely away from here.”

  He and Oliana looked somewhat the worse for their imprisonment. Bones showed more clearly through their skin, and their hair lay in lank tangles. Still, they were both alive and uninjured. That was no small blessing.

  “I’ll have to teleport them,” Vadin told her, his face grim. “It’s high-level sorcery and much more likely to draw attention, but I don’t see an alternative.”

  “All right. We’ll be ready. As soon as they’re free, we’ll get out fast.”

  “Just give me a few moments. I need to prepare and concentrate.”

  “Of course.”

  He scooped water from the nearby pool and used it to mark a circle and magic symbols on the cavern floor. Hopefully he could finish his spell, before they dried.

  Next, he knelt in the center of the circle and closed his eyes, brow furrowing with effort. Not a sound marred the stillness except for the steady plop of water dripping from the cavern ceiling.

&nb
sp; Raising his hands toward the stone cage, Vadin began to speak, words of power rolling off his tongue like ancient music. Light shimmered over his fingers, and as it did, the magic circle and symbols glowed. Sorcery sharpened the air, like the cold before a snowfall.

  Hathos and Oliana both faded from sight. With a whoosh of air, they reappeared outside the cage, startled but most definitely relieved. Valla rushed over to hug Hathos, thrilled to have him free.

  “You’re amazing!” she told Vadin, giving him a hug as well.

  “Let’s not celebrate yet,” he cautioned. “We still have to get out of here.”

  “Thank you,” Hathos said, coming to shake Vadin’s hand. “I may not understand your reasons, but I’m grateful you’re helping us.”

  “Let’s go!” Oliana urged, peering nervously at the dungeon entrance.

  “Good idea,” Valla agreed. “The sooner we’re away, the better.”

  The four of them hurried across the cavern, but before they’d gone halfway torchlight flickered through the entrance. The empress strode in with her cloaked overseers and a band of soldiers, reptilian and barbarian alike.

  “Aren’t you the clever one,” the eldrin woman asked, fixing Vadin with her glittering violet gaze. “So powerful and somehow…so familiar. Who exactly are you?”

  He stopped in his tracks, his expression a mixture of shock and wonder. “Asahni?” His voice cracked with emotion. “I thought you were dead.”

  Valla looked quickly from him to the empress, remembering the description he’d given of his eldrin love. Exquisitely beautiful, hair like winter sunlight, amethyst eyes. Damn! How was this possible?

  Huranthir had told them she died. Didn’t he? Her mind flashed back to the council meeting, and understanding dawned. The eldrin’s words had been carefully chosen. He said, “the wise and lovely Asahni no longer walks in this world. Her time is passed”. He assured Vadin, “the one you remember is gone from us”.

  They were not absolute lies, but statements open to interpretation, intended to mislead. Clearly Asahni’s former self had passed away, if she had become this tyrannical empress. In essence, the woman Vadin remembered no longer existed. But would he see it that way?

  A sickening fear writhed up inside Valla. Would he betray her, after all they’d been through? Was his love for Asahni stronger than his feelings for her, a dragon? Probably.

  “How is it I know you?” The empress approached Vadin, her focus riveted on him.

  Meanwhile the overseers and soldiers kept a keen eye on the three dragons. Valla had no doubt, any move to flee would be met with lethal force. And they were badly outnumbered.

  “You wouldn’t remember this body,” Vadin spoke slowly, appearing thoroughly awestruck. “But we were close in my previous life, when I was Turrok.”

  The empress took that news in, her glorious unearthly eyes widening. “Turrok? Truly?”

  She raised a delicate white hand, fingers glowing with magic, and beckoned. Vadin took one step closer to her and then another.

  Valla felt her own heart breaking. She wanted to grab Vadin’s arm, to pull him away, but she couldn’t. It was as if she stood frozen in a nightmare, unable to stop the destruction of her newfound happiness.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “My dear Turrok. It is you. After all this time.” Asahni’s voice grew soft and caressing. “How wonderful that you’ve returned to me now. Just when I need you most.”

  Vadin shuddered, torn between warring impulses. To see her again in the flesh was astonishing. She looked even more splendid than he remembered, a goddess incarnate. And yet, he couldn’t ignore what she’d become.

  This was the empress who sent troops to demolish the eldrin settlement, slaughtering women and children in the process. Even if she claimed to have valid reasons, could anything justify such an act?

  Who was she now? Surely not the fair-minded mentor he’d known in a bygone age. Her current actions reminded him more of the dragon lords, with their cruel and single-minded ambition.

  “You have come far, Turrok.” Asahni continued to speak lovingly, smiling all the while. “Impressive, that you opened a portal between worlds to find me. Even I, with my vast power and knowledge, have not been able to do such a thing.”

  “It was a dangerous gamble. One I should have resisted.”

  “Nonsense. You did well. And now you’ll open another portal, so we may return home together.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why ever not?” She looked genuinely surprised.

  “I fear you hunger for conquest, for ways to expand your dominion into new lands.”

  She laughed, a sound like tinkling bells. “How harsh you make it sound, when all I’ve ever sought is peace and order.”

  He grimaced. “I saw what you did to the eldrin settlement.”

  “Ah.” She nodded, a knowing look entering her eyes. “So it was you, who defeated my forces. I should have guessed.”

  “I couldn’t stand by and watch innocent lives taken.”

  “Innocent lives? You show your ignorance of the situation. Huranthir and his people have plotted against me for many years. They are traitors, each and every one of them.”

  “Even the children?” He couldn’t keep bitterness from his voice.

  She laughed again. “Such a soft heart you have, Turrok. I didn’t recall that about you.”

  “Perhaps I remember your lessons on kindness and balance, better than you do.”

  “So you seek to tutor me?” She raised one perfect blonde brow. “Such arrogance. With a lesser man, I’d find it intolerable. But in your case, I’m inclined to be lenient. You’ve a pleasing appearance, this lifetime, and there is much we can accomplish together.”

  “I don’t want any part in your plans.”

  “Don’t you?” Her eyes narrowed, lips thinning. “Then let me make the choice simple. You can join me, returning home in glory, as my consort and champion. Or you can do my bidding as a slave. Either way, you’ll serve my purpose.”

  “You might not find it easy, shaping me to your will.”

  “Easy or not, it can be done.” All semblance of gentleness slipped from her face, like a cast off veil. “There are many ways, including using your companions as leverage.”

  Asahni glanced away from him, toward Valla. “Perhaps I’ll start with the dark-haired one.” She raised a hand and sketched a symbol in the air, preparing to toss a spell.

  Vadin had only a moment to react, but it was enough to spare Valla’s life. Throwing himself in front of her, he caught the full force of Asahni’s magic. The spell sliced into him, like a razor-edged spear.

  Poisonous sorcery spread from the point of entry, bringing searing pain and loss of movement. He collapsed, using his last reserves to cast a protective shield around himself and the three dragons. It wouldn’t hold for long.

  Valla knelt by his side, feeding him healing energy.

  “No.” He tried to push her away. “You’ll need your strength.”

  “I need you,” she answered, keeping a grip on his shoulders. “Don’t you know I love you?”

  How could he have known that? It was the greatest gift possible. He wished desperately to tell her how he felt, but Ashani’s magic continued to spread, now stealing his ability to speak.

  Soon his vision clouded and his hearing grew muffled. He was trapped inside a useless husk, a spell-snared body that couldn’t lift a finger to save the she-dragon he loved. Agony and helplessness strangled him.

  But even as he struggled in sensory-deprived darkness, a light began to build. Valla flooded him with energy, Hathos and Oliana joining her. He could feel their desire for him to live, their forgiveness of his past mistakes. Such generosity was nothing short of miraculous.

  How could he have judged their race to be cruel and heartless, reviling his own dragon soul? The dragon within him might prove to be his best and truest aspect. All this time, he’d tried to deny its power, when he should have been seeking it out
.

  Diving deep, he searched his core for the spark of his dragon soul. Though it had been dampened by Asahni’s spell, each passing moment it grew brighter, responding to the energy flowing from his companions.

  Valla’s energy shone like sunlight, vibrant with love, while Hathos directed his with the skill of a practiced healer. Oliana’s flowed through the others like a stream of clear water. Combined they offered potent magic, strong enough to break the bonds of Asahni’s sorcery.

  Vadin’s dragon soul woke fully, bursting into white-hot flame. It surged through him, burning away the last vestiges of prejudice and misplaced blame. Dragons weren’t his enemies. Quite the opposite. They were his kin!

  Reservoirs of power, he hadn’t known he possessed, burst open, as he shifted to a silver drake. The transformation felt incredible, every cell in his body tingling and wonderfully alive. He raised his massive spiked head and roared, causing the cavern to shake around him.

  As the shield he’d cast disintegrated, Asahni shot a spray of venomous acid at him. He met it with a blast of white fire and lightning, crackling out of his silver scaled throat.

  She might be an immortal empress, but he was a centuries-old dragon sorcerer. On this day, Asahni had finally met her match.

  ****

  Valla watched, ecstatic, as Vadin shifted to drake form. She hadn’t known he could do such a thing. He probably hadn’t known either.

  What a glorious sight he was, silver scales flashing in the torchlight, eyes fiercely ablaze. Rocks flew as his serpentine tail lashed out, and the ceiling cracked at his roaring.

  However, there wasn’t time to fully appreciate his transformation. The protective shield had failed, and now soldiers and overseers alike charged forward. The space looked too tight for all four dragons to shift, so she relied on her weapons and close combat skills. Hathos and Oliana would be safer as drakes, but she was a warrior in any form.

  As she engaged with the first wave of foes, Vadin and the empress locked together in a battle of magic against magic. Valla had little chance to worry about him, as she fought to keep her own skin intact.