“I needed time to think,” Aidan replied.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes. You went to see the slayer, didn’t you?
I did. There was no point in denying it. His sister could see through him better than anyone.
“Did it help?” she asked, speaking aloud again.
He nodded.
“Then that is all that matters.” She gave him a soft smile.
Aidan was surprised at her response. “Truly?”
“Just be careful. That’s all I ask.” She gave him a stern look, which was closer to the response he had been expecting.
“I will,” he said.
She ran her gaze around the great hall where shifters were steadily leaving to find their beds. They normally went to sleep a couple of hours before sunrise, but the battle that night and the loss of the pendragon had kept them up later than usual. There were many tired and worn faces, though Aidan noted half of them cast him curious gazes and the other half suspicious ones.
Ruari crossed the hall to join them. “Nanoq wishes to speak with you.”
“Now?” Aidan lifted a brow. He wasn’t the pendragon yet and would not begin his duties until after Throm’s funeral.
“I’m afraid word has reached him about the slayer you were seen fighting alongside.” Ruari put his hands up in an innocent gesture. “But I swear it wasn’t me. I never even saw her until she walked off the battlefield.”
Aidan sighed. “I suppose I should get it over with.”
“Don’t worry.” Phoebe patted him on the arm. “He has no authority yet so if he wishes to see you now it can’t be that bad.”
Nanoq was a rather rigid man who tended to see things in black and white. Aidan didn’t hold out much hope, but he had carefully crafted arguments should it come to needing a defense.
“I will see you both at noon meal,” he said, clasping both their arms. He did not usually show affection to Ruari, but in the wake of their father’s death, he would make an exception this time. There was grief shadowing his brother’s eyes as well. Perhaps he had a heart in there somewhere after all.
“Nanoq is in the pendragon’s office,” Ruari called out as Aidan walked away.
He had already assumed as much and headed straight for it. Once he reached the door, he stood there for a moment and took a deep breath. Phoebe had a point. The soon-to-be pendragon could not level any serious punishments on Aidan yet, which left him with a reprimand at most.
“Enter,” Nanoq replied with a muffled voice.
Aidan stepped inside and found the former captain behind the pendragon’s desk. It would soon belong to Nanoq, which still didn’t seem real to him. So much had changed recently, and it had all happened rather quickly. Aidan had adapted to much of it without much difficulty, but this would be the hardest adjustment of all.
“You wished to see me.” He stood stiffly before Nanoq.
“Yes.” The former captain looked up. “I have been told you were seen with a dragon slayer during the battle. It is unclear whether you happened to come close to her a few times or if you were fighting alongside her. I wish to hear your side of the story.”
Aidan hesitated, knowing that Nanoq would learn the truth eventually. Kade had foreseen that the toriq would need Bailey in the future, and their people would have to accept her at that time if they were to be saved from whatever dangers lay ahead. If he lied now, as soon as Nanoq found out the truth, he would never trust Aidan again. There was no choice except to tell the future pendragon what really occurred, or at least an abbreviated version of it.
“The slayer was only supposed to take the human children away once the battle began, but when she saw we were in trouble, she joined the fight. I admit that I allowed her to be there,” Aidan said, keeping his tone even.
Nanoq lifted a brow. “And your sister? Wasn’t she the one who took on the task of rescuing the children?”
“Yes, but someone had to get the kids to the humans. The slayer was the only person who could get near the battle without risking getting burned to death. I asked her to do it, and Phoebe did not know her true identity.” Though Aidan would not lie to protect himself, he would do so for his sister. He could not afford for Phoebe to be in trouble as well.
Nanoq leaned forward, his expression unreadable. “How long have you known this slayer?”
“A few months.”
“Months?” the future pendragon’s eyes widened.
Aidan clasped his hands behind him. “When I found her, she had just survived a dragon attempting to burn her, and she had no idea what she was. I took it upon myself to train her and make her an ally.”
“Why?” Nanoq asked.
“For the same reason we made rescuing the children part of our mission. Winning over the humans will help bring them to our side, which will allow us to live more peacefully within our territory. The slayer is a link between us and them,” Aidan explained. He refrained from using Bailey’s name. That would be seen as too personal and might raise suspicions further.
Nanoq’s jaw hardened. “The humans who live here could be our emissaries.”
“Perhaps, but the ones in the human city see the slayer fighting the green dragons, and they respect her more. If she tells her people that we can be trusted, they are more likely to believe it.”
“Will she do that for us?” Nanoq asked.
Aidan lifted his chin, knowing the answer. “She already has.”
The former captain rubbed his face. “By our law, I should punish you for associating with her.”
“That law only applies if a slayer kills one of our people. We do not seek out those who do not harm us,” Aidan argued. His uncle had prepared him for this, using old texts from the library to formulate a defense should this particular circumstance come up.
“I admit that all the witness testimonies agree. She was never seen attacking a member of our toriq, and she may have saved your life, but slayers are not able to control themselves. It is a small miracle none of our people were harmed by her.” Nanoq narrowed his eyes. “You brought great risk upon our warriors by allowing that woman to fight in the battle.”
Aidan didn’t flinch. “If she were any other slayer, that might be true, but I trained her. She has built up her tolerance to us, and she can control herself—which last night’s battle proved.”
“I will have to look into this further.” Nanoq sighed. “In the meantime, you are not to see her. I have much to do in the coming weeks, but when the time is right I will speak with her myself and find out if what you say is true.”
Aidan almost couldn’t believe his ears. “You would give her a chance?”
“I must see for myself whether she is a threat or not. Once I have ascertained her disposition, I will consider how to handle her from there.” Nanoq narrowed his eyes. “But you will stay away from the slayer until then, is that clear?”
“Yes,” Aidan said. Though there was no guarantee everything would work out, this was a better response than he could have hoped for. Perhaps the old captain wasn’t as rigid as everyone thought after all.
“Good.” Nanoq gestured at him. “You are dismissed.”
Aidan didn’t waste time leaving the room. With most of the toriq now in their beds, the halls were quiet. He took a chance and headed toward the library. Aidan’s uncle would likely have heard about the pendragon’s death through his personal servant, but it would be up to Nanoq to decide if Kade’s outcast status would continue or finally end. That was one of the many things that would keep the new pendragon busy. Aidan held no illusion that they would meet with Bailey soon due to the busy schedule Nanoq would have ahead, but he took comfort that it would eventually happen.
He slipped through the backdoor and listened for any sounds of his uncle moving around. Nothing stirred except an old clock at the front of the library, which ticked at regular intervals. The overpowering odors of old texts and tomes, as well as Kade’s unique scent drifting everywhere, prevented Aidan from finding his uncle with his nose
. A slight shuffling to his left drew him in that direction. He weaved his way around stacks of books on the floor until he reached the far wall, lined with rows of scrolls.
Kade stood on a ladder, perusing a text. He glanced over at Aidan with a gleam in his eyes. “I was hoping I would see you soon.”
“You heard?” Aidan asked, though he knew the answer.
“Yes. The old man let himself get killed in battle.” Kade clucked his tongue. “I should have known he would insist on dying that way.”
Aidan masked his annoyance. He might understand his uncle’s position, but he still loved his father and would miss him. “The slayer participated in the battle as well. She was seen fighting close to me, and I was forced to admit I had allied with her.”
“How did that go over with Nanoq?” Kade lifted an inquiring brow.
“He is undecided. I have been told not to see the slayer for now until Nanoq can meet with Bailey and decide for himself whether she is a threat to us or not.”
Aidan’s uncle nodded. “Nanoq is even wiser than most people think.”
“I had expected him to take a harder stance,” Aidan said, still surprised his meeting with the future pendragon went as well as it did.
“Nanoq faces an uncertain future where every ally could mean the difference in our survival. I am certain he will come to see the value of Bailey with time.” Kade climbed down from the ladder and stopped before Aidan. “For now, do as he asks and avoid seeing the slayer.”
“That is what I planned.” As much as Aidan hated the idea, he would do whatever it took to build Nanoq’s trust and protect Bailey.
“Good. Now come see this.” Kade gestured at Aidan to follow.
They moved to the front of the library where a row of stone tables were set for visitors to use. His uncle led him to the nearest one and pointed at a single sheet of yellowed parchment lying there.
Aidan squinted at it. “I cannot read the script.”
“Neither can I,” Kade said, shaking his head. “But it is from the missing tome.”
“You found it?” Aidan asked, surprised.
“No, but it appears I separated this page from the rest for some reason. It was hidden in an old text having to do with ancient artifacts.” Kade traced his fingers lightly over the parchment. “I am certain it is not a coincidence I put it there, but it will take me time to figure out how the page and the text are related.”
Aidan could not begin to decipher the words. The letters were written in a smooth scrawl that he had never seen before. “And the language?”
“I must determine that as well, but my instincts tell me once I do, there will be a journey involved.” Amusement danced in Kade’s eyes. “I am certain it will be great fun for you and the slayer.”
“To where?” Aidan asked, pleased to hear that Bailey would be involved, but confused as to what his uncle was implying.
“I will inform you as soon as I know.”
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Dragon’s Breath Series:
Stalked by Flames
Dancing with Flames
Forged by Flames (coming late October 2016)
Other Works by Susan:
Darkness Haunts
Darkness Taunts
Chained by Darkness (novella)
Darkness Divides
Playing with Darkness (novella)
Darkness Clashes
Darkness Shatters
Darkness Wanes
Dragon Terms Glossary
Alefire: Thick and potent ale with a spicy aftertaste that the dragons drink (more than two mugs will make them drunk).
Bitkal: Ritual which decides who will become the next pendragon.
Camrium: Leather or suede-like clothing worn by shifters and the humans living with them that is fireproof and spelled with magic for protection.
Cryas: Soul.
Fushka (pl.- fushkan): Fool, idiot.
Jakhal: The clan seat of power—their capital.
Kederrawien: Dimension the dragons lived in for the past thousand years.
Petroes: Dragonflies (not the ones native to earth) who only come for a short period each summer. They can breathe tiny flames that will harm humans much like being sunburned.
Shifitt: Dragon curse word similar to damn or shit.
Shiggara: Stasis or limbo (an invisible place for dragons to store a small amount of supplies).
Stinguise: A foul smelling juice that can temporarily cover up other scents.
Sude camria: Black Camria, the plant used to manufacture the garments worn by dragon shifters while in human form. The end result can have a leather or suede-like appearance, depending on the process used to weave the cloth together.
Toriq (pl.- toriqan): Clan/Tribe.
Zaphiriam: A fire-proof metal with qualities similar to steel that dragons use to forge weaponry. It is black with red veins running through it.
Zishkat: Dragon dung.
Zorya: The dragon goddess.
Dragon Clan Names
Shape-shifter clans:
Taugud- Clan in mid-western U.S. (southeast Oklahoma) that Aidan belongs to.
Straegud- Clan in eastern U.S.
Craegud- Clan in western U.S.
Faegud- Clan in north/northeast Texas with a mixture of pure and shape-shifter dragons.
Pure dragon clans:
Shadowan- Dragon clan in Oklahoma that holds the northeast part of the state, as well as parts of Arkansas and Kansas.
Thamaran- Dragon clan in Oklahoma that holds the west side of the state and the Texas panhandle.
Ghastanan- Dragon clan in Texas that holds the central portion, including Dallas.
About Susan Illene
Instead of making the traditional post high school move and attending college, Susan joined the U.S. Army. She spent her eighteenth birthday in the gas chamber — an experience she is sure is best left for criminals. For eleven years she served first as a human resources specialist and later as an Arabic linguist (mostly in Airborne units). Though all her duty assignments were stateside, she did make two deployments to Iraq where her language skills were put to regular use.
After leaving the service in 2009, Susan returned to school to study history with a focus on the Middle East at the University of Oklahoma. She no longer finds many opportunities to test her fighting abilities in real life, unless her husband is demanding she cook him a real meal (macaroni and cheese apparently doesn’t count), but she’s found a new outlet in writing urban fantasy heroines who can.
For more information visit: www.susanillene.com
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Twitter- @susan_illene
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Goodreads- www.goodreads.com/author/show/6889690.Susan_Illene
Acknowledgments
As always, I have a lot of people to thank. My family has been a huge support this time around. I spent many weekends at my father’s house writing, and he helped read over chapters, providing a quick second opinion when I needed it. My Aunt Connie and Uncle Jerry also graciously allowed me to write at their house when I needed a quiet place to go (I’ve gotten tired of writing at home and needed to change my venues up to keep me motivated). They fed me many great dinners while I was over there on weekdays and they gave me a hard time if I wasn’t working on the book enough. Though I told them to do that, it was nice that they really stuck to it! This book might have been late if not for all my family pushing me to get it done.
My husband has also been great about making sure I have everything I need (often running to the store so I am stocked up on energy drinks) and he is a semi-willing listener to my story ideas. For all that I harass him about his lack of help, he truly is there for me when I need him.
Special thanks to my editor, Angel
a, and to all my beta readers. This book would have all sorts of issues without the helpful input and edits I’ve gotten from you all. Thanks to my cousin-in-law, Caleb, for continuing to hound me for so long about having a garrote for a weapon in one of my books. I know it felt like I’ve been ignoring you for a couple of years now about that, but you finally got your wish once I had a good use for it! Also, to Crystal Shannon, who won the contest for picking the name of a new shifter character (Lorcan) in Dancing with Flames.
A huge thanks to my cover artists. The list is long for how many people it takes to produce the Dragon’s Breath Series covers, but it includes: Claudia at Phat Puppy Art, Catie (the Font Diva), Teresa Yeh (photographer), Isabella Capri (Model), and last but not least Jeff Brown for the beautiful background on the cover. Also to my design brain storming team- Rachel, Kristy, Sarah, and Heather. They help give me great concept ideas and feedback for my covers and track down the best places to get the model’s wardrobe.
For research on the book, I have to thank the folks over at the Moore-Lindsey Historical House Museum for helping me with research material. Various businesses and/or their employees in the downtown Norman area were kind enough to answer as many of my questions as they could about the buildings there. Thanks to Trevor at 107.7 radio for stepping away from a broadcast he was doing at Homeland grocery store so that I could ask him how his station transmits from various locations around town and how complicated it could be in an apocalyptic situation. He was kind enough to not look at me like I was too crazy.
The list goes on and I can’t possibly thank (or remember) everyone who has contributed in some way. There are so many of you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your help. And last but not least, thanks to all my readers. Your motivation and love for my books are what helps keep me going.
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