Keeper of the Flame: Dragon Knights, Book 7

by Bianca D'Arc

  He was impressed. She’d just killed a man and she barely shook. Most women he knew would not have handled this kind of thing with as much aplomb. Well, maybe his new sister-in-laws, and a few of the heartier Lair wives, but not the vast majority of court ladies heundrt ladi’d known. This one was a cut above. She had surprised him and that wasn’t easy to do.

  “I think we’d better go.” Her tone was still calm. “There could be more of them. Eyes are never predictable.”

  Hugh moved away from the poisoned darts, sweeping them into a small pile with his tail. If anyone came up here before it rained and washed away the poison, at least the darts would all be in one place.

  Once clear of them, he crouched, extending one forearm. “Step on my elbow, then up the shoulder. The best place for you to sit is with your legs hooked in front of my wings.”

  “Like a gryphon,” she commented absently. “Speaking of which…” She turned to Miss, helping her up.

  “Hoo?” The little mewl was plaintive and questioning. Miss needed reassurance.

  “I’m here, little one. Can you hear me?”

  “Hoo!” Little paws bounced on his crest as the kitten settled into place. The lady took a seat behind her with more skill than Hugh had expected. She’d ridden before. No doubt on one of her gryphon charges. Interesting.

  “Yes, sweetheart. I want you to hold on tight and let the lady help you stay in place. When I jump into the air, it may be bumpy at first. All right?”

  “Yess, Hoo.” Her little voice sounded so eager Hugh would have smiled if he could.

  “Are you ready, milady?” He liked the feel of her riding him. It made him think of having her do it while in his man form and he couldn’t help the little growl that came out of his throat accompanied by a trickle of smoke.

  He felt her settle in and reach forward to grab one of the spikes on his neck. Miss was tucked between her arms and her body, as safe as they could get for now.

  “Ready,” she confirmed with a surety in her voice that made him curious about her flying experience.

  One thing he thought he knew for certain…she’d never ridden a dragon before. She seemed to know so little about his land and its inhabitants—if she weren’t misleading him for some reason. He thought with some amount of confidence that he was the first dragon she had ever seen.

  Small by Draconian standards, the black dragons of the royal family were the rarest of all dragons. They alone could take human form at will. They were faster than most dragons and usually more agile because of their smaller size.

  They were also the only dragons who were completely black. All other dragons in Draconia were colorful. Blue, bronze, silver, gold, red, green… Every color of the rainbow, in fact, though some were more common than others. There was even a young ice dragon living at the castle whose scales shimmered like frozen mirrored glass.

  Tonight, though, it was good to be black. With no moon to gleam against his hide, he would remain hidden against the dark sky, even to the keen-eyed gryphons. He’d noticed that few of the birds flew at night. While there were a few darker-coated gryphons, most were lighter colors that weren’t good for camouflage at night.

  The stealthier gryphons were dark brown mostly and they worked the skies at night from what Hugh had observed. Still, they usually didn’t come back to their cliffside dwellings until after dawn. At this time of night, nothing flying should be around to spot the strange black dragon flitting through their territory.

  Hugh launched himself into the sky as smoothly as possible, mindfu onible, ml of the precious burdens on his back. He didn’t want to drop either Miss or the lady. He winged out away from the cliffs and climbed to an altitude where he’d be unlikely to come across anything else in the air. From below, he’d be just another dark shadow against the inky black sky.

  “All right back there?”

  “We’re good,” the lady shouted to be heard over the rushing wind.

  “Where do you want to go?” He probably should’ve discussed this on the ground, but they’d been in too much of a hurry to get away from a possible second attacker.

  “The palace,” she replied instantly. At least she knew where she wanted to go. The palace wouldn’t have been Hugh’s first choice, but she did work for the government and there would be guards there who might be able to help her.

  Hugh veered off toward the largest structure in the surrounding area. It was lit by fires on the battlements and easy to see even at this distance. He’d come in cautiously, from high above.

  While he could see the fires, there were no gryphons at the posts where a gryphon guard usually stood watch twenty-four hours a day. He felt the tension in his passenger as her legs tightened around his shoulders. She knew the palace better than he did. As they circled far above, even she could see the missing sentries.

  “Something’s wrong,” she shouted to be heard over the wind. “The guards should be manning the battlements even in this weather. And the gryphons aren’t at their posts.”

  “I doubt the palace is safe for you, then. Is there somewhere else we can go?”

  “Go east. My cousin lives on the sixth hill. She will help.”

  Hugh veered eastward, counting the hills in the distance and heading for the sixth in line from the coast. The lady’s grip on his shoulders didn’t lessen. She was filled with tension and it communicated itself to him in the stiff lines of her body.

  She was a good rider, though. He had no doubt she’d been aloft many times before. No doubt the gryphons took her flying whenever she wished in return for her advocacy on their behalf. He wasn’t sure of her exact position where the creatures were concerned, but the more he was around her, the more he began to form a good opinion of her. Good, but still wary.

  He’d already made up his mind that he wouldn’t leave Miss in the lady’s care unless he knew for certain where and how Miss would be cared for. Hugh would go with the lady wherever she went until that need was satisfied. Either that, or they would part company and he would take Miss with him back to Draconia, cutting his mission here short. Roland and Nico could send somebody else. The child was more important to Hugh at this moment.

  It took only a few minutes to fly over the dark city and enter the foothills where luxurious estates caressed the hillsides and vineyards rolled down the slopes in graceful lines. The sixth hill contained only one large estate and it was somewhat revolting in its opulence.

  “Your cousin lives there?” Hugh tried to keep the horror out of his tone. The place was ghastly in its sheer gaudiness.

  “Her taste is not mine.” The words were muttered, but Hugh heard them and silently agreed with the sentiment. “Approach from the orchard,” she went on in a louder voice. “Considering what we saw at the palace, we need to be cautious.”

  “I’ll set down in the dark beyond that feladyond thnce. I think I can fit between those rows of vines. We’ll walk up to the house together.”

  “You’re coming with me?” She sounded surprised.

  “I will not leave you until I’m sure you’re as safe as you can be with assassins on your trail.” Her safety had suddenly become important to him. Certainly, she could take care of herself to some extent. She had killed the assassin, after all. But he wouldn’t have wanted her to come up against those poisoned darts on her own.

  He also wanted to learn more about those mysterious Eyes. He’d never heard of such creatures before. Oh, Draconia had its share of secret groups—even some assassins—but nobody who used eyes as their symbol as far as he knew. At the very least, Nico would want to know as much about the mysterious assassins as Hugh could discover.

  He backwinged gently, executing a perfect covert landing between two rows of grapevines. Once again, he thanked his brothers for the training they’d all done together to perfect their abilities. The weather had changed for the better over the past day. No pelting, freezing rain and more moderate temperatures. Still, it was cold and no leaves graced the spindly vines. In the dark, they lo
oked like massive spider webs staked out between the poles.

  The vineyard was well kept, even in its dormant winter state. No dead leaves stirred with the gusts created by his wings, or crunched underfoot as he came to rest on the ground. Hugh crouched low, allowing his passengers to climb down off his back. As soon as they were clear, he shifted back to his human form.

  He emerged from the black mist clad in his own worn, black leather armor, his sword strapped to his side. It was a gift of his special kind of magic that allowed him and his brothers to take their clothing into the shift with them. Hugh had a bit more magic than his other brothers. So much so that he could influence the color and texture of what came back with him when he regained his human form.

  He didn’t know where the clothing went when he became a dragon, but he was able to leave certain items in the misty space between his two forms, secure there until he needed them. That’s where his armor had been and that’s where the clothes he’d been wearing before he shifted stayed for the moment. Wherever that was. Perhaps one day, if he ever met the wizard Gryffid in person, he could find out. If anyone would know, the last of the mighty wizards would.

  But that was a question for another time. Miss looked up at him with wide eyes as he picked up the pack the lady had carried for him. The gryphlet seemed exhilarated by her first flight and Hugh would have loved to spend a few moments talking to her about it. But not now. Not when the lady could still be in grave danger.

  “Sweetheart, I want you to stay here, among the vines. Find a place to hide and wait. I will go ahead to see if it’s safe for you and the lady.” Hugh looked at the woman who stood quietly at his side, scanning their surroundings intently.

  “I must go with you. My cousin doesn’t know you, nor do her guards. You would be arrested for trespass as soon as they saw you,” she argued in a soft voice.

  “I didn’t plan on being seen,” he quipped, but he understood her point. “Do you know this house well? Would you be able to tell from afar if something was wrong here, as you did at the palace?”

  She nodded once. “I visit here often.”

  “All right, then. Come with me, but stay in my shadow as best you can and if I give you direction, take it without quesrstwithouttion. Your life could depend on it.”

  “I understand.” She nodded once more as they moved out.

  He glanced back at Miss. “Stay hidden, little one. We’ll be back shortly and I expect to find you here, safe and sound. Understand?”

  The gryphlet nodded gravely and sank down into a crouch, scooting backward until she was partially hidden between the thick base of one of the vines and a fencepost. That would do for now. Her feathers and coloring were mottled enough that they acted like natural camouflage in the dark night.

  “Good girl. See you in a little while.” He patted her head before setting off with the lady walking quietly a step or two behind him.

  She wasn’t the stealthiest person he’d ever worked with, but she was better than he’d expected. She stumbled a few times over the uneven ground, reinforcing the fact that she had to rely on plain old human eyesight, which wasn’t the greatest in the dark. Hugh tried to help her when he could but he had to keep his hands free in case of attack.

  There were beacon lamps lit periodically along the wall of the vast estate. They were more decorative than functional, thankfully for Hugh’s purposes. Guards patrolled at regular intervals, though they weren’t the crisp military professionals of the palace guard. These men showed a bit of laxness when it came to the rigor with which they went about their duties. Hugh supposed they didn’t often see action way out here in the vinelands, even if the family they were protecting was highborn.

  Hugh paused in the shadows, watching them. The lady tugged on his sleeve, wordlessly communicating her impatience, but he would not move too hastily.

  “Let me just watch them for a moment. Something seems…” he thought in her direction.

  A more adamant tug on his sleeve made him turn his attention to her. Wide eyes looked up at him in the darkness as she tugged him downward so she could speak as quietly as possible near his ear.

  “You can still talk in my mind?” She seemed fascinated by the idea.

  He smiled slightly, relieved. “Of course. Now that I know you can hear me, I have this ability no matter my form. In time, you might even learn to do the same.” He returned to his study of the house. “There should be a guard right over there.” He gestured with the subtle movement of one hand. “I don’t see why—” he broke off, sinking to a crouch in a smooth gesture and taking her with him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked in a low, urgent voice.

  “Good question.” The words, spoken in an unfamiliar voice, made them both whip around to the left.

  A black-clad man stood there, in the dark shadows of the vines. How had he approached without Hugh sensing him in some way? The lady shrank back in terror, crowding Hugh. Then he saw it. The snake eye tattooed on the stranger’s forehead and the deadly gleam of blackened steel in his hands.

  “Eyes.” Hugh didn’t need to hear the lady’s frightened gasp to know what they faced. Another assassin. “Why didn’t you just stick her with your blade while you had the advantage?” Hugh stood in the darkened field between the rows of vines to face the man and put some space between himself and the lady. He needed room to maneuver.

  “Terms of the contract,” the man replied offhandedly. “My employer wanted her to see it coming. There’s a bonus for terror. Plus, I find it personal it perly more entertaining to make the target suffer.” He looked around at the dark vineyard. “And on her own land too. She’ll like that, she will.”

  “In my land, assassins take pride in their silence.” Hugh tucked away the news that the lady’s cousin had put out the contract on her life, though he could tell by the way her face drained of all color that it came as a shock to her.

  “It must be a very boring place, then.” The tattooed man moved, closing in as Hugh drew a short blade that had been sheathed in the leather strap over his chest.

  “I would call it civilized,” Hugh replied with a small amount of disdain.

  “I see you plan to act the hero.” The assassin sounded almost bored, but his eyes—the real ones, not the tattoos—missed nothing, actively watching Hugh’s slightest move. “I’m only being paid for her, but I suppose watching you die first will garner me that bonus.”

  Without warning, the man engaged, closing with Hugh in a lightning fast move. Had Hugh been any less alert, he would’ve been dead within seconds. But he was a dragon and had supernatural reflexes even while in his human form. He could see better in the dark than a regular person and had the advantage of dragon magic that allowed him to harden his skin against the sharp metal blade.

  While not exactly as strong as his dragon hide, Hugh’s unique magic allowed him to take blows that would leave normal people slashed to ribbons. The assassin moved like lightning, but few of his strikes landed and those few that did didn’t draw blood.

  Eventually the man changed tactics, maneuvering Hugh around the darkened vineyard, almost herding him. Hugh tried to keep himself between the assassin and the lady at all times, but he hadn’t counted on there being more than one attacker.

  A gasp from behind made Hugh spin. The lady was in the grip of a second assassin, this one with a matching snake’s eye tattooed on his forehead, directly between his real eyes. The blackened blade gleamed to Hugh’s sight as the assassin pressed it against her throat.

  “That’s right, boyo,” said the first man, closing on Hugh’s unprotected back. Hugh could take him, but his partner would kill the lady without a second thought before Hugh could get to her. “Now, do we get one eye from this or two? Your choice.”

  “You get an eye for each person you kill?” Hugh was sickened by the macabre practice.

  The man nodded with seeming pride. “Twenty-seven I have today. My master there has double that number.” From the corner of his eye, Hugh saw som
ething move in the darkness to the left. Something that blended with the night in gray and black stripes. “My master can make it quick for her or make her suffer. Which would you prefer?”

  “Neither, actually,” Hugh said conversationally to the man. “We need your help, sweetheart.” He directed his thoughts toward the baby gryphon. “Remember how I told you about your claws? Unsheathe them and sink them into the man holding the lady. I will take care of the rest.”

  A split second later, as if he’d timed it perfectly, though luck had more to do with it than planning, the gryphlet erupted from beneath the vines as Hugh sprang into action. Miss went for the man holding his knife at the lady’s throat, claws bared, sharp teeth flashing in the night as she hit the man from the side, raking his arm. She jumped upward, using her wings to bat him with air and feathers, claws and teeth, blinding him and making hi Mynd makim let go.

  But not before the sharp blade cut into the lady’s neck.

  Hugh saw it in the split second as he shifted shape and slashed out with his much bigger claws, killing both assassins at the same time—one with his right hand, one with his left.

  The lady was bleeding, but still standing when he dropped the lifeless men to the ground and beckoned to her.

  “Get on my back quick as you can. We dare not tarry. There may be more of them.”

  The lady climbed aboard and Miss bounded up right behind her. Hugh lurched into the air with less grace and even more speed than before, heading out, over the hills, toward the sand flats beyond. He needed a place to take them where they’d see an enemy coming. Someplace safer than the city or its environs. Someplace close.

  The sandy wasteland beyond the foothills was the only place he could fly to fast that provided some of those tactical advantages. And it had to be quick. The lady was bleeding. He had to see how bad it was.

  “How are you holding up back there?”